Governors
Our governing body is a mixture of people from our local community, parents and school staff.
Melissa Taylor
Melissa is the Executive Headteacher at Ford End, Margaretting and Roxwell Primary Schools and is committed to bringing together all of her classroom and management experience to ensure that these 3 Mid-Essex Schools are best they can be. She ensures that collaborative work between the Mid-Essex Schools and LIFE Education Trust enriches the lives of the children and enhances the curriculum. Melissa has a degree in history as well as a PGCE teaching qualification and a National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership. She is currently studying the National Qualification for Headship. Melissa has a passion for the arts in the primary curriculum and has written a research paper on this topic. She is also dedicated to ensuring that all children reach their full potential and aims to prepare all children for secondary school by the time they leave in Year 6.
Johanna Bailey
Johanna is the Head of School at Ford End. She has a degree in Education Studies and French, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Johanna is nearing the end of her National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership. She has taught in a range of primary schools, but especially loves working at Ford End because of the wonderful feeling of community. As an avid reader herself, she has a keen interest in early reading and Phonics. She is also an experienced tutor of children in all year groups.
Mary Regan (Chair)
Mary is chair of the Local Governance Committee. She has devised, resourced and implemented the modern foreign languages curriculum in a large double entry local primary school and has taught mainly French, but also German in schools for many years. She is committed to helping to achieve good outcomes for all children in primary education.
She has been retired for a number of years now and is an active volunteer in a variety of roles including supporting Ukranian refugees arriving at Stansted airport and assisting with the schools programme at the Imperial War Museum.
Prior to working in education Mary ran a department working in the field of Company Law and has a postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies.
Mary has been involved with Ford End Primary School since 2019 and can see the improvements to the school and the stability of Ford End Primary School itself since joining LIFE Education Trust and is excited to see further improvements and excellent outcomes for our pupils.
Rob Bristow
Rob is currently Chair of the LIFE Education Trust Standards Committee and has been a governor at Frances Bardsley Academy.
Formerly a Deputy Head then Vice Principal, he is currently serving as a Development Lead at TeachFirst in East London schools responsible for trainee teachers entering the profession. He also lectures on the Teach First Education Masters programme at UCL. Rob has also worked in a County Education Department developing 14-19 curriculum and as a School’s Commissioner.
Building on his first career in Industrial Computing, he trained as a Technology Teacher and has taught ICT, Engineering, EPQ, PE, and PSHE. His teaching qualifications include a BSc, PGCE, and NPQH and has taught in 3 schools.
As a member of a Christian Outward Bound Centre in North Wales, he is committed to extending young people’s experience of the outdoor world with all its challenges and opportunities for character building and leadership training. He has arranged and led sailing trips, outward-bound activity weeks, mountain biking and a wide range of sports activities during his teaching career. Leading the ‘First Give’ charity programme in his school with Sixth Form students is also a keen interest, as it enables young people to engage in local groups that serve the needy in society. He is qualified as a sailing instructor through the RYA.
Tim Pass
Tim has been a Governor since 2009 and has previously chaired the Governing Body and the Curriculum and Finance Committees as required. Tim has 40 years of experience in IT and is a technology and systems, technical specialist. Outside of work, Tim is an active Scout & Cub leader and committed to doing the best for the young people at Ford End and the local community.
Gill Howeson
Gill was a teacher, with responsibility for Maths, for many years at a similar small school to Ford End so is aware of the challenges [and benefits] of teaching more than one year group. Gill also served as a Governor at that school. Since retirement, Gill has worked providing one to one tuition at a number of schools in the area including at Ford End providing her with a good knowledge of the school community.
Gill is involved in her local community as a member of her local Parish Council and a volunteer at a local organisation for Wilderness education [Wilderness Foundation], which has included mentoring vulnerable teenagers both on-site and within their school, as well as helping run educational visits by school groups.
During a sabbatical in 2006, Gill worked overseas with VSO developing training for teachers. This included organising and delivering workshops and being able to communicate with various different stakeholders, where there were some different cultural expectations.
Stephanie Webb
Stephanie has children at Ford End and has become increasingly interested in the education system since working with NESTA’s The Lab on some of their education programmes. In my time at NESTA, the education programmes were focused on technology and its use within the education system; reducing the education gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children and the reduction of the reliance on examinations as measurement of success (for the school and the individual).
Stephanie now works for London Ambulance Services as an Emergency Medical Technician, working alongside a Paramedic in the treatment of patients. She is also studying towards her Paramedic Science degree. Working with a varied demographic in the East of London, Stephanie has found herself becoming more aware and interested in the welfare and safety of children and families within the community. Being aware of the safeguarding and welfare of all patients from the first contact, and the need to report and follow procedures for safe practice.
The position with LAS has also increased and her awareness and appreciation for continued professional development as well as her interest in health education, and her love for working with the community.