The Members of the Governing Body

The Governing Body of Allens Croft Primary school offers support and advice to the Headteacher and is responsible for planning for the schools’ future, agreeing the school improvement plans, and monitoring the schools’ work in maintaining high standards.

It aims to ensure that children are attending a successful school which has high expectations for their social and academic progress working within a supportive and caring environment. It strives to ensure that this is achieved via a broad, balanced curriculum enriched with creative opportunities.

Special Responsibility Governors

Curriculum Link Governor Roles

In addition to the above, the following link governor roles were agreed:

GDPR/IT:                    Mr P Dixon

EYFS/Year 1:             Mrs E Smith

Creative Arts:             Mrs C Williams

Science/DT:               Mr M Fisher

PE/Health/PSHE:      Mrs K George

Maths/Computing:     Mr P Dixon     

Humanities/MFL/RE: Mrs E Smith                                       

Community Link Governor and Greener Governance: Miss R Easthope

Pastoral: Mrs K George

To find out about our Governing Board, please read below: 

Mr Martin Fisher 

Chair of Governors 

Co-opted Governor

Date of appointment: 26/10/18
No pecuniary interests

Finance and Science Link Governor 

Hello, I am Martin Fisher and I am a Co-opted Governor at Allens Croft.

I work as a manager at Sainsbury Bank during the day, promoting good governance and investment analysis within the bank and the wider Sainsburys group. Currently I'm working on process improvement and cost efficiencies across the whole range of activities we do in the bank.

My working life has been mostly financial analysis focused so that gives me an excellent grounding to head up the Finance, Standards and Staffing committee for Allens Croft.

Being a governor, and parent at Allens Croft allows me to give something back to our community and to help make an already excellent school even better

Mr David Collier

Co-Opted Governor 

Date of appointment: 26.01.18
No pecuniary interests

Resource Base and Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Link Governor 

Hello, my name is David Collier and I have been fortunate to have sat on the Governing Body at Allens Croft for over 7 years.  

For several years some of you may have come across me as the Chair of Governors and while I was happy to hand this over, I was keen to continue my involvement with the Board.

I was therefore delighted to undertake the role of Governor appointed on behalf of the Local Authority with a specific responsibility for providing a link between the Board and the City Council Education Service. From January 2026, I have now become a co-opted governor. 

Within the Board, apart from general matters of governance, I have a special interest in the development and provision of our offer for children with special educational needs and disabilities, both in the main school and our highly regarded specialist resource base. 

I am a strong advocate for Birmingham in general and our area in particular. I was born and raised in the City and worked over 40 years within the public sector in the area. For the whole of my adult life I have lived in the Kings Heath area where both of my daughters attended both primary and secondary schools.
I am now looking forward to another productive and successful year for our school and hope to have the chance to meet some of you during school activities which I like to attend whenever possible. 

Rev. Claire Williams

Co-Opted Governor

Date of appointment: 13/10/2017

No pecuniary interests

Creative Arts Link Governor 

My name is Claire Williams and I am the church minister at Kings Heath Elim Pentecostal Church. I have been the lead minister there for 15 years. Previous to this I was a Primary School teacher locally. I am married to Tony and we have three grown up sons, all of them married. We also have five grandchildren. I love being part of the Allens Croft Community and am excited to have been accepted as a Governor. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your school...I aim to serve you well.

Mr Peter Dixon

Co-opted Governor

Date of appointment: 29/11/2017
No pecuniary interests

GDPR, ICT and Computing Curriculum Link Governor

Hello, I am Peter Dixon and I am a Parent Governor at Allen’s Croft.

I have worked as a creative practitioner within many schools and arts organisations running projects and workshops primarily with a musical and radio focus. Currently I manage the IT in a large all-through school but alongside this, I am often seen behind the mixing desk at gigs and festivals working as a sound engineer.

Working with such a variety of schools has given me first-hand experience in the diversity of approaches and the attitudes that schools take to their delivery of the curriculum.

Being a parent Governor at Allen’s Croft allows me to give some of my time and experience to our already excellent school and I feel that I can help support and challenge Allen’s Croft to maximise opportunities that will allow all of our children to develop and flourish.

