Governor Profiles

I have been a governor at SJL since 2014, and was previously Vice Chair, safeguarding-linked governor and a member of the SET Admissions Committee. Before that, I was a governor at Manland Primary School, including five years as Chair.

I followed a music degree at Manchester University with a performance diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music and then started my career as a violinist and teacher in a variety of orchestras and settings. I have lived in Harpenden with my family since 2001 and currently work for the Hertfordshire Music Service as a violin teacher in a number of local schools as well as being head of Baldock Music Centre. I also freelance as a violinist.

Having had two children educated at SJL, I’ve seen close-up the outstanding teaching and opportunities on offer to its students and as Chair of the Governing Body I look forward to supporting the school’s future growth and development.

Having studied Medieval Italian and French at University and lived for a while in Italy, my professional background is in Marketing and Communications and I have worked in a wide range of industries from sports marketing to real estate investment management.  

I have previously held several positions on school Governing Bodies, having been Chair of Governors at Batford Nursery School for 9 years and an additional Governor at schools in St Albans.  I am currently also Chair of Governors at Manland Primary School.  I served as a Strategic Leader of Governance for Herts for Learning, assisting other Governing Bodies to carry out self evaluation and work on strategies for improvement.  I find being in schools interesting and stimulating and am proud to be part of the Governor community at SJL. Both of my children are currently at SJL and I have been involved with the school since they joined. 

Outside of work, I assist a local scout group with organising camps and taking care of all the equipment.  I am a keen squash player and regularly play for local and County teams, with varying degrees of success and now take longer to recover after a match than I ever did before!

I have lived in Harpenden for much of my life, having grown up in the town and moving back to live here when my second child was born. I am fortunate to have attended SJL myself as a pupil all the way from year 7 to year 13 and had a fantastic experience at the school. I am now a parent of two boys at SJL who are thriving and benefitting hugely from all aspects of school life. I am a trained Speech and Language Therapist having qualified from Sheffield university over 20 years ago. Having worked in the NHS for 10 years, I now work independently around Harpenden and the local area with children of various ages with a range of Speech and Language difficulties. I am also a Makaton tutor and regularly run training for nurseries, schools and day centres to help them support communication at their settings. During the covid pandemic, I worked at SJL as a Literacy support tutor for two years providing 1:1 support to pupils who had fallen behind; one of the ways in which the school used the Governments ‘covid catch up fund’. I also previously worked for several years as a Registered Intermediary, supporting children and vulnerable witnesses with communication as they went through challenging police interview and court processes. 

In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis, running and singing in a community choir, and I am a Sunday school leader at our local church. I am delighted to be part the governing body of SJL. Being in the fortunate position of ex-pupil and parent, it’s a privilege to serve as a parent governor at this progressive and inclusive school. 

I have worked in higher education for over 20 years and am currently Vice Dean (Education) at Imperial College Business School. I'm passionate about the power of achieving positive impact through education, empathy and global awareness. I'm also part of international educational Advisory Boards. I hope my experience in education can be of use to support SJL with their inspiring mission and was delighted to be appointed as a parent governor. 

I have 2 children, and my oldest has just started at SJL. Harpenden is our home, although I do have quite an international background having lived in 8 countries. Outside of work and school I love to travel and also being outdoors with the family. 

I have been a Maths teacher at Sir John Lawes School since September 2021 and now in my 14^th year of teaching. Before retraining as a teacher, I trained and worked as an accountant. The last 6 years of my accounting career was spent working at Christian Aid. I am passionate about my role at SJL, and I am always looking for ways to get involved in the wider school community. Outside of work, I enjoy long walks, a good jigsaw puzzle, reading and travelling.

I was very pleased to be elected as a parent governor for SJL in 2021. I have two children at the school and have lived in Harpenden since 2014.

Professionally I have been a civil servant nearly my whole career, working in a variety of government departments in Whitehall and overseas. I currently work on youth policy - overseeing the government's support for teenagers outside of school, working closely with organisations such as Scouts, Girlguiding, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, UK Youth and the National Youth Agency. Our work is all about giving young people access to opportunities to develop themselves outside of school and to get them engaged in the issues that affect them.

I also have a particular interest in adolescent mental health issues and am involved with a Mexican charity that aims to break the inter-generational cycle of violence towards children.

I hope to bring these perspectives to bear in my role as a governor, and in particular to help strengthen the links between SJL and the wider community in Harpenden.

Having moved to Harpenden 8 years ago, I was delighted to be appointed a parent governor in 2024 – coinciding with the eldest of my four children starting at the school.

