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Our Governors

The Governing Board at Vaughan Primary School want all our young learners to develop to their full potential both academically and socially, so that they become responsible and caring citizens in their later lives.

The role of the Governors’ is to work closely with the Headteacher and leadership team to provide the very best education for all Vaughan.  We are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the school, for ensuring that the budget is managed prudently and for supporting our excellent team of staff.

We offer a broad and balanced curriculum and aim for enjoyment in learning.  Staff are experienced and dedicated and work in partnership with parents and children.  At the heart of all we do is the current and future wellbeing of our learners, ensuring they have access to an enriched education and the opportunities they deserve.

Mr Ben Ford (Chair)

Term of Office: 18/05/2021 - 17/05/2025
Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointed by:  Governing Body
Business & Financial Interests Employed by Nower Hill
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests None
Post(s) held: Chair. Standards & Effectiveness Lead. Performance Management.

I’m proud to serve as the Vice Chair of Governors, as well as the Chair of the Standards & Effectiveness Committee, having been a governor at Vaughan for the last 2 years.

I am currently Head of Year 11 and Head of Vocational Computing at Nower Hill High School, having previously been Head of the Computer Studies Faculty. I’m also the subject lead of Computer Science & IT for the HCA (Harrow Collegiate Alliance), whereby I lead and work closely with all of the other Heads of Computer Science across our collegiate of schools in both Harrow and Hillingdon. At Nower Hill, Vaughan is one of our main primary feeder schools and it is a privilege to be able to work alongside and support them.

My Governor role allows me to build key links with one of our local primary schools, as well as support Vaughan in building links with secondary education. I’m also able to use my knowledge and leadership of secondary education to support, guide and advise Vaughan to ensure that all students at Vaughan leave equipped and ready for secondary education.

Ms Nerys Anthony (Vice-Chair)

Term of Office: 13/07/2021 - 12/07/2025
Category: Parent Governor
Appointed by:  Parents
Business & Financial Interests n/a
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests None
Post(s) held:

Vice-Chair. Performance Management, Recruitment, Education & Training

I am proud to have served as a Parent Governor at Vaughan Primary School since 2017. For the last few years I have been privileged to hold the Chair position. As a mum of three, with all my children receiving the foundations of their education at Vaughan I value the opportunity that being a Governor allows me – to give back to my local community.

I work full time as an Executive Director at a national children’s charity. I oversee safeguarding, national operations and work to improve and change the systems that exist to support children in our society but so often create more issues than good. The Governor role allows me to draw on my skills, experience and knowledge generated from years of public service for the benefit of the school and education of our pupils.

 

Mr Ashish Aggarwal

Term of Office: 07/12/2021 - 06/12/2025
Category: Co-Opted Governor 
Appointed by:  Governing Body
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions Co-opted Governor at The Harefield Academy 
Material Interests None
Post(s) held: Key Lead for Finance, Premises, and Personnel. Performance Management.

I have been a co-opted Governor at Vaughan Primary School since December 2021 and currently hold the Health & Safety link role. My daughter attends the school which means I am also contributing to her learning environment.

I lead a Global Consultancy in the Lifesciences industry where I help organisations build robust governance structures, control frameworks and optimise processes. As a Governor, I can leverage my experience of risk management, managing a P&L and driving operational excellence and apply these to the educational setting.

I have also previously held another school Governor role for a secondary school academy in Middlesex.

Mr Jonathan Arrowsmith

Term of Office: 22/11/2021 - 21/11/2025
Category: Parent Governor 
Appointed by:  Governing Body
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests None
Post(s) held: Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Governor and Inclusion, Sports Premium

 

I’ve been a parent governor at Vaughan since 2021 and currently hold the link role for Special Educational Needs (SEN). I’m a dad of 3 and have 2 sons at the school.  I’ve seen the other one through from reception to year 6 and he’s now in high school. Being a governor gives me the opportunity to give a little bit back to the school which has had such a positive effect on my whole family.

I work full time as a senior civil servant at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office. I draw on my experience and skills in governance, finance and organisational change for the benefit of the school.

Mrs Kirsten Beaven

Term of Office: 08/02/2022 - 07/02/2026
Category: Advisor (No voting rights)
Appointed by: Governing Board
Business & Financial Interests

Governance Trainer - Undertake occasional paid consultancy for Herts for Learning & hold the post of Strategic Leader of Governance in Hertfordshire

Governance Roles in other Institutions Parent Governor at Adeyfield Academy
Material Interests Employed as School Business Leader af Vaughan

Having been born in Scotland, I relocated to Hertfordshire in the year 2000 and have been working at Vaughan in a Business Management capacity having responsibility for steering the financial strategy alongside managing the day to day operations and support services since 2018. I am presently an Advisor to the Governing Board.

I spent 16 years working in Finance and Change Management roles working for Shell International, but changed careers and now work in the education sector in the role of School Business Leader.

