Tom David

Parent & Co-Chair

I am delighted to be a member of the Board at Upton Westlea and enjoy contributing towards the school that has done so much for my two boys who currently attend Westlea. I strongly believe that education and particularly early years education is vital in giving children strong foundations to be able to thrive and develop to their full potential.

We are very pleased with Westlea as a school and the positive and diverse social and learning environment it has provided our two boys who are thriving in their educational and social development.

I am a Chartered Surveyor specialising in rural property, particularly farms and estates and work throughout the North West and Wales.

In my personal life we have an energetic cocker spaniel, chickens, fish and 30 sheep shared with my parents. When we are not playing farming we spend time taking the dog out for a walk, having family film nights or pottering in the garden.

I look forward to continuing to work closely with the school staff, governors and the wider Upton Westlea community.

Louise Thompson

Parent & Co-Chair

I am Mum to three children who have or do all attend Upton Westlea.

I am a secondary school Drama and English teacher and am deeply passionate about wellbeing and the differentiation of learning to ensure that all children can achieve their full potential.

Having recently moved back to Chester, it was vital for us that our children would begin in a diverse and community minded school with lots of extra curricular opportunities and we could not be more happy with Upton Westlea.

At home we have a crazy labrador and all enjoy cycling, swimming and discovering new walks together. When I'm not taking the children to various clubs you can find me with a cup of tea and a good book or at the theatre.

I enjoy working closely with the fantastic members of staff at the school.

Helen Burrell

Co-opted & Vice Chair

I have a background in fashion PR. After raising my three children I began volunteering for Passion for Learning many years ago and support children at Westlea and Upton High in a mentoring role. I enjoy playing games, cooking, arts and crafts, gardening, anything which will ignite a passion and interest in the children. I recently re-trained as a counsellor and completed my training with Healthbox. I was a governor at Acton Primary, Nantwich 20 years ago. 

I enjoy gardening, flower arranging and cooking in my spare time.

Kath Carruthers

Headteacher

I have been the Headteacher at Upton Westlea Primary School since September 2015. I take an active role in Governor meetings and am accountable to all the others members of the Governing Body.

I believe that every child should have the opportunity to develop his/her potential in a happy and safe environment which equips them for all future needs and instils a want for life-long learning through imaginative, creative, enjoyable and practical opportunities. High quality learning and teaching experiences are the right of every child. All children are entitled to a broad, balanced, stimulating and enriched curriculum with a mixture of teaching and learning styles.

I am Mum to a son and daughter and the very lucky owner of our school dog, Bobby.

Laura Dalton

Staff

I have taught in year 1 and year 2 at Upton Westlea since 2015.  I am the Phonics and Early Reading and Art subject leads. My passion is anything creative, colourful and potentially a little bit messy!

I am originally a Bolton lass, moving to Chester for university and once completed my teaching degree, I remained in Chester. 

I joined the Governing Board in July 2019 and very much enjoy being part of the Board.

Nathaniel Keelan

Co-opted

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to join the board to enhance the children's learning and development as well as supporting the school in giving children the best start in their educational journey.

I have 15 years experience in childcare across a variety of roles including Teaching Assistant, Midday Assistant and Playworker. This has enabled me to gain valuable knowledge and experience that I can apply to this Governor position.

I passionately believe that all children should have the opportunity to develop and learn fundamental skills in a safe and caring environment to help them throughout their lives.

Zara McFetridge

Co-opted

I am thrilled to be on the board at Upton Westlea Primary School, a school that I am quickly discovering truly lives up to its vision of Inspire, Learn, Succeed!

With over 12 years of teaching experience across both in-person and online environments, I’ve had the opportunity to support students in a range of roles, including Head of English, KS3 Coordinator, and Second in Department at a local high school. These roles have deepened my passion for literacy, curriculum development, and supporting the individual needs of all learners, particularly those with special educational needs.

My background has shown me just how critical the primary years are in shaping confident, curious, and capable learners. I’m constantly in awe of the way primary schools like Upton Westlea lay the foundations, not just academically, but socially and emotionally - for success at secondary level and beyond. I feel privileged to be part of such a dedicated and caring school community, and I look forward to supporting its continued growth and ambition as a governor.

Outside of education, I enjoy spending time with my little boy, Noah, and sharing his sense of discovery as he grows. I’m also a big fan of film and TV, love exploring history, and always look forward to planning our next family holiday! 

Margorie Sargent

Co-opted

I am passionate about the benefits of education and look forward to playing an active role as a governor at Upton Westlea. 

Originally from Yorkshire, after university I moved to Chester and have lived in Upton for more than forty years. My two grown up children have benefitted from being educated at Upton schools. I took early retirement after a long career with BT. I held various roles, mostly finance and strategy related, including managing budgets.

I am a volunteer with Passion for Learning and am currently providing one to one support for two children at Upton Westlea. I enjoy walking, cycling, gardening and I am a member of Upton W. I. and a local book club.

Derek Underwood

Co-opted

As well as being on the Board, I volunteer for the local charity Passion for Learning, where I support learners to maximise their potential through out of school time activities.

I have lived in Upton for 21 years with my wife and two daughters who were/are educated in Upton. Maximising the potential at this young age is crucial to future learning and their lives beyond. I have an electronics aviation background, employed by the civil service, having several roles, moving into commercial and most recently project, programme and portfolio management.

I enjoy participating in and watching sports. Currently multi-sport training and completing triathlons is my main passion whilst also managing to squeeze in a game of golf or two.