Ian Walker was born in Sheffield and attended Birkdale and Oundle Schools before graduating from Cambridge in Electrical Engineering. He has lived in Japan and Holland, working for British Oxygen and Yokogawa, a Japanese instrumentation company. He is now Managing Director of Rotary Electrical Services Limited and also a Director of Rotary Engineering UK. He is involved in a number of local community activities and is a non-executive director of the Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority. He is an active member of a local church; a council member of Japan Christian Link (a missionary society); the regional co-ordinator for the Alpha course and a church Burgess. He has four children, two of whom attended Ashdell.
Norma Hird, who joined the Council of Management in 1999, attended Abbeydale Girls' Grammar School in Sheffield. She has one daughter, Miranda, a former Ashdell pupil who is now studying at Sheffield Girls' High School. She worked for many years in the marketing profession and then, following a short career break after the birth of Miranda, she returned to university to study Law. After completing her Masters degree, she joined the staff of the Law Faculty at the University of Sheffield as a Senior Lecturer where she has worked for the past ten years. She loves all the 'Arts', is an avid reader and a keen tennis player, (which, she says, is not necessarily the same as being either a good, or regular, tennis player!)
Mrs. Daphne St Clair Cawthorne, who graduated with a B Ed Honours from Sheffield University, has taught all ages of pupils at schools in London, Malawi in Central Africa (VSO), Kuwait, where she was a Deputy Head (as well as Head of the Pre Prep), at a large multi national school, in Saudi Arabia and after time ‘at home’ with her two children she did some supply teaching at Sheffield High School, Birkdale School and some local Sheffield schools. Later, she took a full time post at Birkdale Prep School in Sheffield where she taught for seven years. Daphne has been Headmistress at Wakefield Girls’ High School Junior School since January 1998. This is a school with 490 pupils – girls ages 3 to 11 and boys 3 to 7. The boys move at age 7 to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Junior School. She is an ISI School Inspector, a member of IAPS and chairman of the Northern District of IAPS (the first woman to hold this position). Daphne joined the Trustees at Ashdell School in April 2007. Her hobbies include swimming, cooking, hill walking and travel.
Jo Wood, who joined the Council of Management in 2000, has been involved with Ashdell since 1985 as a parent, a member of Friends of Ashdell Committee and a fund raiser for the Aurora House appeal. A teacher by profession, taking extra qualifications specialising in the assessment, placement and development of Sheffield children with learning difficulties. Her daughter, Hannah is also training to become a teacher at Trinity and All Saints University, Leeds. Her husband Tony, a chartered accountant shares her interest in antiques, theatre, music and sport and accompanies her on the tours both home and abroad which she organises for Cavendish DFAS. She has been involved with Cherrytree, the home for homeless teenagers at Totley for 15 years, the last 7 as chairman of residential services committee.
Mr C M Caddy has recently been appointed to the Board of Governors. He is a Consultant Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon employed by the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Sheffield University. He is a father of four children, with two daughters who have now left Ashdell for Sheffield High School. His own schooling was in Scotland and he attended the University of Edinburgh Medical School. His subsequent training was undertaken in South Africa, Australia and the United States, before returning to Sheffield. He has considerable experience in Adult Education and has a wealth of management and administrative skills which should enhance the Ashdell Board of Governors profile. He is the Honorary Secretary of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons, a National Steering Board Member of Action On Plastic Surgery and an examiner and Board Member of the Inter Collegiate Examination Board in Plastic Surgery. His pastimes include photography, cave diving and skiing.
Deborah Holmes is a parent governor. She lives in Sheffield with her husband and daughters, Rebecca and Lucy, who have both attended Ashdell School. After studying History and Politics at Sheffield University, Deborah went on to pursue a career in Journalism and Publishing. She currently acts as Marketing Director for Dransfield Properties, a specialist retail property company owned by her family. Leisure time is usually taken up with children; however Deborah also enjoys running and walking in the Peak District near her home. She is a member of Bolsterstone Community Group which preserves the historical heritage of the lovely Sheffield hill village.
