Governor Pen Portraits
Stephen Foster - Chair of Governors
I am Stephen Foster and I would like to introduce myself to all of you at St Joseph’s school.
I am the new Chair of Governors. I live in Essex and I am a practising Catholic living in the parish of the Most Holy Redeemer.
I have previously been a Trustee of the Christus Catholic Trust and a Chair of Governors at St Peter’s school.
Miss Saul - (Headteacher)
Miss Saul’s commitment to teach started in Wales, where she grew up one of seven children, helping weekly at a group run for disabled teenagers and also with the disabled children to whom her family gave ‘respite care’. Through this experience, she saw that each and every child has potential and was determined to try and achieve this with the children in her care.
Qualifying as a teacher in Liverpool 1997, she initially taught in Cheshire before responding to an national newspaper advertisement to teach in Thurrock which simply read: ‘No Headteacher. Ugly building. Longest school nationally in Special Measures. But you’ll love it!’ After two terms, the school came out of measures and Miss Saul stayed at the school, now as Acting Deputy Headteacher, until the following Ofsted inspection which recognised the continuing improvements.
As a practising and committed Catholic, Miss Saul’s next move was to a Thurrock Catholic school where she complemented her experience in teaching every year group from Nursery to Year 6.
In September 2009, Miss Saul moved to St Joseph’s to take up the post of Deputy Headteacher. During this period, she was Acting Headteacher for eleven months and is proud of the school’s progress during this time which was recognised by HMI. Returning to her role as Deputy Headteacher in April 2014, she continued to strive for school improvement at every level in order for St Joseph’s to achieve its potential and achieve a ‘Good’ grading from Ofsted in 2016.
Now in her post as Headteacher from April 2019, she hopes to continue the school’s development journey both spiritually and academically.
Chris Shaw - (Foundation Governor)
Chris has been a governor at St Joseph’s since March 2014. He retired 4 years ago having worked 13 years as a senior accountant at Queen Mary, University of London. Prior to Queen Mary, Chris worked for 30 years for BT mainly as an accountant in various offices in London. Chris’ children attended St Joseph’s from 1979 to 1997 and his grandchild has attended since 2009. Chris feels honoured to be a governor and has a passion to do his best in supporting the school and the children who attend.
Ciara Manning - (Foundation Governor)
Fr. Anthony Cho - (Foundation Governor)
Dimple Chauhan - (Foundation Governor)
Daniel Smith - (Staff Governor)
Daniel is a former pupil of St Joseph's and has had a long association with the school both in a voluntary capacity and since 2013 as a teaching assistant and more recently becoming a class teacher. He has a lot of experience working with SEND children and running intervention groups and is committed to ensuring the children feel safe and happy during their time here at St Joseph's.
Freya McFadden - (Parent Governor)
The role of Parent Governor is integral in ensuring the communication between the School Board, the parents and wider school community. The role seeks to make a positive impact upon the academic and psychosocial experiences of our children. The Parent Governor is a representative and an advocate of the parents and careers of our children, and seeks to enhance the quality of educational experiences they receive.
I seek to make a contribution to the school community and be the parental voice driving forward innovations and improvements.
I feel passionate that the Catholic ethos is maintained throughout our children’s educational journey and seek to promote that amongst the school community.
My child has been a pupil at St. Joseph’s for over two years and has thrived academically, socially and spiritually at the school. As all parents have, I have provided educational support to my child during the pandemic and this has equipped me with a greater understanding of the challenges our teachers face and of the enormous commitment they make towards our children.
I have over 18 years of experience as a Paediatric Nurse and as a Senior University Lecturer. The skills I have gained during these roles have enabled me to have a thorough understanding of the holistic needs of children. I have an in-depth understanding of the current challenges parents and children are facing, both physically and psychologically. As Parent Governor I would ensure that the mental health and emotional wellbeing of our children and their families is at the forefront of our decisions. I have vast experience of working with children and young people in difficult and challenging circumstances and would seek to provide to voice for those members of our community who experience similar events. As a Senior Leader in my profession I have developed many organisational and problem solving skills, and am familiar with working in partnership with various teams in challenging situations. I am able to share information and gather the opinions of others in a concise, diplomatic and impartial manner. I am open and honest and will always maintain the best interests of our children and their families. I believe I am an advocate for every child and family and endeavour to ensure that the voice of the child and family is always heard.
As we continue through the pandemic and towards a sense of re-establishing previous ways of life, I believe it is imperative the school and parents continue to work in partnership to ensure the needs of our children are fully met. As Parent Governor I would ensure that the School Board is held accountable and be the collective voice for our parents, working towards a shared goal and vision.
Vacancy - 1 Foundation Governor