Governors

Governors are involved in every aspect of school life and usually take on specific roles according to their experience and interests.

We play a strategic role, concentrating on the underlying principles of how the school is run. Day-to-day management issues remain the responsibility of the head teacher and her staff.

Overall, governors have 3 key roles:

1. We take general responsibility for the school. We appoint the head teacher and together set the strategic direction of the school. We uphold and promote the vision and the values that underpin all we do. We ensure that every child is safe at Parkside.

2. We agree the school development plan and monitor progress against the targets set, holding the head teacher and senior leaders to account and acting as a ‘critical friend.’

3. We set the school budget each year, approve spending and monitor progress against the budget.

Who are we?

Emily Saunderson

Chair of Governors

04/03/2023 - Appointment by: Board of Governors

I joined the Governing Body in late 2022, after learning all about school governance through my work at DfE. I live in Borehamwood – within walking distance of the school, and it was important to me to be able to support in my local community and to hopefully bring some of my expertise from Business Analysis and the Public Sector to support the good work at Parkside. I am also a mother to three children. I am the governor responsible for SEND – this is a passion of mine, to provide good quality experiences through life to all neurodivergent and disabled individuals – everyone deserves to thrive!

 

Andrew Hatton

Vice Chair of Governors

08/06/2020 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors

I joined as a parent governor at Parkside in March 2020 and sit on the Finance Committee. I have lived in Borehamwood for about 40 years. I work full time for my company selling, installing and support Electronic Point of Sales systems. I have three children and the two oldest attended Parkside and have now moved on to Hertswood. My youngest still attends Parkside. I have been enjoying attending the governor meetings and seeing all the hard work being put in behind the scenes to best support the children, no matter what challenges have been presented.

 

Geoff Strack 

Co-Opted Governor

17/12/2014 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors

Our children and grandchildren have been fortunate in being able to go to Hertfordshire Schools. My own career has been in education, in Primary, Secondary, University and with Ofsted. I worked as a local authority adviser and was involved in the early introduction of ICT in schools at a national and International level. This included work in the USA, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Germany and Vietnam. My interests are team building, well-being for children and staff, improving my own knowledge of early years and the format of governing body meetings. In 2018 I was presented with the Herts, Outstanding Governor of the Year Award. As well as being a governor at Parkside, as required, I help out with other Herts Primary Schools.

Hayley Bloom

Co-Opted Governor

13/09/2021 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors

I grew up locally in Elstree and, after a few years living closer to London, moved back to Radlett around 14 years ago. I have worked mainly in the entertainment industry and I currently work part time as Head of Production for a small company specialising in film, television and theatre production.

I joined the Parkside Governing Body as a co-opted governor in 2021 and I am currently Chair of the Education Committee and the Early Years link governor. I also share various other roles including Stakeholder Voice, GDPR and Safeguarding. I really enjoy my visits to Parkside, especially when I am able to spend time in the classroom with the pupils or attend assemblies, etc. It’s always lovely to see the children enjoying their lessons and the facilities provided at school and I am consistently impressed by the Parkside pupils and the dedicated staff at this fantastic school.

 

Chirag Patel

Co-Opted Governor

04/11/2026 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors 

I joined Parkside as a co‑opted governor in 2024 and currently serve as the Early Years link governor. Having grown up in London, I have lived just a short distance from the school for the past decade. I chose to become a governor because I wanted to embark on my own educational journey alongside my daughter’s, supporting the school as it nurtures the next generation. Professionally, I work in finance, bringing skills in analysis and oversight that I hope add value to the governing board. I greatly enjoy my role as a governor - especially seeing children thrive as they progress through the school. Attending school shows and productions is always a highlight, as it’s wonderful to witness the pupils’ confidence, creativity, and achievements in action

 

Lisa Wise

Parent Governor

09/11/2026 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors

I joined as a parent Governor at Parkside in late 2024. I grew up in Borehamwood and attended Parkside myself as a child. I have spent my career to date working in education. I studied for a degree in primary education and became a primary school teacher. I now work full time as a Finance Manager in a secondary academy. I really enjoy my visits to Parkside. It’s lovely to see the children so enthusiastic about their learning.  

