Our Governance
Newhall Primary Academy and Nursery has a Local Governing Body which was formed in March 2019.
Governors at Newhall aim to ensure that our children experience a secure, safe and stimulating environment providing the full breadth of the National Curriculum where all are excited about learning and all learning activities encourage positive models of enquiry, reflection, innovation and challenge.
We want every child to achieve their potential in all aspects of learning and physical, social, emotional, moral and spiritual development. Our focus is thus to support and challenge the school’s leadership and staff to ensure that together we are all doing everything we can to equip our children in becoming confident, independent, creative thinkers and learners for life. We aim to ensure that our pupils are provided with opportunities to develop the resilience they will need to face the challenges of an ever-changing world.
We recognise and value the diversity of our Newhall school community and the uniqueness of each of its members. We ensure excellence in teaching and learning through teamwork, support, collaboration and effective leadership. We promote our school values and British values within the school and the wider community. Representing a growing community, governors actively encourage community engagement wherever possible. We achieve the best we can for our children by using the strength of partnership – working with the staff, our children’s parents and the wider community.
Our Local Governing Body at Newhall consists of a strong team of individuals who offer constructive challenge and support whilst overseeing the strategic direction and management of our school. Our governors are always keen to provide assistance, to give of their time and experience in supporting our school and helping to shape the school ethos and the stimulating learning environment it is today.
Who Is Who?
Mr Richard Mawson (FCIArb, MRICS, MSc, BSc Hons) – Chair of Governors
My name is Richard Mawson and I have been Chair of Governors at Newhall Primary Academy since 2019. I am a Chartered Surveyor and construction adjudicator and I live in Newhall with my wife and 11-year-old son.
I decided to become a governor as being a local resident I am keen to be an active member of the community, of which the school is a key part. With a child of my own transitioning to secondary school, I also have a personal interest in how schools function and the extent to which they are effectively led and managed to ensure our children receive the best foundation in their primary education.
I am proud to be part of the Newhall Primary Academy family and the wider Newhall community and will play my part in building on its current achievements, development and future successes.
Ms Samia Alrahi (Vice Chair of Governors)
I am a Reach2 Trust appointed governor and am also a parent of a child at Newhall Primary Academy. I am a practicing solicitor but have also been supporting the school at various events and as a governor for the past 3 years.
I am the link governor for Curriculum.
Mr Duncan Scott (Staff Governor)
I am currently in my 8th year of practice and am teaching Year 3 at Newhall Primary Academy. My interests and volunteering work show a long-standing interest in working with children. I successfully applied for and was appointed to a camp counsellor position for Camp America in 2010. This involved working with children who displayed challenging behaviour and were often from economically deprived backgrounds. My role was to support the children through post-traumatic periods of their lives and ensure they felt safe and cared-for whilst also providing them with new and exciting experiences. I committed myself to this role and very much enjoyed it; relishing the lively nature of the children, their interest and enthusiasm to learn about the world around them.
I believe that I have strong teaching and leadership abilities and am always willing to assist my colleagues, the children and parents in whatever way I can, with the ultimate goal of securing good teaching and learning across the school and in so doing ensuring excellent pupil progress in all areas of learning.
I hope that whilst serving on the Governing Body as a representative of the staff I can simultaneously serve our lovely children, their parents and the wider community.
Mrs Jennifer (Jenny) O’Neill (Staff Governor)
Jenny is the interim Deputy Headteacher at Newhall Primary Academy and Nursery. She is also the Early Years Leader in both the Nursery and Reception classes. Jenny is a ‘Read Write Inc’ phonics trainer who has ensured excellent RWI teaching and outcomes in Early Years and across all year groups. She is passionate about the environment and determinedly instills an awareness of our collective responsibility to work toward a sustainable future for everyone.
As an experienced senior leader Jenny has a ‘birds-eye’ view of everything that happens at Newhall. She is keen to develop staff knowledge and skills to secure excellent teaching and she enjoys sharing ideas to make learning fun, engaging and meaningful for the children.
Ms Caroline Rae (Parent Governor)
I was the first parent governor elected to Newhall Primary Academy in 2019 as we moved from a transitionary to a full governing body. It has been a privilege to watch both the school and the pupils flourish and grow over that time.
I’ve worked in libraries / local government for 20 years and I’m currently the strategic lead for libraries in a London borough. I am passionate about the importance of reading and library use for everyone but especially the impact good reading skills has on children’s outcomes. I sit on the steering group for The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge, am the Chair of London Libraries, sit on Libraries Connected advisory group and am both a board and strategy member of The Libraries Consortium.
When I’m not in the library (or working from home!) my ‘heart’s in the Highlands’ and I head back to Scotland just as much as my partner and children can bear.
Mr Aminur Choudhury (Co-Opted Parent Governor)
I am delighted to be on the Governing Board at Newhall Academy having joined as a Parent Governor in November 2020. I have been working for NHS England since January 2018 as a Commercial Contracts Manager. On a daily basis, I am responsible for championing and employing robust set of tools, processes and innovative solutions across the commercial lifecycle. I also act as a champion for patients and their interests in policy development and decision-making of NHS England. More recently I was involved in Corona virus efforts with NHS Supply Chain by supporting the Respiratory Cell and NHS Nightingale hospital.
I previously worked as a gymnastics coach teaching an elite squad of boys who competed to the national standards. I also taught recreational gymnastics in Hendon Youth Sports Centre, and in primary/secondary schools in the Barnet area.
Reasons why I became a parent governor and decision to support the school includes; I have a daughter who attends Year 2, my background in Local Government, Public Sector, and working with children as a qualified gymnastics coach.
My experience to date as a governor has been extremely positive as I have found everybody to be welcoming and helpful. Charmaine, the office staff, and all teachers to be the utmost professionals who not only care but are very passionate about their students and Newhall Academy.
I look forward to continue working in my capacity as Parent Governor and making any contribution I can; i.e. providing support, scrutiny of the curriculum & budgetary spend, and most importantly progress Newhall students make.
Mr Ergel Hassan (Parent Governor)
As a local resident and parent, I am keen to support our local school, so our Newhall children have access to a high quality of education. I feel my background offers both practical and strategic knowledge to assist the school in achieving this goal.
In 1999, I founded a charity that supports thousands of children each year. We methodically analyse the hurdles our children are facing and support them to overcome these. Our success attracted the European Social Fund, who evaluated our work and wished to gain further understanding in order to replicate it. The gov.uk website also used our work as a case study and the SME magazine awarded us as the Best
Youth Support in 2018.
In 2014, the London Mayor, awarded me for my “positive contribution to making Londoner’s lives better”. I have also been a speaker for the East London Business Alliance (2013), the Global Fund for Children (2013-2021) and featured on BBC’s Newsnight (2012).
Since moving to Harlow, I launched First Class Learning, which offers Maths and English tuition. This has given me an opportunity to work with children in a formal learning environment and understand the challenges of delivering the National Curriculum. I am also a volunteer in the Newhall Social Club, where I help to organise local events that support community development and cohesion.
Governing Body Meeting Attendance 2022-23