Dr Eleanor Lorenz is a parent governor who joined the Council of Management in 2004. She attended Sheffield University Medical School and, since graduating, has worked in the UK and North America. She is a Consultant Radiologist specialising in Oncology and Radionuclide Imaging employed by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Sheffield University. She has extensive experience in medical education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is a member of the National Specialty Training Committee in Nuclear Medicine. She has two daughters who have been educated at Ashdell. She doesn't have a huge amount of spare time, most of it is spent chasing around after the children. She also enjoys reading, music and skiing.
Jon Dunn is a parent governor who was born and brought up in Sheffield. After
graduating from Durham University with a degree in Economics, he returned to the city to work as a stockbroker. He is a Senior Investment Director at the Sheffield office of Rensburg Sheppards and specialises in work for private clients, trusts and charities. He is a trustee of Cherrytree, a local charity for homeless young people, and is a member of the University of Sheffield Investment Group. Jon is married and has two daughters, one of whom was educated at Ashdell and the other who is currently a pupil at the school. His hobbies include playing football, supporting Sheffield United and hill walking.
Susan Hostombe was born in Derbyshire and came to live in Sheffield when she married Roger in 1975. They subsequently had five daughters, all of whom were educated at Ashdell, and their association with the school has been a long and very happy one. Sue has served on the comittee and chaired the Friends of Ashdell raising large sums for the school. In 2001 she organised the first Ashdell Reunion, it was a great success with old girls (and boys!) from far and wide, and included the very first head-girl! In 1999 Sue founded the Silver Ball in aid of homeless local children, and has been involved in countless other charitable events. Sue was educated at Seven Springs House Prep School in Gloucestershire, and Felixstowe Ladies College, Suffolk. She is a qualified florist, cook and ski-instructress, teaching for many seasons in the Swiss ski-school. Sue joined the Council of Management in 2003 - living close to Ashdell enables her to visit often and attend school events - all of which she enjoys enormously!
Her Honour Judge Annabel Carr QC. was born and bred in Sheffield and attended Ashdell School, then Queenswood School in Hertfordshire. She graduated from Sheffield University with a LLB (hons) in 1975. She was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1976 and thereafter practised in Yorkshire from Paradise Chambers, Sheffield. She was appointed an Assistant Recorder in 1991, Recorder in 1995 and then Deputy High Court Judge in 1997. Annabel took silk in 1997 and was appointed to the Circuit Bench in 2001. In 2008 she became the Designated Family Judge for South Yorkshire. Her interests are her family (one daughter, who also attended Ashdell School, and one son), travel and generally having a good time.
Anthony Riddle, who joined the Board of Governors in 2008, was born in Sheffield and has spent most of his life here. Educated at Birkdale School, then Bromsgrove, he subsequently attended the College of Estate Management in London and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor. Now retired, he was for many years a partner with Sheffield Estate Agents and Chartered Surveyors ELR. Since the 1970's he has been a trustee of Cherrytree and the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind. He is interested in gardening and other practical work, old buildings, old cars - more or less anything old in fact, including furniture and silver. He enjoys walking and sightseeing and of course holidaying and travel. He and his wife have three grown up sons, one of whom is also a chartered surveyor, all educated at Birkdale, then public school. Being involved in the running of a school for girls is therefore something of a departure for him!
Sarah Gomm joined the Council of Management in 2008. Perhaps born on the 'wrong side' of the Pennines, she attended Bolton Schools Girls' Division and then Liverpool University where she gained a degree in Chemistry. After five years in industry she became a teacher and is now Second Deputy at Oakham School with specific responsibility for the pastoral and extra curricular aspects of the school. She is married with two sons and enjoys most sports, cooking and DIY.
The Chairman of the Governors can be contacted through the school office, if required.