Oldham Sixth Form College

#WeAreOSFC
Transforming the lives of
young people through academic
excellence and outstanding support

Meet the Team


Senior Leadership Team

 

 

 

Board of Governors

The Chair of Governors at OSFC is Helena Aston. Should you need to contact her please telephone the school on 0161 287 8000; alternatively you are able to email for The Chair of Governors' attention to: info@osfc.ac.uk

 

  • Suzannah Reeves
    Principal (Ex-Officio Governor)

    Suzannah Reeves

  • Helena Aston
    Parent Governor (Chair)

    Helena Aston

    Helena is Oldham born and raised and graduated from Bradford University as a Biomedical Scientist,
    specialising in Biochemistry and has spent the last 20 years in the healthcare industry providing
    imaging equipment to the NHS. Helena has also been part of the STEM programme for the last 3 years and often attends primary schools to advocate for the Sciences. Helena underpins her business by being data-driven and is always looking for ways to make improvements to processes in order to drive for
    better outcomes.

    Helena's other passion is swimming and she was the inaugural Girl's team captain for Oldham Seals, then progressing to swim for Lancashire.

    Helena believes that every child has the right to first class education and she will advocate for this throughout her term of office.

    Date of appointment: 21/10/24

    Term of office: 21/10/24 - 31/08/26

    Elected by parents

  • Matt Bulmer
    Co-Opted Governor

    Matt Bulmer

    Matt is the Director of Education, Early Years and Skills at Oldham Council. Prior to this role Matt was the Director of the Department for Education's Opportunity Area programme in Oldham. Matt has previously held a number of other senior positions within the Department for Education.

    Appointment date: 16/9/2025

    Term of Office: 16/09/2025 - 15/09/2029

    Appointed by Trust Board

  • Lizzie Egan-Walsh
    Co-opted Governor

    Lizzie Egan-Walsh

    Lizzie Egan-Walsh has worked in education in Oldham for over twenty years: fifteen of these in school leadership. She has been a SENCO, an advisory teacher for visually impaired and blind students; and has a background in safeguarding.

    Lizzie believes in an holistic approach to education and life, which she embodies in her Leadership, Coaching and Wellbeing business. She collaborates with a variety of professionals with regards to coaching, supervision, Reiki and school improvement.

    Date of appointment: 16.03.22

    Term of Office - 16.03.22 - 16.03.26

    Appointed by Trust Board

  • Helen Rowland
    Co-opted Governor

    Helen Rowland

    Born, educated and living in Oldham, Helen passionately believes equality of opportunity starts with education; irrespective of where you were born or where you live, a high quality education in a great Oldham school will make a fundamental difference to all our children's lives, career prospects and social mobility.

    Keen to support the quality of education, Helen is Independent Governor at Oldham Sixth Form College, where her son studied and a parent governor at Saddleworth School, where her son is in Year 11. She is also a Board member of the newly established Oldham Learning.

    A former teacher and Head Teacher in Oldham, Helen has been the Chief Executive of Focus-Trust since 2015, a primary trust with fifteen schools in Oldham, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. Helen is proud of the positive difference Focus-Trust have made to the lives of the children and staff in their four Oldham schools. She is keen to work in partnership with other governors and leaders, families and communities at Oldham Sixth Form College to ensure the college provides a happy, positive and inspirational learning and professional environments for our young people and staff to thrive, achieve and succeed in.

    Date of appointment: 01.09.21

    Term of Office: 01.09.21 - 01.09.25

    Appointed by Trust Board

  • Nicola Torr
    Teaching Staff Governor

    Nicola Torr

    Nicola has worked in education for over 20 years, initially in secondary schools within South Yorkshire but more recently here at Oldham Sixth Form College. As Curriculum Area Leader for Business and Law, Nicola is passionate about ensuring that all of our students progress onto their next steps with the outcomes and personal development needed to achieve their goals. Nicola sees the provision and quality of teaching and learning at OSFC as instrumental in supporting the young people of Oldham.