Having held a number of governance roles over the years, I am fully committed to ensuring that our school is able to challenge and develop all pupils to enable them to confidently develop as active members of our community.

 

Mr Jitesh Chauhan

Term of Office: 18/01/2022 - 17/01/2026
Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests None
Post(s) held: GDPR, including website. Health & Safety, Governance Calendar (online)

 

I have had the privilege of being a co-opted governor with Vaughan since January 2022.  My responsibilities lie within Health & Safety, GDPR and the website.  I have two children, one that is now in high-school and the other is still at Vaughan. I have had the pleasure of seeing them both grow into wonderful (and challenging) individuals, all with the help of the team at this wonderful school.

Professionally, I am a management consultant and leadership coach, typically working in the public sector, helping with organisational and technology transformation programmes, impacting many thousands of people.  The skills I have gained in my professional life allow me to give back positively to the school, which is a great honour.

 

Mrs Joanne Constantinou

Term of Office: 22/11/2021 - 21/11/2025
Category: Parent Governor
Appointed by: Parents
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests Employed at Dollis Primary School
Post(s) held: Curriculum

My name is Jo Constantinou and my twins Max and Millie are currently in Year 6.

For the past 25 years, I have worked as a primary school teacher and senior leader in the borough of Barnet.

I was delighted to be elected as a Parent Governor just over two years ago. With my knowledge of education, the curriculum, special educational needs and safeguarding, I feel I am able to support Vaughan in doing the very best for our children.

I am particularly keen to ensure that all children are able to fulfil their full potential whatever their background, special educational needs or disabilities.

I currently lead on the curriculum.

Mrs Kathryn Hinson

Term of Office: 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2027
Category: Associate Member (No voting rights)
Appointed by: Governing Board
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests Employed as Assistant Headteacher at Vaughan

I have been working in primary education since September 2000, starting my career in a local Harrow School. I have since worked in a number of diverse primary schools within London, in various teaching and leadership roles. In September 2023, I came back to Harrow, as the Assistant Head Teacher for Inclusion at Vaughan and took on the role of Associate Governor. Over the past year, I have been able to draw upon my experience of working with several different governing bodies over time to offer my insights and ideas to the governing body at Vaughan.

As inclusion leader, I believe strongly that all members of the school community have their own gifts and talents and that it is important to celebrate everyone’s uniqueness and diversity as part of the Vaughan family.  I see my role as supporting the governing body in its strategic work to ensure all pupils can realise their potential and can make good academic and personal progress throughout their time at the school. The school’s vision ‘to prepare our children for a happy future’ is at the forefront of this and my role, in particular,  is to focus upon and support those who may be facing additional challenges.

Mrs Karen Jones

Term of Office: 01/04/2019 and ongoing
Category: Ex-Officio as Headteacher
Appointed by: By virtue of position
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests Employed as Headteacher at Vaughan

I have been a Senior Leader at Vaughan Primary School since January 2004. I have held the role of co-opted Governor as Deputy Headteacher and currently as Ex Officio as Headteacher. I have been the substantive Headteacher of the school since March 2019.

It is an honour to lead this community of learners. Preparing children for a happy future is at the core of what we want for our pupils in giving them a range of opportunities to be productive citizens in Modern Britain and beyond. All stakeholders work hard to ensure that the pupils are safe, secure and part of a positive, tolerant and caring community. The personal approach we embrace is all about valuing all our children as individuals, which is essential in terms of helping pupils achieve their best.

 

Miss Hima Mistry

Term of Office: 01/09/2021   - 31/08/2025
Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests Employed as Deputy Headteacher at Vaughan

I have worked in primary school education for over 18 years across various Boroughs in London.  I have been a Co-opted Governor at Vaughan Primary School since September 2021. As the Deputy Head teacher, I support the leadership team to drive the strategic vision of the school to ensure we ‘Prepare Children for a Happy Future’.  I am privileged to be part of a school where Vaughan is the heart of a vibrant community.

 

Ms Juz Paice

Term of Office: 22/11/2021 - 21/11/2025
Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions

Trustee of Re:generation Harrow

& Trustee & Chair of St Peters Pre-School

Material Interests None
Post(s) held: Looked After and Previously Looked After Children and Pupil Voice. Pupil Premium, EYFS

I am a true Harrovian having been born and raised in Harrow Weald!

I have worked in Childcare / Early Years settings for over 30 years, in both the public and private sectors. I worked for LB Barnet for 17 years supporting childminders to deliver the EYFS when it was first devised and delivering training to all types of providers and working closely with the Early Years Advisory Teachers

For the last 7 years, I have been working for St Peter’s church, about 5 mins away from the school, running the Children’s Work there. I love being part of the close-knit community of West Harrow and can see that Vaughan Primary school is at the heart of that. This is my first time as a Governor, but I am pleased to be able to play my part in helping the school stay at its very best.

