Who's Who

Ged McGrath

Chair of Governors

After a career in the hospitality industry Ged moved to Cumbria in 2003 and has been self-employed for most of the time since. After owning and running a local post office and store for a number of years he now currently runs a holiday accommodation business in South Copeland. Ged has been active in local government for a number of years and is currently a Copeland and Town Councilor. Ged holds other community roles; he is Chair of his local primary school and other local charities. In addition to his role at Mayfield he also chairs the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership. Geds interest in special education stems from growing up with a nonverbal autistic sibling and understands the challenges families of the young people who attend Mayfield face in their daily lives. When Ged has the time, he enjoys playing golf, gardening, motorcycling and watching films although exercising his two young border collies takes up a considerable amount of his free time.

Sophie McCabe

Head

Sophie trained in Cumbria and then went on to teach in Sheffield before returning to Cumbria. Sophie is a leader with significant experience having held numerous senior posts across both the primary and secondary sectors and led a number of schools as Executive Headteacher. Sophie’s wide experience in teaching across the primary sector, secondary sector and within specialist provision has strengthened her commitment to high quality ‘community education’. She believes passionately that every young person should experience an outstanding education throughout their entire school career, where strong relationship for achievement are the norm and where each child’s successes are recognised and celebrated. Sophie also worked for the Local Authority as a SEND Manager supporting all schools in Carlisle and Eden. In her spare time, Sophie loves to spend quality time with her family and enjoys long walks with her dog. Sophie is delighted to be Headteacher of Mayfield it is an honour and a privilege.

Matt Legg

Vice Chair of Governors

Matt works for Sellafield Ltd as a Communications Manager. He joined Mayfield as a Co-opted Governor in 2014. He served as Vice Chair of Governors in 2017/18 and is currently Chair of the Premises, Health, and Safety Committee. Originally from the North East, Matt moved to Cumbria in 2004 to join Cumbrian Newspapers as a reporter for the Times & Star, in Workington. He was business editor for The Cumberland News/News & Star in Carlisle for eight years before joining the nuclear industry. Matt is married with two children and lives in Cockermouth. He is a long-suffering season ticket holder at Middlesbrough Football Club and enjoys fell walking and playing golf (badly).

Sam French

School Governor

Sam works for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in communications and stakeholder relations. He oversaw the opening of the Campus Whitehaven project in January 2019 as Community Development Manager and joined Mayfield as an associate Governor in November 2019 before becoming a Co-Opted Governor in November 2022. He also sits on the Premises, Health, and Safety Committee, using his knowledge of the campus from his previous role to ensure the safety and wellbeing needs of the Mayfield students are always met thoroughly. Raised and educated in Cockermouth, Sam moved back to Cumbria after university in 2011 to work in marketing and publicity for St Benedict’s Catholic High School, before joining Gen2 as Student Engagement Officer and Marketing Officer. This role ultimately led him back to the Campus Whitehaven project, where he developed an affinity to the students of Mayfield School and became passionate about ensuring they continued to receive the outstanding academic and pastoral care that Mayfield is renowned for. Sam currently lives in Cockermouth and in his spare time enjoys fell walking, paddleboarding, live music and visiting his homeland of Ireland

Jonny Sunter

School Governor

I started my career in education, in Bradford, straight from sixth form, where I started my employment at the school I attended, as a Special Educational Needs teaching assistant. From there I progressed to dealing with whole school pastoral elements, as i became a Head of House. I left Bradford in 2010, to relocate to West Cumbria where I started working at Solway Community School in Silloth, as a Cover Supervisor & Head of House. In 2016 I switched school & took up the role of Pastoral Head of Sixth Form & Pupil Premium mentor at West Lakes Academy in Egremont. In 2018 i switch to working full time supporting the Disadvantaged (Pupil Premium, Looked After & Post Looked After). September 2020 saw me return to Solway Community School, where I am now the Quality of Education Lead for all Pastoral elements (Welfare, Attendance, Safeguarding & Behaviour) across the 2 schools in our federation (Solway & Beacon Hill Community School). I love my work as a co-opted governor for Mayfield and find an absolute privilege to serve the staff, students & parents of Mayfield.

Carol Norman

Staff Governor

Carol was born and bred in Whitehaven where she lived until 3 years ago when she moved to Carlisle. Carol has worked at Mayfield as a Senior Teaching Assistant for over 20 years mostly in the Lakes Department and has represent school staff on the governing body for a number of years. Before working at Mayfield, Carol worked in mainstream school looking after pupils with special needs. Carol enjoys spending time with her family, she has 2 daughters, 3 granddaughters, a grandson and a great granddaughter who takes up a lot of her spare time.

Rosey Richardson

School governor

Born in Solihull, Rosey relocated up to Cumbria with her now-husband in 2009 and has since worked in a range of local Nursery and Primary Schools before being a stay-at-home mum to her two children for the past 8 years. Rosey joined the Governing Body at Mayfield in late 2023 after supporting the Governors with the Headteacher Recruitment in 2022/23. Rosey takes on the role of Early Years Governor due to her significant experience in teaching and supporting Early Years settings. Prior to joining Mayfield's Governing Body, Rosey was the Chair of Governors at Frizington Nursery School from 2021-2023. She has always had an interest in the Early Years having trained as an Early Years Teacher at the University of Gloucestershire in 2008 and taught in a variety of schools in the West Midlands before relocating up to Cumbria in 2009. Rosey worked at Frizington Nursery & Preschool from 2010-2014 both as Classroom Teacher in Nursery and a Childcare Worker in Preschool. Now married with two children and living in Arlecdon, Rosey took over Sing and Sign West Cumbria in March '23 and now runs signing courses to local families across the West Cumbria region. In her limited spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, swimming and Co-Chairing her children's school PTA (Friends of Ennerdale & Kinniside School)."

Stuart McGlennon

Parent governor

Stephen Evans

Parent governor

Stephen relocated to the local area from Millom in 2020 to facilitate a move for his son to Mayfield. Stephen works at Sellafield as a Control Systems Engineer and has recently received recognition for 30 years of service. He is passionate about improving the lives of children with additional needs and, in his spare time, volunteers as a trustee for a local autism charity, Shine for Autism, as well as working with Autus Cumbria, which supports adults with ASD.

Andrew Wonnacott

School governor

Andrew Wallam

School governor

Grant O'Townson

School governor