Governors

Biography: Julian is the Founding Principal of Rochdale Sixth Form College and joined the college from New College, Pontefract where he was Deputy Principal. Julian started his career as Business Studies and Economics teacher, and has worked in two 11-18 comprehensive schools, one as Deputy Head teacher. He worked for a number of years at Greenhead College, a sixth form college in Huddersfield. His time there was spent as part of the unique pastoral system that became centre of national interest. Having been headhunted to work with ALPs (advanced level performance systems) as Director of Education, Julian worked with school sixth forms and sixth form colleges throughout England in delivering senior and whole staff training on quality improvement using the ALPs processes and his personal experience of raising achievement in post 16 institutions.

Julian is a keen rugby league and football fan, following Castleford Tigers and Leeds United – he enjoys following both, when his two children allow. He is also a huge music fan, but probably has different tastes to his students - he is not sure how many of them have heard of Paul Weller!

Biography: Ian is a freelance clerk and consultant in college governance. He started his business in 1997 following eight years as a senior manager and clerk in a large FE college. Since then, he has served as clerk in 16 colleges at various times and provided consultancy and training for governors in over 40 other institutions. Having worked in the past only with established colleges, he is relishing the task of assisting the Governing Body with the establishment of a brand new college. In his spare time Ian enjoys golf and driving (very) fast cars.

Biography: Pam Coward is a retired Headteacher (August 2004) who also worked as a leadership and management consultant. Her national profile has included a Directorship of the National Council of the Specialist Schools Trust, membership of the reference group of headteachers, supporting the work of the Director General of Schools at the DCSF and leading work as part of a national project to raise boys’ achievement with Cambridge University. She was awarded a DBE in the Birthday Honours List 2003 for services to education. She enjoys regular visits to the theatre and caravanning. Her granddaughters, aged seven and nine, are her absorbing hobby and take up much of her spare time.

Biography: Stephen is a born and bred Rochdalian. He is a consultant town planner: having previously been Rochdale Council's Director of Town Planning and Development Services. He is a member of the boards of Rochdale Development Agency and Pennine Land Ltd, and a trustee of Springhill Hospice. His particular interests relate to the future development and maintenance of the college campus and buildings. Outside work Stephen's interests include skiing, rugby (both league and union) and travelling.

Biography: An active figure in her community, Atifa Shah was elected Youth MP for Rochdale in 2005. A Graduate of University of Manchester and founder of four businesses, Atifa is currently a Technology Consultant at Accenture in the field of Infrastructure Consulting and has predominantly worked in Financial Services and Pharmaceutical industries. She leads the Accenture Muslim Network and plays a leading role in Accenture’s corporate citizenship affairs and recruitment. Her Active role in society is demonstrated through the various positions she holds such as a director of Link4Life, Governor for Rochdale 6th Form College and Regional Board Director for Mosaic, a national initiative set up by HRH Prince of Wales.

Atifa has in the past worked for IBM UK both in Software Operations and Recruitment (2007/2008), chaired a Muslim Advisory Panel (2005-2009), chaired Rochdale Women’s Welfare Association (2007-2010), and served on the Pakistan Britain Business Chamber Board of Directors at the Pakistan High Commission. She is also a graduate of HRH The Prince of Wales’ Young Muslim Leadership Summer School at Oxford and several other prestigious leadership programmes and regularly contributes to key Muslim issues in main stream media such as Sky News, Channel 4 and the BBC. In her capacity as Youth MP and a Muslim young woman Atifa has contributed to a number of government initiatives, policies and strategic debates around Terrorism, Housing, Private Health Care, NHS, Education and Welfare, Urban Development for the UK Core Cities, Safer Communities and Foreign Affairs.

On the philanthropy front, Atifa has played leading roles in number of charitable initiatives with organisations such as Islamic Relief, Springhill Hospice, James Caan Foundation and has more recently, evolved a fundraising brand “The White Table Dinner”, with the first event held at The Foreign Office London in October 2011. Her most recent focus and efforts have been on rebuilding Pakistan and the East Africa Drought.

Atifa brings to the board her skills, contacts and networks to inspire many others to become engaged in their own community leadership.

Biography: Experienced in HRD both public and private sectors, I have delivered HR services to a diverse range of employees and professionals over a 30 year career. In particular I have worked in contracting where inputs v outputs are measured to establish benefits realisation and inform future HR investment.

I have enjoyed almost 2 HR careers, choosing in the late 1990s to 'down shift' career in favour of parenting but returning back to strategic HRD following 9 rewarding years enjoying a wholesome work life balance.

My most recent experience includes police service HR and Development pursuits working first territorially at the sharp end of HR for 2 Basic Command Units, followed by 3 years as force Learning and Development Director, undertaking People Change scoping and 3 further years working as People and Development Director responsible for all strategic HR and Learning Services for Greater Manchester Police. Having achieved my quest to transform People and Development Services in light of fiscal restraint, I left the public sector in May 2011 to pursue a dual career which comprises running my own 2 companies and also continuing my HR work in the areas of recruitment, deployment and performance for a newly established national solar panel sales and installation company.

Biography: Jock is currently employed by the Learning & Skills Council, a central government organisation responsible for planning and funding post 16 education in England. He has particular responsibility for colleges in the City of Manchester. He feels that his long involvement with Post 16 funding will be of real value to Rochdale Sixth Form as it establishes itself within the local education landscape. Jock has lived in Rochdale for 25 years and has a deep commitment to ensuring that young people in the Borough have the best possible options to support their progress towards higher education and employment. He uses his spare time to visit his children, to dance with his wife and to cycle around the beautiful moors around Rochdale.

