Meet our Governors

Tim Sandford Chair of Governors Parent Governor
Janet Berry Headteacher	"The role of the governing body is absolutely key to the effectiveness of our school. I am very grateful to all our governors who voluntarily give up their time and skills and help us to continually raise school standards".
Kathryn Moore Associate Member Chair of Curriculum and Standards Committee Resources Committee	"I became a governor in 2011. I work as an actuary which currently involves forecasting profits for an insurance company, interpreting financial regulations and reviewing governance processes. These are all skills which are used within the Finance Committee when reviewing the school financial statements and budgets and the wider governor role of overseeing the school policies".
Becky Buckley Co-opted Governor Chair of Community, Children & Safeguarding Committee Health and Safety Committee	I joined the governing body in 2018 as a parent governor, having had children at the school for three years already at that time. With another joining next year, I will be around for a while yet! I used to work in the courts as a stenographer, and before that in subtitling for film and TV, but I have been a full-time parent for around seven years now. I felt it was time to focus my energies on some of the behind-the-scenes work of a school rather than the courts. I am now the Chair of the Children, Community and Safeguarding committee. I really appreciate having the opportunity to offer practical support to this incredible, nurturing school.
Jessica Birchall Parent Governor Curriculum and Standards Committee
Tom Glossop Co-opted Governor Resources Committee Health and Safety Committee	I became a governor after my daughter joined the infants school and I became fully aware of the amazing job our teaching and administrative staff do for us as parents and especially for our children. I wanted to support this as much as possible and to see if my professional skills could help the development of the school and our children's experience. I work for the Home Office and deal with Ministers and MP's every day. Prior to that I worked in management positions across the private sector most notably for KPMG, PwC and Accenture.
Gaylyn Coskey LEA Governor Resources Committee Health and Safety Committee	I joined as a new governor in September 2019 as I wanted to get involved with voluntary work that would benefit children. I am a chartered accountant with many years of audit and advisory experience leading teams within a Big 4 professional services firm and mainly in the financial services sector. My experience includes areas such as finance, accounting, data analysis, internal controls and governance processes within business environments, and therefore my primary focus is with the CHI Finance Committee. It has been a great learning experience so far and I am grateful for this opportunity.
Jack Morris Staff governor Curriculum and Standards Committee	"I have taught at Coombe Hill Infants' since 2012 and have steadily taken on more responsibility each year, providing me with a wider understanding of what makes this school special. Leading science and then maths alongside leading Year 2, and more recently joining the Senior Leadership Team, has given me the opportunity to make an impact across the whole school and a greater impact within my class too. I am grateful to have the chance to learn more and continue to add value wherever I can".

Sue Jakob Associate Member Curriculum and Standards Committee Children, Community and Safeguarding Committee
Naim Moukarzel Associate Member Children, Community and Safeguarding Committee	My daughter started at Coombe Hill Infants in 2019. From the first visit we were really attracted to the way the school approaches education in its fullest sense, and I was particularly drawn to the sense of community. Professionally, I spent over a decade in the British Army fulfilling a variety of strategic and operational leadership and staff roles. Since leaving the Army I have worked for England’s largest social programme for teenagers. We focus on developing confident, connected and caring citizens. My role means I work closely with leaders from across education and youth policy at a national level. In the past I have also had responsibility for managing a complex safeguarding system in both residential, community, and digital settings. As a governor I hope that I will be able to leverage that experience to support the SLT and the work they do for the children in our school
Catherine Amulen Co-opted Governor Children, Community and Safeguarding Committee Curriculum Standards Committee	My son started at Coombe Hill Infants in 2019 and he loved it. I became a governor to support the school in achieving its objectives and development plans, as these have a direct impact on the children’s learning and growth. Professionally, my experience is in leadership and performance management, public protection, risk assessment and management , safeguarding, community engagement and development. Being a school governor has enabled me to have my say, it has given me the chance to influence on areas that matter in our children’s schooling. Part of being a governor is being a ‘critical friend’ , supporting the school but also holding the leadership team to account for the delivery of outcomes and performance. I have seen the amazing work that the leadership team and all staff put into the school, they go above and beyond to make the children happy and to help them learn. The school values diversity and inclusion which are key priorities to me. I respect and value people from all backgrounds and experiences, bringing in a different point of view to the governing board and the school. I am grateful for this opportunity and I am very passionate about supporting the school and enjoy seeing the impact of our work. As a governing board we are approachable and welcome input / feedback from the wider community.
Peter Sebastian Co-opted Governor Chair of Health and Safety Committee Resources Committee	I started as a governor in 2020 when my eldest daughter started at the school. I now have two daughters in the school and they both love it! I have seen first-hand the commitment and kindness of the teachers and staff and I wanted to help them, in whatever way I could. I have worked in public sector finance for years, lately as an accountant for a council, and I hope that my skills can be helpful for the school. I also have experience in housing and regeneration projects and I’m trying to bring some of that experience to the Health & Safety / Premises committee, as well as supporting the Finance Committee.

