Governors

I’m Liz Moody, an associate governor, and with my husband, Jeff Payne, co-rector of the local parish.

I was a school teacher before I was ordained – in primary schools to begin with, but eventually in a high school in Wembley where I was in the Learning Support department but also taught RE.

As a governor, my focus is on the vision, Collective Worship and RE. I have also recently completed the Safer Recruitment training. Myself and a small team love presenting ‘Open the Book’ Bible stories in Collective Worship each week.

In my spare time I like to potter in the garden, spend time with family and friends, and walk in the beautiful Dales countryside. I’m also trying to learn British Sign Language.

I was co opted onto the governing body in October 2022.

Having completed a degree in mathematics, my first career was in banking and finance, based in London. I took a career break to move overseas with my family and lived in Barbados for 7 years followed by 2 years in New Zealand. On returning to the UK, I retrained as a teacher and taught maths at a large comprehensive school in Hertfordshire.  In 2018, I took early retirement and moved to Spennithorne, an area that I was familiar with, having spent many summers as a child staying on my grandparents farm in the Upper Eden Valley. I have always taken a keen interest in education having grown up in a family with two teachers as parents, one who was head of a village school and I have 4 children of my own, who have been educated in a whole variety of settings, including SFX and QE in Darlington. I am looking forward to serving as a governor and hope to make a positive contribution to the schools.

I have spent over 20 years in both primary and secondary schools, mainly as a teacher but also in administrative roles. Since taking early retirement, I have begun a second career as a farmer and have a small rare breeds farm.

I have lived full time in Wensleydale since 2016 but have had a home here for almost forty years. I feel I know the area and community well and recognise the unique role of our village schools and the need to ensure their survival. 

In an increasingly secular world, it is important to give our children the knowledge and understanding of Christian faith and values. Schools play a vital role in this. Every child should be given the opportunity to learn and thrive in a nurturing and enabling environment and I am excited to be part of this mission. 

I have been a teacher at The Federation of Middleham and Spennithorne CE Primary Schools since 2016, and I have recently been appointed as the Assistant Headteacher. I have over a decade of teaching experience and I am proud and excited to further my leadership career in such a wonderful school community.

I am an avid reader, and I have enjoyed developing the reading curriculum across our schools during my time here. I hope to share my love of books and reading for pleasure with every child in our Federation.

As a staff governor, I assist Mrs Mann with reporting to the Governing Body on teaching and learning within the school, whilst acting as a voice for the staff. It is a privilege to be a part of strategic decision-making to ensure that our children have access to the best education.