Julia has been teaching in Manchester for 20 years and has worked at 4 different primary schools within the city at different levels of leadership. Julia is currently a deputy headteacher at a local Primary school and leads on Inclusion, including Safeguarding, SEND and pupil well-being. Julia is Level 3 DSL trained, has completed the National SENDCO award and has recently successfully completed the National Qualification for Headship. Julia also teaches some sessions on the PGCE course at Manchester University on Emotions Coaching. ‘I enjoy being a governor at Manchester Hospital Schools as I am an avid believer that all children have the right to the very best education from the very best educators and this is the core vision and values that the school is striving to achieve.
Jenny is an experienced Secondary Headteacher, having led three schools in Greater Manchester between 2012 and 2022, including taking one out of Special Measures and another to its best-ever results. Prior to Headship, Jenny worked in a large Multi-Academy Trust leading Assessment, Teaching and Learning across the group as well as fulfilling senior leadership roles in three different academies. Having started her career as a teaching assistant in a school for young people with severe and profound learning needs and moving though English teaching into leadership, she has a wide breadth of educational experience.
After qualifying as an Occupational Therapist Tessa’s passion for working with young people led her to pursue a career in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She has worked in a range of mental health settings; acute inpatient, crisis care, community CAMHS and most recently as part of the Paediatric liaison team at RMCH. Tessa has experience working with young people experiencing a wide range of neurodevelopmental, mental and physical health conditions. This has given Tessa significant insight into the lived experience of the young people and families she has worked with.
Working with young people in a range of settings confirmed Tessa’ s belief that education is an integral part of recovery. As an OT she is passionate about supporting young people to engage in occupations which are meaningful to them. Tessa became a governor at the Manchester Hospital School in 2017.
Aside from work Tessa Ioves running, travel, the arts and hiking in the great outdoors.
Liz is a retired Headteacher who has worked in schools in Manchester for over 40 years. For seven years Liz was Headteacher of an 11- 18 large comprehensive school in South Manchester. Here, she was the lead school in a Trust of three Secondary schools , which gave her the opportunity to work and share good practice with two other Headteachers and undertake quality assurance across the Trust.
Previous to that Liz was Deputy Head with her main responsibility being curriculum and assessment and regularly met with other deputies across the city. Liz has also had various responsibilities as Assistant Head in the school which have involved working with a range of institutions including Universities and a variety of businesses.
Dean is a senior leader within the NHS and is a seasoned estates and facilities management professional with over two decades of experience. With a master’s degree in Facilities Management and a strong track record of delivering complex projects, Dean has a wealth of expertise in the private and public sector. Dean is currently working on the strategic redevelopment of North Manchester General Hospital and has great experience in organisational change, financial management, and team development.
Beyond his professional achievements, Dean is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. As a former trustee of an International sports organisation and as a past member of England Rugby’s Equality and Diversity Board, Dean has a deep commitment to creating inclusive and equitable environments. Dean is also a former amateur rugby union player with experience in leadership roles, including captain, chair, and president.
Dean and his husband are parents of two adopted children and this gives him a passion to support young people’s academic and personal growth and looks forward to supporting the governing board at Manchester Hospital School, helping to shape a brighter future for young people through education.
Before becoming a teacher, I was a qualified Physiotherapist working for Salford Royal Foundation Trust. After traveling for four years, I completed my PGCE and became a Teacher of Humanities. Prior to working at Manchester Hospital School, I gained several years of experience working at a variety of mainstream secondary schools around Greater Manchester. I have recently completed my NPQBLC. I am very passionate about helping children to achieve their full potential.
I am delighted to join the board as a parent governor. I am married with three children, and my eldest daughter is a student at Leo Kelly School. Like many of the students at the Leo Kelly School, my daughter faces unique challenges, particularly with school attendance anxiety and our family has a deep appreciation for the dedication and support provided by the Leo Kelly School and the Manchester Hospital School. Professionally, I am a Chartered Surveyor with experience in a wide range of residential and commercial property including management and maintenance. I currently specialise in property valuation. I have a background working with various chartered surveying firms, offering valuation advice primarily to banks and lending institutions. About a year ago, I transitioned to an in-house role at a major mortgage lender in Cheadle, where I provide expertise on valuation and a range of professional property matters. In my spare time, I enjoy being with family and friends, watching football (I am a Manchester United supporter), watching addictive TV series, following the news, current affairs, politics and staying active at the gym. Through my role as a parent governor, I look forward to contributing meaningfully to the school’s ongoing efforts and supporting its mission to make a difference in the lives of our students.