 

Mrs Morwenna Paz

Term of Office: 19/03/2020   - 18/03/2024
Category: Parent Governor
Appointed by: Parents
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests Employed by Transport for London
Post(s) held: Safeguarding, Attendance.

 

I have been a governor at Vaughan since March 2020. I am a parent of 2 children, in yr 6 and yr 3. I currently hold the safeguarding and attendance governor role, but I have previously held the finance chair role. 

Being a governor gives me the opportunity to give back to the school and the wider Vaughan community whilst using my transferable skills from work in the public sector – I am a senior business development manager for at Transport for London. It is a responsibility I take great pride in.  

Mrs Jessica Rooney

Term of Office: 08/03/2024   - 07/03/2028
Category: Parent Governor
Appointed by: Parents
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions St Anselm's Catholic Primary School
Material Interests None
Post(s) held: Pupil Voice, Parent Partnership

I am a parent governor and have two children at Vaughan.  I put myself forward for election as a governor because I want to make a contribution to the school, which gives so much to the community.  

I am a qualified lawyer and work as a Human Rights Manager for a large company.  This means I spend much of my time considering the interests of vulnerable individuals, including children and minority groups.  I hope that these experiences will help me to contribute to the school's stakeholder engagement program and to the governors' role in ensuring that the best interests of all students are being met.

Mr Venkatesh Subramanian

Term of Office: 18/05/2021   - 17/05/2025
Category: Co-opted Governor
Appointed by: Governing Body
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests None
Post(s) held: Health & Safety

I am a co-opted Governor from May 2021. I run my own Information Technology Consulting business based out of London and selling to clients all over Europe and USA. I have a wide experience of managing many large teams, programs and budgets. My main interest as Governor is to ensure that there is good value earned for the budgets allocated to the school. I am especially interested in understanding how technology and modern psychology can be effectively used to create confident children very early on in their lives’ journey. I have taken up memberships in different committees of the Governing Board and now I am the Governor handling Parent Partnership.

Mrs Seema Varsani

Term of Office: 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2027
Category: Associate Member (No voting rights)
Appointed by: Governing Board
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions Parent Governor at another school in the Local Authority
Material Interests Employed as Assistant Headteacher at Vaughan

As a member of staff at Vaughan for 12 years, I have held the role of staff governor at Vaughan previously and now associate governor to offer my expertise as an Assistant Headteacher to the governing body.

As a longstanding member of the Vaughan community, I am passionate about ensuring that the school’s strategic vision is well thought out and support’s the school to ‘to prepare our children for a happy future.’ I support the governance of the school to carry out this role by ensuring they have information they require to carry out their statutory duties in their oversight of the school.

 

Mr Alex Young

Term of Office: 12/10/2023 - 11/10/2027
Category: Staff Governor
Appointed by: Governing Board
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests Employed as Teacher and Year Group Leader at Vaughan
Post(s) held: Recruitment, education & training
 

I was elected to the role of Staff Governor in October 2023 having been part of the teaching staff at Vaughan since September 2013.  Being part of the Vaughan community for 10 years has enabled me to gain insight into the challenges and opportunities we face.

From classroom teaching to curriculum development, coaching and mentoring, I've actively contributed to our school's growth, with nurturing students' personal development as my driving force.  As part of the Governing body, I advocate for our staff and work in partnership to ensure our pupils receive the support and opportunities they deserve to flourish academically and personally.

 

Mrs Lucy Kitchen

Term of Office: 03/12/2024 - 02/12/2028
Category: Local Authority Governor
Appointed by: Local Authority
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests To follow
Post(s) held: To follow

My name is Lucy Kitchen and I am currently the Assistant Headteacher Achievement, Inclusion and SENDCo at Nower Hill High school. Having worked at Nower Hill High School for nearly 12 years, I have been fortunate to have held a variety of roles within the school, all of which have given me great experiences in my career. These roles have included: Head of Drama, Head of Year and Whole School Process Pupil Premium Progress Leader. 

As a mum of two young children, I have a real interest in Primary education and I am passionate about all children succeeding in life and fulfilling their full potential, regardless of their background and ability.

I am delighted to join the Governing Board at Vaughan Primary school, not only to share my expertise but to develop strong links between Harrow Schools and become a part of Vaughan’s school community.

The Governing Body are supported by our clerk Natalie Malena-Bangs from Judicum Education.  

To contact our Chair of Governors, please email Mr Ben Ford at:

    bford@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk

Non-confidential minutes of Governing Body meetings are available upon request from the school office. 

Governors who have left the governing body in the academic year 23/24 include: 

Mrs Gemma Cullum

Term of Office: 18/09/2019 - 17/09/2023
Category: Staff Governor
Appointed by: Staff
Business & Financial Interests None
Governance Roles in other Institutions None
Material Interests Employed as Class Teacher at Vaughan