Biography: Kitsa is a practising Solicitor and has been a partner in a large legal firm in Rochdale since 1985. She specialises in property work. For many years Kitsa was a Non-Executive Director of two National Health Trusts, and she is currently a member of the Local Council of the Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys working with people with other backgrounds and experiences to her own, and is excited to be involved in the development of a new college for her home town. In her spare time Kitsa enjoys travelling (anywhere), skiing (badly) and a good night out.

Biography: Richard is a part time consultant school improvement officer for Rochdale LA. Previously he held the full time post of senior school improvement manager for the LA where his major responsibilities were to ensure that schools causing concern to the LA and those in OFSTED categories improved rapidly. He regularly worked in primary and secondary schools including those with VI forms.

Richard has also been a registered OFSTED inspector and led many inspections of primary and secondary schools. He has been a registered trainer of OFSTED inspectors.

In his spare time Richard enjoys playing golf, reading and attending the theatre.

Biography: Rodger is a Chartered Accountant, a former Partner in Ernst & Young, Finance Director of a nationwide furniture retailer and more recently Head of Special Projects at Manchester Central Convention Complex (a role encompassing finance, information systems and commercial development). Currently a non executive director and working in voluntary roles within the charity sector.

Born and educated in Rochdale he is looking forward to contributing to the development of a successful sixth form college that all of Rochdale can be proud of.

He is a big music fan with tastes that embrace most popular music genres. An active supporter of Manchester United and Rochdale he enjoys all sports although participation is now restricted to golf, the gym and walking. Travel, food and MG sports cars complete his range of interests.

Biography: Claire joined RSFC in September 2010 as Curriculum Area Leader for Mathematics and Science. She has worked in a number of educational settings, including comprehensive and grammar schools and FE Colleges, teaching mathematics across the 11-18 age range. She has experience as a Staff Governor at a previous college, spending three years as a member of the Governing Body and serving on the Staffing & Curriculum and Finance Sub-committees. Whilst teaching, she completed a part-time Masters degree in Education, focusing in the latter stages on influences to student motivation when studying mathematics.

Prior to joining RSFC, Claire worked in teacher education, at Edge Hill University, as PGCE Course Leader for Secondary Mathematics. Outside the classroom, Claire has gained extensive External Examiner experience, assessing Key Stage 3 SATs, GCSE Statistics, IGCSE and GCE papers. In addition, she has worked on a consultancy basis on a number of national reviews of standards over time in GCSE and GCE Mathematics for QCA/Ofqual, and has more recently written website materials for the new GCSE Mathematics syllabus for one of the main examination boards.

Outside work, Claire is learning Spanish and enjoys running and attending the gym to keep fit. She enjoys travel and has recently learnt to ski.

Biography: Jo is Director of Aimhigher Greater Manchester. Aimhigher is a national campaign to widen participation in higher education. The local partnership includes 7 universities and institutions of higher education, all ten local authorities in Greater Manchester, Connexions services, schools and colleges. Aimhigher runs summer schools, campus visits, revision support and staff development to support young people with no higher education heritage to go to university. Aimhigher is based at the Open University in south Manchester where Jo was previously Assistant Director and a course tutor.

Jo lives in Rochdale and has three daughters who all attended local schools. She believes in the transformative power of education and the right of all to achieve their potential.

In her spare time, she likes to dig the allotment, walk and learn Italian in preparation for a trip to the cities and hills of Italy.

Biography: Elisabeth has worked in a local secondary school for the last ten years, initially as a finance assistant and for the last five years as the Office & Financial Support Manager, prior to that she worked for Barclays Bank. She is local to the Rochdale area and looking forward to being involved in RSFC, she believes strongly in every person having the opportunity to reach their full potential. Elisabeth has two sons, the youngest attends RSFC. In her spare time Elisabeth likes to listen to music and attend concerts, her taste is varied but consists mainly of bands from the 80’s.

Biography: I went to East Crompton St James’ Primary School and attended Crompton House CE Secondary School. I have completed my bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards and I am now participating in my Gold award, due to be completed next year. In my free time I volunteer at a local hospice and attend antenatal classes as research for my university application. I am currently researching into Midwifery and wish to progress onto university and study this. At AS Level I have studied Biology, Psychology, ICT and English Language, all of which I enjoyed thoroughly and I am very much looking forward to progressing onto A2.

Biography: I attended Falinge Park High School, and earned an academic scholarship to go to RSFC due to my achievements at GCSE. The subjects I have chosen to study at AS are Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Psychology. I am hoping to drop Physics and carry the rest on at A2. In my free time I play the guitar and I am also the lead guitarist for one of the college’s rock bands.

Biography: John is a Rochdalian through and through, having been born here, educated here and having lived here and worked here all his life. He is keen to ensure that a high standard of educational facilities and opportunities exist in order to maximise the personal potential of students.

John is the Senior Partner in PKW Chartered Accountants LLP of Rochdale and, possessing Registered Auditor status, is pleased to bring those skills to the Audit Committee of RSFC. As part of his Christian beliefs he regards service to others as paramount and endeavours to follow this path by volunteering his professional expertise to many community, church, youth, cultural, charitable and sporting organisations at local, regional and national level – intertwining such work with a devotion to family, cricket, the Magistracy, rugby union and golf. John is a Freeman and Liveryman of the City of London.