    Date of appointment: 13.11.23

    Term of office: 13.12.23 to 13.12.27

    Elected by college staff

  • Alex Bardsley
    Student Governor

    Alex Bardsley

    Since starting College, Alex has gained a newfound passion for his studies of Politics, History, and Maths. That's what inspired him to join the Student Union and take on the role of Student Governor, the hope that he can further contribute towards an inclusive and engaging College experience that fosters academic passion and allows everyone in our community to realise their potential in and out of the classroom.

    Date of appointment: 25.06.2025

    Term of office: 25.06.2025 - 24.06.2026

    Elected by college students

  • Maisha Ahmed
    Student Governor

    Maisha Ahmed

    Date of appointment: 25.06.2025

    Term of office: 25.06.2025 - 24.06.2026

    Elected by college students

  • Tariq Rafique MBE
    Co-Opted Governor

    Tariq Rafique MBE

    Tariq was the former Director of Race Equality Partnership and is currently a Magistrate in Greater Manchester.
    He is also General Secretary of the Oldham Council of Mosques. Tariq has a wealth of experience in race and community relations and has worked in schools and colleges promoting good relations between different communities. Tariq was recognised for his services to the community in Greater Manchester and was awarded an MBE in 2020.

    Date of appointment: 1/10/24

    Term of office: 1/10/24 - 30/9/28

    Appointed by trust board

  • Dr Aisha Khan
    Parent Governor

    Dr Aisha Khan

    Aisha is an accomplished educator with a PhD in E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning from Lancaster University and international experience in English language instruction and educational research. She advocates for inclusive, digitally enriched pedagogy and values strategic thinking, equity, and effective communication. As a parent governor, she is committed to fostering a holistic, high-achieving learning environment. Aisha contributes a unique blend of academic expertise and practical insight to support evidence-based decision-making and the continuous advancement of college governance.

    Date of appointment: 21/10/24

    Term of office 21/10/24 - 31/08/26

    Elected by parents

  • Support Staff Governor Vacancy

    Support Staff Governor Vacancy

 

Meeting attendance 2025 - 26

15/10/2025 14/01/2026 25/03/2026 24/06/2026
Suzannah Reeves
Helena Aston
Matt Bulmer
Lizzie Egan-Walsh
Helen Rowland
Nicola Torr
Alex Bardsley
Maisha Ahmed
Tariq Rafique
Aisha Khan

Archive

 

Governor Meeting Attendance 2024/25

 

Name

25th

September 2024

11th

December

2024

1st

April

2025

 8th 

July 

2025

Shoab Akhtar

 √

 √

 √

 √

Lizzie Egan-Walsh

 √

 X

 √

 X

Christine Horrocks

 √

 √

 √

 √

Maria Ibeking

(resigned 9 September 2024)

 N/A

 √

 -

 -

Shuma Rahman-Chowdhury

(resigned 27 August 2024)

 N/A

 √

 -

 -

Suzannah Reeves

 √

 √

 √

 √

Helen Rowland

 √

 X

 X

 X

Andy Thorpe

 √

 √

 X

 √

Nicola Torr

 √

 √

 √

 √

Katie Dunn

 √

 √

 √

 √

Safa Mehmood

 √

 √

 √

 √

Helena Aston

N/A

√

 √

 √

Tariq Rafique 

N/A

X

 √

 X

Aisha Khan

N/A

√

 X

 √
 

 

 

 Multi Academy Trust Status

Oldham Sixth Form College is part of The Pinnacle Learning Trust, along with The Hathershaw College, Broadfield Primary School, Werneth Primary School and Alexandra Park Junior School. Governance information on the Trustees and Members of the Pinnacle Learning Trust can be found on the PLT website or at the Get Information About Schools website.

The Chair of  Governors at OSFC is Helena Aston. Should you need to contact her please telephone the college on 0161 287 8000; alternatively you are able to email for The Chair of Governors' attention to: info@osfc.ac.uk

Downloads

Pinnacle Learning Trust Registered office:

Oldham Sixth Form College
Union Street West
Oldham
OL8 1XU
(For sat nav, please enter OL8 1EU)

Tel : 0161 287 8000

Trust registered in England & Wales 

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