Having graduated from Leeds University with an Economics & Management degree my professional career has mostly been spent in media, specifically Film & Television distribution. As a big film fan I’ve been fortunate that my career has taken me from 20^th Century Fox to NBC Universal where I have spent the last 12 years looking after Insights & Analytics for the International Digital Distribution part of the business.

Outside of work I love sport and have combined that with an interest in Harpenden life by spending the last 6 years being actively involved coaching at Harpenden Colts Football.

This is my first foray into the education community but have been part of mentoring programs inside and out of work as am passionate about developing young people. I greatly look forward to being an active and engaged part of the excellent school that is SJL.

I have lived in Harpenden for nearly 40 years and have brought up my 6 children here. I was first involved in school Governance when I was elected as a parent governor at the local primary school my children attended. I was subsequently appointed as an LEA Governor at Wood End Primary School and was Chair of Governors there for a period. I was fortunate to be elected as a Parent Governor at Sir John Lawes and subsequently, after they left for university, was appointed as a Co-opted Governor.

I was invited to become a Governor at Harpenden Academy when it joined the Scholars Educational Trust in 2016 and was Chair of Governors there from 2020 to 2022. I recently left Harpenden Academy in order to take up a role as Governor at Buntingford First school when it opens in September 2023, an exciting new development for the Trust.

I am retired from the public sector where I was engaged throughout my career within various Law Enforcement organisations. Latterly, I was involved in developing Government Policy on Justice and Home affairs and the strategic planning of multi-agency engagement.

What little “me time” I have, after my family, is spent involved in the local branch of the Institute of Advanced Motorists motorcycle section. I am a keen biker- it is great for blowing away the cobwebs!

I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve as a governor at Sir John Lawes School, where I have been a passionate member of the staff for the past ten years. As a Drama teacher and Head of Year, I have had the privilege of working closely with students to help them grow both academically and personally. My journey at SJL has been marked by my commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive school environment, and I am excited to bring this experience to my role as a governor.

In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I have led a number of key initiatives within the school. As the Anti-Bullying Coordinator, Mental Health Lead, and currently the DEI Coordinator, I have been dedicated to fostering a culture where all students feel valued, supported, and heard. I have also had the honour of leading the Stonewall Club, Diversity Club, and running various cross-school youth forums on important issues such as disability awareness, gender equality, the environment, and Black Lives Matter.

My work with students extends beyond the classroom, and I am deeply invested in ensuring that SJL continues to provide an environment where every student can thrive, regardless of their background. Through my role as a governor, I hope to further contribute to the school’s mission of achievement, care, and excellence, and to support the continued development of both students and staff.

I am immensely proud to have been appointed Head of School at Sir John Lawes and am excited for the upcoming year. During my time at Sir John Lawes, I have played an active role in the school community, largely through participation in various sports teams. As I have grown through the school, the school’s outstanding extracurricular program has given me opportunities to enhance my leadership skills and allowed me to give back to the vibrant and talented school community, such as by helping lead History club, taking part in a Sports Leadership course and becoming a House Captain for Ryder house.

I am currently studying History, Biology and Religious Education for A Levels, and aim to study History and Politics at university. Outside of school I play for the local hockey team and am passionate about social equality, spreading positivity and global politics.

Through my role, I am dedicated to working collaboratively with the prefect team and wider school community to continue to enhance life at SJL. To the best of my ability, I will advocate for all of the students, raise awareness on important causes as well as continuing to strengthen wider opportunities at SJL.

I feel honoured and proud to be given this opportunity at Sir John Lawes as Head of School. Together with the Prefect Team, I am excited to work with the Governors, Staff and Students. 

I am studying Music, Chemistry and Media BTEC at A-Level and hope to work in the Music and Media industries. Though joining in year 11 amidst GCSE was a critical step, the School community supported and encouraged me tremendously, and within no time I became a part of the SJL family and soon the House Captain of Newton! 

From producing the Summer Prom Documentary to choreographing in the Gym and Dance Display & the school production ‘School of Rock’ (2024), each day at SJL gave me a new chance to explore my skill set. My musical journey reached new heights after being introduced to different instruments (Violin, Viola, Flute, Saxophone) and Western Classical Music. More recently, my friend and I had the opportunity to teach a song we wrote and composed to 200 students from primary schools around Harpenden. I am also involved in a few other clubs - advanced dance, chamber choir and the astronomy club. 

Outside of school I play Badminton at an advanced level and play the viola in a local Orchestra. I’ve also performed dance at community events such as ‘Diwali at Trafalgar’ & Action for Children at Rickmansworth. 

I truly believe that perseverance, creativity and passion can lead to success. Together, let’s move forward to achieve the vision and goal of SJL and incorporate the ideals of the SJL ACE to Achieve, Care and strive for Excellence!