Mrs Kristy George

Mrs Kristy George

Parent Governor

Date of appointment: 1/1/2022

No pecuniary interests 

Safeguarding and Pastoral Lead Link Governor

Hello my name is Kristy George, I’m very fortunate to be Co-opted governor for Allens Croft Primary School and I am so happy to be apart of the Allens Croft family.  

I have extensive experience in education and I am currently Assistant Head Teacher for Behaviour as well as HOD for Science at a Birmingham Secondary School, with a similar community to Allens Croft. I have a passion for teaching and learning and I specialise in working with children from all walks of life, with various barriers to learning by adapting diverse strategies to learning to support young children in school. Learning inspires me and I value that children have as much to teach the world as the world has to learn from them. Allens Croft's culture and ethos is amazing and the atmosphere and warmth it emits everyday made me trust in sending my own little family to the school.  

I am a firm believer and advocate that some children come to school to learn, where as others come to school to be loved. Allens croft is a safe and happy school allowing all students to thrive and develop giving great scope to their academic and personal achievements.

Miss Rachel Easthope 

Staff Governor

Co-opted Governor

Date of appointment: 4th October 2024
No pecuniary interests

Year 5/6 Class Teacher and Positive Behaviour, RSE, Sustainability and Community Communication Lead

Ms Eleanor Smith

Co-opted Governor 

Date of appointment:  2002 

My name is Eleanor Smith, and I am honored to serve as a school governor at Allens Croft School.
I had served on Allens Croft Primary School as Chair of Governor from 2002 to 2012 . My career has been shaped by a deep commitment to public service, equality, and community advocacy.

I began my professional journey in 1977 as a nurse and later worked as a theatre nurse at Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust for over three decades. My passion for healthcare and workers’ rights led me to become actively involved in the trade union movement, where I had the privilege of becoming the first Black woman to be elected as President of Unison, the UK’s largest public sector union. This role allowed me to champion the rights of NHS staff and public service workers, ensuring that their voices were heard at the highest levels.

In 2017, I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West, making history as the first British African-Caribbean person to represent a constituency in the West Midlands. Holding this position was an immense responsibility, and I worked hard to support my constituents, particularly in areas such as healthcare, social care, and community representation. I also focused on increasing awareness of the need for more Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) donors for blood, organ, and stem cell donations, an issue that affects many families across the UK.

After leaving Parliament in 2019, I remained dedicated to community engagement, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I worked alongside faith and community leaders to address vaccine hesitancy in marginalized communities. I have always believed in the power of education, representation, and advocacy to create meaningful change, which is why I am proud to be a governor at Allens Croft School.

As a governor, my aim is to support the school in providing an inclusive, high-quality education where every child can thrive. I bring my experience in public service, governance, and community leadership to help ensure that all students, regardless of background, have the opportunities they deserve. I am committed to working with staff, parents, and the wider school community to foster an environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to reach their full potential.

Mrs Catherine Blackwood

Co-opted Governor 

Date of appointment:  2025

I joined Allens Croft Primary School in 2025 as Deputy Head Teacher and am proud to have served the school as a Co-opted Governor since 2025. 

I have worked in education for over fifteen years, across schools in Birmingham and the Black Country. During my career, I have held a range of roles including Upper Key Stage 2 teacher, SENCo, Safeguarding Lead and Pastoral Lead, and I have worked in senior leadership for the past ten years. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked as a Children and Families Social Worker, an experience which continues to inform my commitment to supporting children and families.

I am passionate about ensuring that every child has access to high-quality teaching and learning and that children who may experience disadvantage or additional barriers are given the opportunities, support and encouragement they need to succeed.

Building positive relationships with families and the wider community is particularly important to me. I strongly believe that children learn best when they feel happy, safe, valued and supported, and that developing a strong partnership between school and home is central to achieving this.

The inclusive and nurturing ethos of Allens Croft Primary School closely aligns with my own values, and I am proud to contribute to the school's continued development both as Deputy Head Teacher and as a member of the Governing Board.

Suggestions and Complaints

We want to know your views about what we do well and of any compliments or complaints. Copies of the complaints procedure are available on request.

In the first instance, complaints should be made to the Head Teacher or the Deputy Head Teacher. If parents/carers wish to take a complaint further they should write to the Chair of Governors, care of Allens Croft Primary School.