Governor Profiles

Sarah Hinchliffe - Chair Governors

Sarah Hinchliffe – Chair of Governors. Co-opted Governor

Link role - SEND and Pupil/Sports Premium/Leadership

I joined the Local Governing Board as Parent Governor in 2022 before becoming a co-opted Governor this year.

Inclusion is at the heart of our school, and I am proud to play a role in ensuring we provide the best start to all our children including those who have additional needs or need more support. As a parent/carer of a neurodivergent child who attended the school I understand the SEND system, our legal duties and am keen to help and inform our parent/carer community. My youngest child also attends the school where he is thriving.

Since becoming Chair in October 24, I work closely with the Senior Leadership team, and other Governors to ensure we provide strong strategic oversight and monitoring of the delivery of School’s vision, values and priorities for improvement.

Professionally I was a Senior Marketing and Internal Communications Manager in the finance and regeneration sector. I am also a Trustee of Sheffield Parent Carer Forum.

Cathy Rowland - Headteacher

Cathy Rowland - Headteacher

I have been the Head at Dobcroft Infant School since September 2004 having previously been the Head at Broomhill for 4 years. I have been a Governor since 1993 first as a teacher representative and then in a Headteacher role in particular looking at the value of Early Years.

As a Governor, I want to drive through strategies for school's priorities including our new role as a Teaching School supporting other schools.

Zoe Singh - Deputy Headteacher

Zoe Singh  - Deputy Headteacher, Associate Governor

I have been Deputy Head at Dobcroft Infant School since Jan 2023 with previous experience as a Deputy Head at Lydgate Infant School. Prior to this I worked at DIS for seven years culminating in a role as Foundation Stage Lead. I have been an Associate Governor since Jan 2023.

Amie Clifford - Vice Chair of Governors

Amie Clifford – Vice Chair – Co-opted Governor

Link role – Safeguarding

I became a governor here in 2022. My roles on the board are primarily vice-chair and safeguarding lead. I also sit on the Head Teacher Performance Management panel.

My professional background is in medicine, having previously qualified as a GP.  The knowledge and skills I developed during that training are particularly relevant in my role as safeguarding governor.

My daughters both thrived at Dobcroft Infant School, and I am excited to be part of the board continuing to improve this already excellent school.

Claire Hughes - Fairfull - Teaching Staff

Claire Hughes-Fairfull  Co-opted Governor 

Teaching Staff

I am a class teacher at Dobcroft Infant School and currently teach in Year 2 in Eagles class. I have been a teacher at Dobcroft Infant School for 10 years. I am currently the English coordinator and co-chair of the Rights Respecting council. I am also a SCITT mentor, helping mentor and support training teachers.

Laura Alger - Co-opted Governor

Laura Alger – Co-opted Governor 

Link role – Personal Development and Wellbeing

I am a parent of a child currently at the school and live locally.  I am interested in supporting the school’s continued success and its role within the community.

I qualified as a lawyer in 2009 and currently work in the procurement team at British Business Bank.  My role involves advising on contracts, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and supporting fair, transparent and effective procurement processes.  My skills as a lawyer and work experience have given me strong skills in governance, strategic decision making, an analytical mind and a strong eye for detail.

I am passionate in helping the school provide the best possible education for all pupils and I enjoy working with the leadership team and the rest of the governing board to support the school in achieving its long-term goals.  

(Photo to follow)

Gail Cox - Clerk to the Governing Body

Clerk to the IEB

Angela Hill (Beal) - Co-opted Governor

Angela Hill (Beal) - Co-opted Governor

Link role – Curriculum KS1

 I am pleased to be able to use my experience in Human Resources and Leadership to contribute to the governing body and support the school and its students.

I have two girls who both had a great start to their education at DNIS.

Patrick Luker - Co-opted Governor

Patrick Luker – Co-opted Governor

Link role – Finance

I became a co-opted governor in 2024. I am a Chartered Accountant and work for a large educational publishing company as Director of Commercial Finance.

As a parent of two young children, one of whom currently attends Dobcroft Infant School, I am keen to contribute to the continued success of the school and to use my professional experience to support the governing body, particularly in financial matters.

Jorge Bronze – Parent Governor 

Link role – Achievement

I became a Parent Governor in 2025 and am delighted to be able to support the school. I have two children at DNIS and it is very much at the heart of our family life and I am committed to ensuring that every child, whatever their starting point has the opportunity to flourish.

Professionally, I am Head of Business Credit Risk at Virgin Money, where I hold a Certified Material Risk Taker designation and lead a function managing credit policy, portfolio management, and strategic risk oversight for the bank’s business lending. I sit on senior governance and risk committees, work closely with executive leadership, and am responsible for decisions that have material consequences — so I understand what good governance looks like and am used to asking hard questions, thinking long-term, and making sure that strategy and accountability go hand in hand.

Dobcroft has given both my children something genuinely special: a love of learning, a sense of belonging, and the confidence to be themselves. I want to help protect and build on that. Whether that’s interrogating how resources are allocated, supporting the leadership team to think strategically about the school’s future, or simply making sure that every decision taken by the Governing Board keeps children’s outcomes front and centre.

Kevin Brennan - Swann – Parent Governor 

Link role – Early Years

I was appointed as parent governor in 2026 and am the link governor for EYFS. I am proud to be able to fulfil this role and support the wider governing body, school and students. My youngest son has just started at DNIS and has made excellent progress and loves attending this exceptional school.

My professional background is in education, and I have been teaching in secondary schools for over 20 years. I have held a wide range of middle and senior leadership roles and am currently Head of Geography and a school leader for literacy across the curriculum and am heavily involved in shaping whole school teaching and learning. Other roles include leading on pupil premium strategies, leading the sixth form provision and coaching early career teachers. I believe my wide range of experience in schools, albeit secondary, can support the success of Dobcroft moving forward.

Will Hentley – Co-opted Governor 

Link role – Sustainability and Attendance and Behaviour

I became a Parent Governor in 2022 before becoming a co-opted governor. I have one child at the infants and another at Dobcroft juniors so have a direct connection to our school and its community.

I am a University Teacher in the School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield. I have a research background in Ecology, but my role is focused on education, particularly curriculum and assessment design, and how we support students to develop confidence in learning. This is useful in my role as Governor when monitoring teaching and learning. I am particularly interested in nature and sustainability, and in helping children develop a connection with the natural world.