Meadlands Primary School Governing Board

At Meadlands, the Full Governing Board comprises of 13 governors, made up of:

• 2 parent governors
• 1 local authority governor
• 1 staff governor
• 1 Headteacher
• 8 co-opted governors  

We are an energetic and ambitious group that work together to provide independent oversight of the management and operation of the school.

Our three main focus areas are:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school;
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

We meet six times a year at Full Governing Board (FGB) meetings to review the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and the leadership and management of the school. Governors also have ‘Governor Link’ responsibilities, looking in more detail and then reporting back to the FGB.

There are two sub-groups of the FSB which also report back:

• The Finance Steering Group – which has responsibility for resources and health and safety, and
• The Head Teacher Performance Steering Group – which has responsibility for reviewing the Head Teacher’s performance and pay.

There are a number of helpful links at the bottom of this page for more information about the governors, their meetings and governance.

Meet the Full Governing Board

Mrs Annabelle Hughes (Co-opted Governor): Co-chair of Full Governing Board, member of the Finance Steering Group, Teacher Pay and Performance panel and Head Teacher Performance Management panel and Link Governor for Assessment (joint) and Governor Values and Ethos

I have been a part of the Meadlands family since 2015 and Meadlands Governor since 2017. I studied Maths, Statistics and Operational Research at university and I have a real passion for analysis and using it to help make better decisions. I am lucky to be able to do that in my job in the Civil Service, where I have spent most of my career and currently work part time. I've covered a wide range of roles, including estimating the cost of changes to the tax system, forecasting and monitoring departmental performance and distributing education funding in England and Wales. I hope that my experience is useful as a governor and in helping Meadlands continue to be the brilliant school it is.

Mrs Lisa Fairmaner (Co-opted Governor): Co-chair of Full Governing Board, responsibilities for data protection and Link Governor for Curriculum standards, Governance and oversight and Governor Values and Ethos

I have two boys; both Meadlands students. The school has given so much to our family that I volunteered as a governor to give something back. Professionally I am a town planner. I have spent my career in public sector organisations across London and in my native New Zealand, developing policy and considering planning applications. Locally I have also been part of the Ham and Petersham Neighbourhood Forum. Ham is such a special place and Meadlands has such a strong community spirit, it is a real privilege to be a school governor.

Mr John Cannon (Co-opted Governor): Vice-chair of Full Governing Board, member of the Finance Steering Group, and Link Governor for Inclusion (joint), Health and Safety and Governor Values and Ethos

Retired and living just round the corner from Meadlands School, I was previously a civil servant advising ministers, freelance civil service trainer and a school governor in Kingston for 15 years. On the staff of the London Wetland Centre I delivered informal education and I am now an active oral storyteller in schools, for adults with a learning difficulty and for community groups. Through the Kingston Rotary Club I run a children’s club called the King Athelstan RotaKids helping children to organise themselves and take responsibility for the delivery of projects making a positive difference in the community. For the River Thames Boat Project I volunteer as teacher and I am local board member for Young Enterprise.

Mrs Chloe Walkom (Co-opted Governor):  Member of the Head Teacher Performance Management panel and Governor Link for Safeguarding and Looked After Children (joint), Behaviour policy and Governor Values and Ethos

My Name is Chloe and I have been a Governor at Meadlands since April 2019. I am also a parent of 2 young children at Meadlands and, along with my Australian husband, we have lived in Ham since 2017. Largely my work background has been as a Social Worker working with adults with mental health difficulties. I have worked as a part of the NHS and social services systems as well as in community organizations both in London and Melbourne, Australia. I have taken a break from this work for now and have trained as a Doula which is a role that supports women before, during and after childbirth.  I feel very lucky to live within and be part of a community that benefits from such a brilliant Primary School as Meadlands and therefore I decided to dedicate some of my time and commitment to the school in a Governor role.

Kasia A Oberc (Co-opted Governor): Member of the Head Teacher Performance Management panel and Link Governor for Early Years, Culture and Communication and Governor Values and Ethos

Currently undertaking an MSc Psychology of Education at UCL's Institute of Education, Kasia was most recently EMEIA Brand, Marketing and Communications Lead at EY, having started off in law. She has worked with Richard Branson's The B Team and Unilever in spearheading a More Human workplace. Competent in six languages, three of which she speaks fluently, she is a keen sportsperson and a former director of the London Rollergirls. Kasia is also a Trustee of the Twickenham Riverside Trust, which encourages the enjoyment and use of Twickenham riverside.

