Meet our Members

Click on each of our members photos to find out a little more about them. 

• Pamela Wells
  Chair
  Pamela Wells

  I have been Chair of Governors of the Diss Primary Academy since September 2019 and am delighted to be able to work with the academy teams, fellow governors and trustees to ensure the very best for our pupils and staff. My professional career in primary education began in Norfolk as a trainee teacher over 40 years ago and since then I have had a variety of roles including headships, teacher training and assessment, school improvement and governance at trust and school level. As a teacher I really enjoyed being a part of supporting children to grow in confidence and enjoyment of their learning and it is always a pleasure to see this, and much more, happening in our academies in Diss.

• Mark Burrows
  Trust Appointed Governor
  Mark Burrows

  I have lived in Diss for over 20 years and am married with 4 children. My children have gone through all the local schools and I feel that I wanted to give back some of my time and knowledge to the schools. I have now been a school governor for 9 years, 18 months within St Benet's.

  I have a Level 1 qualification in football coaching and I have put that to good use with my involvement in the Junior School after School football club on a Friday afternoon, although since Covid I have not been into school to do this activity. I have also been involved with 8 residential trips with year 6 children in which we stayed in London.

  I also run my own football team that is part of Diss football club (DissU11) of which quite a few team members are from this school.

• Tracey Webb
  Parent Governor
  Tracey Webb

  I live in Diss with my husband and 6 children, 5 of whom who have been through the Infants and Junior sites, our youngest is currently on the Junior site. I am proud to have been through the Diss schools myself and being of the Academy brings back many fond memories. I have experience in Special Needs, both on a physical and behavioural/neurological basis, as a parent of a children with additional needs, this is where my interest and experience comes in and I hope to give something back to the school and community. Before Lockdown, I was going in and listening to year 2 read on a regular basis and would accompany on school trips as requested.

• John Cruse
  Trust Appointed Governor
  John Cruse

  Hi, my name is John Cruse and I am one of the clergy team in the (Church of England) Diss Team Ministry and am a Trust-Appointed Governor since 2019. I have been a governor at five other schools during my career to date, but every school is different and I am enjoying my involvement with the Diss Primary Academy, especially its links with the St Benets Academy Trust. Type-casting I know, but I am the Link Governor for RSHE, which is changing this year. Before lockdown I regularly visited the two sites to lead assemblies, and it was really great to get to meet the pupils and staff. and to see the wonderful displays and work that was going on. As governors, we still continue to meet by Zoom, but roll on the day when we can come back in and see the Diss Academy family once again.

• Lisa Weller
  Parent Governor
  Lisa Weller

  I am a mother of two children aged 8 and 3 and I have lived in Diss for 7 years.

  I work as a yoga teacher and have also worked in Health and Fitness and Youth and Community work in the past. I worked for Cambridgeshire and Suffolk County Council working within schools with school refusers and those who were at risk of being expelled, young offenders, care leavers and on community projects. Within this I worked with young people, families, schools, social services, police and CAMHS.

  I also have experience of committee work as a volunteer in the past with RSPCA West Suffolk Branch (Committee member and Regional Representative), Sudbury Rowing Club (Committee Member and Secretary) and Trustee of Charity Swami Nitya's Children's Project (now called Himalayan Children's Educational Project).

• Clive Sinfield
  Trust Appointed Governor
  Clive Sinfield

  I have lived in the Diss area for many years and set up my business in Diss over forty years ago. One of my daughter's is an acting Head of a Primary School in Lincolnshire and has told me how important good Governors are for a school. That encouraged me to try to serve the Community where I worked by being a Governor of the local Primary and Infant Schools. I have also been a member of the local Rotary Club, Chairman of the Management Committee of the Diss Citizens Advice Bureau, and a Member of the Mere Players Drama Group. I have been very involved with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme and eventually became Chairman of the Scheme for the East of England. You only get one chance at School so I want to help my fellow Governors and the Staff ensure every pupil achieves their maximum potential.

• Deborah Bryant
  Trust Appointed Governor
  Deborah Bryant

  I have a long-standing attachment to Diss Primary Academy having been a pupil there many years ago. I still remember vividly my experiences there and how it instilled into me some lifelong lessons and values. So having moved back to Diss in 2016, I was delighted to become a school governor for the Partnership. My background is in local government and I currently work for Norfolk Adult Social Services. Previously I have been a governor at a Norfolk secondary school and was latterly the chair of the governing body. With three children now grown up who have been through local schools, I know the importance of giving young people the every chance to achieve their potential. I am delighted and proud now to use my skills and experience to support the Diss Primary Academy to give our local children the best possible start in their school life.