Lewis Wright – Chair of Governors
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a little bit about myself. I have been living in Leighton Buzzard (Sandhills) for approximately 8 years having moved from the London Borough of Hillingdon where I grew up and went to school.
I have a son who attends the Kestrel Way site and an stepson at upper school in Leighton Buzzard. I work in Corporate Security for a global retail organisation where I have been for 16 years in various roles.
I am an avid football fan, golfer and general sports enthusiast, but I am equally content to sit at home on the sofa and watch TV.
I became a governor at Greenleas in 2020 because I was interested in the role of a governor and how they support the school and community to help children make a successful start in life through education.
Olivia Davies – Co-opted Governor
I joined as a Governor in February 2020, so a lot of what I have done so far has been virtual! I have two children at Derwent Road, a son in reception and daughter in year 3. When my daughter started school I felt I wanted to be a part of her primary school journey and help to support this, so I was keen to join the board when a position arose. I sit on both the resources committee and quality of education committee. I am link governor for modern foreign languages and music.
My passion for the spa and beauty industry has given me a career in something that I enjoy outside of work too. I started my career at Champneys as a young therapist and got to treat lots of celebrity clients. During this time I found a love for teaching, managing the training there and supporting this with a qualification in adult education. I went on to work in various industry based teaching roles and then eventually to run the Sanctuary spa in Covent Garden as General Manager. When the spa closed I considered how I could continue working in the industry I love whilst finding time for my family and I decided to set up my own business, offering beauty and holistic treatments, which is now in it’s 6th year. I believe we are always learning and I take on a new treatment each year to strengthen my knowledge and keep growing.
My family is what is most important to me and we love time outdoors, watching movies and holidays together. Exercise keeps me sane and I exercise daily before the children are out of bed as that’s the quietest time of the day! I love reading, running, cooking and time with friends too.
Amanda Wallace – Co-opted Governor
Hi my name is Amanda and I have been a governor since 2018. I started as a staff governor as I wanted to learn more about the running of the school and also promote the EYFS area of the school. I am currently the safeguarding governor, which I share with Emily Wilding and is an area I am very passionate about. I am the pre-school manager at our Kestrel Way site and the Extended Services Manager in my day job outside of being a governor. I have worked in this area for approximately 18 years now across different settings and seen many changes in early years over this time. I love working with families at the very beginning of their educational journey and supporting them as they encourage their child in those first steps of independence.
SEND is my area of speciality within education and I am also very passionate about this. Ensuring all children have the ability to embark on an educational journey that allows them to flourish into the very best version of themselves if extremely important to me.
Outside of work I am married with two grown up children. My daughter is currently a TA at our Derwent Road site and looking to do her teacher training. My son is a trainee HGV mechanic. We spend our free time wakeboarding and camping at our local ski club. A fun fact about me is that I was a bus and coach driver before I started in Education. Lots of day trips to the seaside and a singsong on the bus!
Dorothy Smith – Co-opted Governor
I was the Finance Manager at Greenleas School for 17 years before retiring in April 2024. I became a governor to contribute to the wellbeing of pupils and staff and to support the school in its decision making. As a former parent I wanted to give something back to the school that had given my children such a good start to their education. My role as a Governor is to support the Head Teacher and to oversee the management side of a school: strategy, policy, budgeting and staffing. As a qualified accountant I have a depth of financial knowledge that is useful to this role.
On a personal level, I am now semi-retired, working 2 days a week for an interior design company. I am a member of the Guiding community and was a Brownie leader for several years. I enjoy reading, walking, cooking, many sports including badminton, socialising and travelling. I have recently learnt to crochet.
James Emm - Local Authority Governor
I joined the Governing board in September 2023. I work from home and navigate both a full time job and childcare. I have a long history working in the service sector, starting in retail before moving into supply chain services then eventually moving to IT procurement where I currently work for a major international logistic company.
In May 2023 I was elected to Leighton-Linslade Town Council where I chair the Grounds and Environmental committee. I want to help people and enjoy serving our community, so when I was asked to join the Governing board at Greenleas School I jumped at the chance.
When I was young I was diagnosed with dyslexia and struggled at school, so I know first hand how hard it can be for those with additional needs. I want to do my best to ensure children are given all the support, encouragement and confidence they require to succeed. I want to help Greenleas be the best it can for it's pupils and the community.
A s a parent I am very familiar with both Greenleas locations. My stepson attended Kestrel Way until he moved to middle school and I have a son who currently attends EY at Derwent Road. Outside work I am a keen history buff and environmentalist. I enjoy gardening, family time, long walks and nature. I am also a lifelong Crystal Palace fan and enjoy going to MK ice hockey games when I get the spare time.
Alyson Le Francois-Allen - Parent Governor
My name is Alyson and I joined the board as a parent governor in May 2023. I am married and a mother of two girls. My oldest daughter joined Greenleas Kestrel Way in Nursery shortly after we moved to the local community in 2021.
I am truly passionate about education and during my 20 years of service (so far) from Primary to Sixth Form teaching, I have had opportunities to experience various aspects of the teaching profession both pastorally and academically. I currently work in a large secondary school as a Head of Department where I teach languages.
Outside work, I love reading, skiing, travelling around the world with my family but also learning new languages and skills (BSL and touch typing being my latest things!). I am looking forward to the opportunity to play a part in the continued success and future development of the school as a representative parent, for the benefit of all the children who are lucky enough to attend Greenleas School now or in the future.