Chair: Anne Clark

I have lived in Naburn since 2001 and have 3 grown up children, the youngest of whom went to school at Naburn Primary. Until recently I worked as a Specialist Early Years Assessment Teacher for the City of York Council and have spent my career teaching children with special educational needs. In my spare time I enjoy singing, playing the guitar and kayaking. I am a member of Naburn Parish Council and am very honoured to serve as a Local Authority Governor for our wonderful village school.

Mike Beresford

I have lived a few yards away from the school since 1992. Our children loved every minute of their time at Naburn Primary School. After spending over 20 years as an engineering project manager in the petrochemical industry, I worked for 12 years as director for a Christian organisation called Zambesi Mission that worked with Christians and churches in Malawi in Africa. I retired in August 2024. I lead collective worship regularly in the school, both individually and with an Open the Book team, where we and the children act out Bible stories and learn lessons for today. As Foundation Governor I am keen to uphold and share the Christian faith and promote the school’s core values of aspiration, respect and community.

Clare Burton

Now entering my third-year teaching at Naburn CE Primary, I am delighted to have been elected as staff governor. I am keen to represent our incredibly hard-working staff body within the strategic and development of our school. Alongside my duties as class teacher, I lead the subjects of Early Years Reading and Phonics. Additionally, I hold the roles of EYFS/KS1 Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

I decided to become a staff governor as I wanted to gain an insight into the wider running of the school and to understand how an effective governing body is structured and run. I am committed to the continuous improvement and development of educational provision. I am able to consider topics critically and reflectively and I have the ability to be diplomatic when contributing to discussions while respecting the views of others. I have built strong relationships within the school community, and I do all I can to uphold our school values of Aspiration, Respect and Community through each and every interaction I have with children, parents, staff and our wider school community. In my spare time I love to read, dance, socialise with my friends and go to the seaside for a paddle!

Rowan Johnson

I’ve been a Parent Governor since September 2023 and I live just a short distance from Naburn School. I work for an international humanitarian organisation, as head of global safety and security training and crisis management. I've held extensive safeguarding responsibilities professionally that I aim to also bring to the role of Parent Governor. Having always had a passion for technical search and rescue, I’m a volunteer member of the Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team and a Trauma Risk Manager for the RNLI. I care deeply about our inclusive and friendly village school and our values of aspiration, respect and community. I welcome any and all conversations about how to further deepen our Naburn community ties and the long-term sustainability of this wonderful school which provides such a great educational foundation for all its children.

Kevin Merrison

Settled in York since 2013, this is the second school at which I have been a governor. Experienced with working with boards and committees in small and large organisations and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, I spent the first part of my working career in the military serving with the Royal Air Force, the United Nations and NATO. I have three children, aged between 16 and 36 who attended over 20 different schools between them. That probably provides me with the most valuable experience of all. I aim to support the fellow governors, school head and teachers, parents and pupils in achieving a balanced, sustainable and positive education. 

Vicki Patterson

I come from a small town in Northumberland where I lived in the grounds of my primary school, as my dad was the caretaker. After venturing south for university, I then moved to the USA to work as a research scientist at universities in Connecticut and then New Jersey. There, I discovered my love for teaching and dislike of shovelling snow. After ten years abroad, I moved to York in 2022 to become a lecturer in biology. As the first in my family to attend university, I know first-hand how important teachers are in helping children to achieve their potential and I am glad to join the governors at Naburn Primary School to help support the school. I also enjoy reading, playing computer games and board games, and going on rollercoasters.