 

Jane Levine

Co-Opted Governor

03/03/2026 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors

I am delighted to have been appointed to the Parkside Governing Body in March 2026. Whilst I am a lawyer by profession, I have lived in the area for the past 30 years and have worked locally in a voluntary capacity for many years. This has provided me with a good understanding of the community, and I am pleased to bring this experience to the school as a governor. Having three, now adult, children, I have seen that effective primary education is crucial for development. I am looking forward to getting to know the Parkside community through my regular visits and making a meaningful contribution to the school’s governance.

 

Sheetal Shah

Co-Opted Governor

03/03/2026 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors 

 

Nina Valanju

Co-Opted Governor

03/03/2026 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors 

I joined as a co-opted governor in March 2026 and am keen, as part of the governing body, to support the school’s continued commitment to nurturing children and helping every pupil achieve their full potential. I was raised in Mill Hill and still live locally, so it means a lot to be involved in the community in this way. I have two children who are now at secondary school in Elstree, which has given me a real appreciation for how quickly the primary years go and how important those foundations are. I work full time in program management and outside of work I am involved in supporting local and school fundraising activities.  I am looking forward to getting to know the Parkside staff, parents/carers and wider community and helping the school progress forward.

 

Solange Aqunio 

Staff Governor

01/10/2026 - Appointment by: Chair of Governors

How do Governors work ?

We meet as a full governing body 5 times a year. We have two committees – education, and finance and operations – which also meet 3 times times a year to deal with matters of specific interest. Those committees report back to the full governing body. We also have a pay committee that meets when necessary. Anyone can attend the non-confidential part of a governors’ meeting.

In between the meetings governors undertake work according to their responsibilities and any other work they have agreed to do. They visit school regularly to meet with key staff and see how the children are doing. They also attend regular training on a wide range of subjects, from safeguarding to data analysis to help them carry out their roles to the highest standards.

How are Governors appointed ?

We are required to have a designated number of governors from a number of categories. We can also adopt additional governors, known as associate governors, who can advise but not vote. These governors usually have a particular area of expertise.

Our current body consists of :

• 1 parent governor
• 1 Local Authority governor
• 1 staff governor
• 2 partnership governors
• 4 co-opted governors
• The head teacher

The standard term of office for a governor is four years. The Chair and Vice Chair are elected annually at the first meeting of the academic year. The Chair of Governors is Emily Saunderson who can be contacted via the school office.

If you feel you have skills and commitment to become a governor at Parkside, or are interested in finding out more, please contact the Chair.

621 Parkside Community Primary Instrument Of Government

The Governing Body September 2025 – July 2026 Attendance Register at Meetings

 

Name	Role	09/09/25	03/12/25	03/03/26	16/04/26	20/05/26	14/07/26	Attended
Emily Saunderson (ES)	Partnership Governor (Chair)	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	6 / 6
Emma May-Finnegan (EM/EMF)	Headteacher	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	6 / 6
Andrew Hatton (AH)	Co-opted Governor (Vice Chair)	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	6 / 6
Lisa Wise (LW)	Parent Governor	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	6 / 6
Chirag Patel (CP)	Co-opted Governor	Present	Present	Present	Present	—	—	4 / 6
Hayley Bloom (HB)	Co-opted Governor	Present	Present (Online)	Present	—	Present	—	4 / 5
Geoffrey Strack (GS)	Partnership Governor	Present (Part)	Present	Present	—	Present	—	4 / 5
Sheetal / Shetal Shah (SS)	Observer → Co-opted Governor	Observer	Observer	Present	—	Present (Late)	—	3 / 4
Nina Valanju (NV)	Observer → Co-opted Governor	—	Observer (Online)	—	Present	Present	Present	3 / 4
Jane Levine (JL)	Observer → Co-opted Governor	—	—	Observer	Present	—	Present	2 / 2
Eleanor Ashley (EA)	Observer → Staff Governor	—	Observer	Present	—	—	—	1 / 1
Jacqui Mattholie (JM)	Staff Governor	Present	—	—	—	—	—	1 / 1
Lisa Hnatiuk	Attended 16/04 meeting	—	—	—	Present	—	—	1 / 1
Hayley Napper	Attended 16/04 meeting	—	—	—	Present	—	—	1 / 1