Meet Our Governors

Yerbury School has up to 12 governors:

• The Head Teacher
• 1 staff governor
• 1 Local Authority governor
• 4 parent governors
• 5 co-opted governors.

We currently also have three associate governors.

To contact the governing body in confidence you can e-mail chair@yerbury.islington.sch.uk or phone 0207 272 6580.

HEAD TEACHER

The Head Teacher can best be contacted through the school at admin@yerbury.islington.sch.uk or on the main telephone number, 0207 272 6580.

Cassie Moss
Head Teacher                                                  

STAFF GOVERNOR

There is one staff governor elected by the school staff.  Staff governors can best be contacted through the school at admin@yerbury.islington.sch.uk or on the main telephone number, 0207 272 6580.

Zoe Richardson
Class Teacher

I am an Associate Governor at Yerbury Primary School and also a class teacher and phase leader for KS1. I am passionate about being able to contribute to discussions and meetings surrounding the success of Yerbury School, both as a place to learn and a place to teach. I attended Yerbury Primary School myself when I was a child and have always felt a desire and responsibility to ensure that the children have the same wonderful, creative and nurturing experience that I had.

PARENT GOVERNORS

There are 4 parent governors.  They are elected by the parents of the school for a 4 year term of office.

Roz Webb
Chair of the Curriculum & Learning Committee;
SEND (Special Educational Needs) Link Governor;
Data Link Governor

My son is in year 5 and my daughter is now in year 8 at Acland Burghley.  I have been a parent reader for the last four years and also support library lessons at Burghley. I have been class rep and always help out with PTA events. I was an English teacher in state comprehensive schools for 16 years, including being Head of Faculty, and remain passionate about education. I fully support Yerbury’s commitment to valuing the whole child and avoiding a narrow focus on test results, which never tell the whole story. I know from experience that children learn best when their interests and skills are valued and nurtured, and they are not labelled in any way. Every child should be supported and encouraged to learn at their own pace, with a belief in their intrinsic motivation to improve. I am around in the playground most days so feel free to come and have a chat.

Rosemary Marsh
Chair of Governing Body

I have three children currently at the school and have worked with the school through the PTA since my eldest daughter started in 2015 and as a governor since 2017. I am keen to ensure that Yerbury can continue to offer a fantastic education, and experience, to every child. When I am not parenting, I work part time as a doctor and hope I can bring some understanding of people and systems from my career into the school. I am at drop off and pick up several times a week and am happy to talk. As chair of governors, I can also be contacted by email at: admin@yerbury.islington.sch.uk 

Fenella Bolton
Revenue Generation Link Governor

I’ve two daughters currently at the school and feel very lucky to have Yerbury on our doorstep. I’ve been a class rep and am always involved in the school events in some way or other. I’m a huge admirer of the community that Yerbury has created within the school and at large. As a new governor, I hope that my skills in running a PR and communications business might be of use in helping the school to continue to flourish.

Sarah Thornley
Learning in Outdoor Link Governor 

I have a daughter in Year 4 who has flourished at Yerbury. I am passionate about about the work and vision for the school and have always tried to support/participate in as many PTA events as possible, along with having been a Class Rep. I enjoy contributing to the Yerbury community, am creative with a high level of commercial acumen gained from my career in Fashion Retail. I am currently now a consultant for fashion brands and I’m usually around at pick up/drop off should anyone fancy a chat.

CO-OPTED GOVERNORS

Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body on the basis that, in the opinion of the governing body, they have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

Sam O’Leary
Pupil Premium Link Governor;
Equality & Diversity Link Governor;
Inclusion Link Governor;
Careers & Culture Link Governor

I am a barrister with a mainly commercial/corporate practice. I live in Islington with my wife and 2 young children. I was first appointed a Governor of Yerbury Primary School in June 2013 and have since been appointed for a third term, lasting until November 2022.

Laura Keough
Vice Chair of Governing Body

I work for Apple as a Program Manager focused on public transport and pedestrian mapping. I am passionate about education and believe it is of fundamental importance to the lives of individuals and the future of our society. I feel very much a part of the Islington community, which is also home to my partner and our baby, and am honoured to support such an exceptional school.

Ben Fitzsimons  
Safeguarding Link Governor

Emily Briggs
Health & Safety Link Governor

I work for the UK Civil Service on environmental policy and green finance. I live nearby with my partner and 2 young children. We love living in Islington! I joined the Governor team at Yerbury as I’m passionate about building bright futures for our kids and wanted to get more involved in the local community.

Revathi Raghavan

I am a solicitor in London, with experience in financial services regulation and asset management. I live in Islington with my family.  I am passionate about building a culture of kindness, tolerance and respect for our environment. I am excited to join the governor team at Yerbury and contribute to the community in Islington.

ASSOCIATE GOVERNORS

Associate governors are appointed by the governing body.  They participate in meetings and may vote in committee meetings, but do not have a vote at meetings of the full governing body.

Liam Frost
Deputy Head Teacher

Alan Skea
Chair of Finance & General Purposes Committee;
Maths Link Governor

As a parent of three Yerbury children (Jed, Daniel & Jemima) we are now roughly half way through our primary school years. Although I was born in England I was raised and educated predominantly in Australia and specialised in IT. Arriving back in England I found work in financial services where I have been working now for more than 20 years. I was elected a governor in November 2015 and while my background is more directly useful to the Finance and General Purposes Committee I am also very interested contributing what I can to the Curriculum and Learning Committee, especially where it might relate to science, maths and technology. Consequently I have joined both these committees.

Terms of office of governors serving within the past 12 months:

*resigned
**appointed as associate governor on 28th November 2019 (previously a parent governor). Re-appointed for an additional year on 25th June 2020.

Governing Body Composition:

In January 2015 the Governing Body was reconstituted as required by law.  The Instrument of Government may be found in the sidebar of this page or click here: Yerbury Instrument of Government. The Governing Body is now smaller than it used to be.  There are 12 governors in total.  The Governing Body now consists of:

• The Head Teacher
• 1 staff governor
• 1 Local Authority governor
• 4 parent governors
• 5 co-opted governors.

All governors are volunteers.

It is now expected that all governor positions will be filled based on the skills which the governing body requires.

For elected governor categories (staff governors and parent governors) and nominated governor categories (LA governors) the governing body is expected to make it clear to electors or nominating authorities what particular skills the governing body is in need of prior to an election or nomination.

Categories of Governor:

The staff governor is elected by the school staff.

The parent governors are elected by parents and carers of children at the school.

The Local Authority governor is nominated by the Local Authority and appointed by the Governing Body.  The Local Authority is expected to nominate candidates who have the skills needed by the governing body of the school and who support the school’s ethos and mission.

Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body on the basis that, in the opinion of the governing body, they have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

Key Documents:

Declarations of Interest (uploaded 04/01/20)
Governing Body Action Plan 2019-20 (uploaded 09/10/19)