Tim Sandford
Chair of Governors

Parent Governor

Janet Berry
Headteacher

"The role of the governing body is absolutely key to the effectiveness of our school. I am very grateful to all our governors who voluntarily give up their time and skills and help us to continually raise school standards".

Kathryn Moore
Associate Member

Chair of Curriculum and Standards Committee

Resources Committee

"I became a governor in 2011. I work as an actuary which currently involves forecasting profits for an insurance company, interpreting financial regulations and reviewing governance processes. These are all skills which are used within the Finance Committee when reviewing the school financial statements and budgets and the wider governor role of overseeing the school policies".

Becky Buckley

Co-opted Governor

Chair of Community, Children & Safeguarding Committee

Health and Safety Committee

I joined the governing body in 2018 as a parent governor, having had children at the school for three years already at that time. With another joining next year, I will be around for a while yet! I used to work in the courts as a stenographer, and before that in subtitling for film and TV, but I have been a full-time parent for around seven years now. I felt it was time to focus my energies on some of the behind-the-scenes work of a school rather than the courts. I am now the Chair of the Children, Community and Safeguarding committee. I really appreciate having the opportunity to offer practical support to this incredible, nurturing school.

Jessica Birchall

Parent Governor

Curriculum and Standards Committee

Tom Glossop

Co-opted Governor

Resources Committee

Health and Safety Committee

I became a governor after my daughter joined the infants school and I became fully aware of the amazing job our teaching and administrative staff do for us as parents and especially for our children. I wanted to support this as much as possible and to see if my professional skills could help the development of the school and our children's experience. I work for the Home Office and deal with Ministers and MP's every day. Prior to that I worked in management positions across the private sector most notably for KPMG, PwC and Accenture.

Gaylyn Coskey

LEA Governor

Resources Committee

Health and Safety Committee

I joined as a new governor in September 2019 as I wanted to get involved with voluntary work that would benefit children. I am a chartered accountant with many years of audit and advisory experience leading teams within a Big 4 professional services firm and mainly in the financial services sector. My experience includes areas such as finance, accounting, data analysis, internal controls and governance processes within business environments, and therefore my primary focus is with the CHI Finance Committee. It has been a great learning experience so far and I am grateful for this opportunity.

Jack Morris
Staff governor

Curriculum and Standards Committee

"I have taught at Coombe Hill Infants' since 2012 and have steadily taken on more responsibility each year, providing me with a wider understanding of what makes this school special. Leading science and then maths alongside leading Year 2, and more recently joining the Senior Leadership Team, has given me the opportunity to make an impact across the whole school and a greater impact within my class too. I am grateful to have the chance to learn more and continue to add value wherever I can".

Sue Jakob

Associate Member

Curriculum and Standards Committee

Children, Community and Safeguarding Committee

Naim Moukarzel

Associate Member

Children, Community and Safeguarding Committee

My daughter started at Coombe Hill Infants in 2019. From the first visit we were really attracted to the way the school approaches education in its fullest sense, and I was particularly drawn to the sense of community.

Professionally, I spent over a decade in the British Army fulfilling a variety of strategic and operational leadership and staff roles. Since leaving the Army I have worked for England’s largest social programme for teenagers. We focus on developing confident, connected and caring citizens. My role means I work closely with leaders from across education and youth policy at a national level. In the past I have also had responsibility for managing a complex safeguarding system in both residential, community, and digital settings.

As a governor I hope that I will be able to leverage that experience to support the SLT and the work they do for the children in our school

Catherine Amulen

Co-opted Governor

Children, Community and Safeguarding Committee

Curriculum Standards Committee

My son started at Coombe Hill Infants in 2019 and he loved it. I became a governor to support the school in achieving its objectives and development plans, as these have a direct impact on the children’s learning and growth.

Professionally, my experience is in leadership and performance management, public protection, risk assessment and management , safeguarding, community engagement and development. Being a school governor has enabled me to have my say, it has given me the chance to influence on areas that matter in our children’s schooling. Part of being a governor is being a ‘critical friend’ , supporting the school but also holding the leadership team to account for the delivery of outcomes and performance. I have seen the amazing work that the leadership team and all staff put into the school, they go above and beyond to make the children happy and to help them learn.

The school values diversity and inclusion which are key priorities to me. I respect and value people from all backgrounds and experiences, bringing in a different point of view to the governing board and the school. I am grateful for this opportunity and I am very passionate about supporting the school and enjoy seeing the impact of our work. As a governing board we are approachable and welcome input / feedback from the wider community.

Peter Sebastian

Co-opted Governor

Chair of Health and Safety Committee

Resources Committee

I started as a governor in 2020 when my eldest daughter started at the school. I now have two daughters in the school and they both love it! I have seen first-hand the commitment and kindness of the teachers and staff and I wanted to help them, in whatever way I could.

I have worked in public sector finance for years, lately as an accountant for a council, and I hope that my skills can be helpful for the school. I also have experience in housing and regeneration projects and I’m trying to bring some of that experience to the Health & Safety / Premises committee, as well as supporting the Finance Committee.