Mrs Penny Frost (Local authority governor): Governor Link for Inclusion (joint), Exclusions and Governor Values and Ethos

I am Penny Frost, Councillor for Ham and Petersham and a member of the Meadlands Governors since 2013. My first involvement with Meadlands started over 20 years ago, when I taught on the Meadlands School swimming programme! I have a great interest in education, and have worked in Special Needs for many years as a Special Needs teacher and SENCO in secondary schools, with a recent move into the primary sector as a SENCO. I really enjoy helping children to learn, particularly if they are finding reading a struggle. Following my retirement as a teacher, I was elected as a ward councillor for Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside. Since 2018 I have held the position of Cabinet member, and subsequently Chair, of Education and Children’s Services for the Borough.

Komal Parekh (Co-opted Governor): Governor Link for Safeguarding and Looked After Children (joint), Wellbeing and Governor Values and Ethos

I joined the governing board when my son moved from nursery to reception. Our experience is of a caring, responsive and dedicated teaching team. I am a Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist and have worked in children's mental health services, the NHS and private sector, for 18 years. My work involves finding ways to reach young people and families who are often highly distressed and have at times given up hope. Much like that of teaching, it involves remaining curious, using my analytic stance, and introducing different views/ways of thinking. Schools are becoming more focused on trauma and attachment informed practice, and with the continuing rise in mental health difficulties in young people, early intervention is key. Teachers are often the first to notice that a child might need more, that they may be experiencing difficulties at home, school or both, and to bring this to the attention of others. I also know from experience that it takes just one teacher - who believes in you, who really 'sees' you - in order to make a huge difference in a child's life and turn their trajectories around. I think what the teachers and the wider school team do is invaluable. I would like to give something back and support them with this amazing work.

Christina Powell (Parent Governor): Governor Link for English curriculum, Science curriculum Assessment (joint) and Governor Values and Ethos

After studying German and Italian at university, I became a teacher because I wanted to make a difference to children's lives. I have an MA in Education and over a decade of experience as a teacher and leader with responsibility for teaching and learning and staff development. I had always wanted to teach and I enjoyed getting involved in all aspects of school life, seeing children thrive both inside the classroom and out. I have managed summer schools and summer camps for young people from diverse social and economic backgrounds and I have been a member of school review teams. With a son in Reception, I hope my experience and skills set will equip me to make a positive contribution as a Governor in supporting Meadlands to drive standards and achieve the best possible outcomes for all pupils.

Alida Hawthorne (Parent Governor): Governor Link for Maths curriculum, Arts and PE curriculum and Governor Values and Ethos

My own education was abroad in a local school in Tonga, at an international school in Ethiopia and lastly a grammar school in Kent. This diverse education gave me a lifelong interest in what makes ‘good’ education. I still adhere to a feeling that it must be the right school for that particular child.  I have a daughter at Meadlands Primary School which suits her perfectly and my son, who is at Tiffin, is in his element there.  Having done my first degree at Kent, I then went on to Cambridge University to do my teaching degree.  I have now been in education for 27 years. I also have a wellness business which I love to pay attention to when I'm not teaching and have a love of complementary therapies.  Having begun with senior pupils, I now predominantly teach upper primary KS2 and have lead Year 6 for many years. I specialised in preparing children for a variety of senior schools and have worked independently as a schools advisor in London.  I spent two years in North Carolina as a ‘cultural ambassador’ in a state school - arriving a month before 9/11.  I hope to be more involved in Meadlands to help the school adapt to the ever changing demands of the Government and to assist the hard working staff and pupils in achieving their potential.

Mrs Jo Wreford - (Headteacher Governor)

I am now in my 6th year working at Meadlands, having taken on the Deputy Head position alongside teaching Year 6. I also now lead on assessment, as well as English and Spanish. I am also the ECT mentor and recently completed my MA in Education. I love working at a small school with a huge heart: a school where everyone is a leader and everyone dreams big for themselves and of course, for the children. I have greatly enjoyed working alongside governors as English leader for 3 years now and am now privileged to join the governing body with such committed individuals who support our school so thoroughly.