I was appointed as a parent governor in late 2024. Manchester Hospital School does amazing work and, as a parent who has needed support for a child, it is good to have the opportunity to support the school in return. I believe that children who become ill should still have every opportunity to achieve their full potential and Manchester Hospital School provides that safety net to so many families. By profession, I am a chartered accountant and have worked advising businesses on their finances for many years both as a partner in a national practice and in finance director roles. I am also co-founder of The Bread and Butter Thing, a charity with over 130 locations dedicated to providing healthy and affordable food to 7,000 families across the North of England each week.
I have been a freelance General Practitioner working in various practices in Manchester since 2007. I am also a Tribunal Member at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, a role I’ve been involved in since 2012. I am excited about my role as a Governor at the Manchester Hospital School which I know does a stellar job in educating children who are disadvantaged by ill health and will be a privilege for me to contribute in maintaining the high standards that already exists here.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Governing Body has a number of duties and responsibilities towards all its stakeholders; students, staff, parents, the local authority and all our partners.
The role includes:
- Quality and Standards
- Ensuring the school fulfils its statutory duties and meets legal requirements
- Setting challenging targets
- Ensuring the school has adequate resources to meet the needs of the pupils and that it uses best value principles in setting its budget
- Ensuring all pupils are supported with their transition
- Leadership
- Establishing a clear vision for the school and setting the strategic aims
- Communicating this vision to pupils, staff, Parents and stakeholders
- Developing shared values and principles based on an explicit moral purpose
- Monitoring and evaluating performance and progress
- Relationships with stakeholders
- Ensuring the school is accountable to all stakeholders
- Building and nurturing a close relationship with young people and their families
- Caring for the welfare of pupils and staff
The Governing Body is made up of representatives from the Local Authority, parents, staff of the school and co-opted members from the community. Representatives are elected for a period of four years. The Governing Body meets to discuss issues concerned with the school. Minutes of the meetings are available for reference at the school. Members of the Governing Body are always willing to discuss school matters and can be contacted via the school office.
The Governing Body has a programme of meetings throughout the school year, and a committee structure that focuses on specific areas of governance:
- Chair of Governors: Julia Scott
- Vice Chair of Governors: Jenny Langley
- Parent Governors: Jane Game, David Rose
- Co-opted Governors: Julia Scott, Liz Hole, Jenny Langley
- Staff Governor: Elizabeth Air
- Headteacher: Joanna Beswick
- Resources Committee: Jenny Langley (Chair), Joanna Beswick (Headteacher), Dean Whitehouse, David Rose, Jane Game, Julia Scott
- Curriculum Committee: Tessa Hutton (Chair), Liz Hole, Jenny Langley, Joanna Beswick, Elizabeth Air
- Pay Committee: Jenny Langley, Liz Hole, Tessa Hutton, Julia Scott
If you wish to contact the Chair of the Governing Body, please do so using the following address:
admin@hospitalschool.manchester.sch.uk
| Link Governors | Governor | Staff |
| Safeguarding including attendance | Julia Scott | Joanna Beswick |
| SEND & Equalities | Tessa Hutton | Gwen Rees-Moffitt |
| Wellbeing (pupils) | Tessa Hutton | Joanna Beswick |
| Curriculum and standards | Liz Hole | Ruth Sheard- Pearson |
| Health and Safety | Dean Whitehouse | Danielle Clough |
| Post 16 and Careers | Jenny Langley | Lisa Biggar |
| Stakeholder voice including staff (including staff wellbeing), pupils and parents and medical practitioners | Elizabeth Air | Rahat Shah |
| Pupil Premium | Liz Hole | Ruth Sheard-Pearson |
Governor Attendance
Register of Business Interests
Governor Expenses Policy
Governor Code of Conduct
Governor Privacy Notice
Collecting and publishing governing board diversity data
The governing body of Manchester Hospital School currently holds data on each governor in relation to their gender and age.
Governors have agreed to collect further data on their ethnicity and disability/medical condition status.
Governors have agreed to collect and review this data internally rather than publish to ensure that individuals cannot be identified, as the numbers are low
