The Governors

Who are the Governors?

We have four types of governor:

Parent Governors are elected by the parents of the school;
Staff Governors are elected by the staff team;
Co-opted Governors who are invited to join the Governing Body as representatives of our local community; and
Local Authority Governors who are appointed by the London Borough of Barnet

Our current Governors are:

Clare Hegarty – Local Authority Governor and Chair of the Governing Body.

I was delighted to be asked to join the Holly Park Governors in Sep 2017. My first involvement with the school was through my work, leading the Year 5 school journey. Through the children and staff I could see what a special place the school is. I hope to contribute to the life of the school, bringing experience and knowledge from my work in education as a teaching assistant, IT teacher and 12 years as a School Business Manager in primary and secondary schools, as well as from the private sector working as an IT Project Manager and most recently as the Business Manager of Non Stop Action. My own three children have all been well served by their education in Barnet schools and through those years, I gave freely of my time to their school PTAs and governing bodies. It is my privilege to continue that work with Holly Park. My term of office as a Governor at the school ends in July 2026. Business or financial interests: PE Sports company – director. Another school – governor.

Rhonda Valentine – Co-opted governor and Vice Chair of the Governing Body

I am a mother to two girls who both attend Holly Park. My background is in Managing Consulting where I spent 11 years working across the public and private sector, supporting companies and government departments design organisations, and deliver change. As a qualified HR practitioner, I have recently joined a UK hospitality business, where I advise the board and other senior stakeholders on people related matters. I am looking forward to supporting the school and its leadership team, navigate the future, and helping to create new opportunities for the children of Holly Park. I am chair of the Finance and Premises Committee. My term of office as a Governor at the school ends on 31st March 2029. Business or financial interests: None

Ann Pelham – Headteacher Governor

I have been at Holly Park since 1990 when I started as a Newly Qualified Teacher and gained several promotions including Senior Teacher, Assistant Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher. During my time at the school I also gained my Masters Degree in Education. I have been lucky enough to have worked with some wonderful Head Teachers during my time here. I am passionate about the school and feel extremely proud to be its Head Teacher. I work very closely with the Governors, teachers, parents and children to build upon the success that the school already has and to take the school forward.

Sarah Deale – Co-opted Governor

I have had several senior management roles including my current headship, a previous headship and deputy head roles. I have also been an advisory teacher in two local authorities and a SENCO. I have taught across the primary age range and in a specialist setting. I was previously head of Coppetts Wood School and now I am head of the Virtual School in Barnet. Being a headteacher means I have a thorough understanding of being a school leader; how schools work and the work of the governing body. I understand the importance of accurate self-evaluation to drive school improvement. My term of office as a Governor at the school ends on 31st March 2029. Business or financial interests: None

Gemma Morgan – Co-opted Governor

Both my children are at Holly Park . My working background is in education having been a teaching assistant and then a Year 1 teacher. I have first-hand experience of the education system, from the perspective of teacher, support staff and as a parent. My term of office as a Governor at the school runs to 1/12/2029. Business or financial interests: None

Maria Michael – Staff Governor

I have been Deputy Head at Holly Park School since 2013 and fully engaged with the Governing body in many aspects and fully understand the work that the Governors do. I have breadth of experience and knowledge of Holly Park School in both a teaching capacity and in a strategic role so can share much of this with the governors. As Deputy Head my role allows me to work operationally and strategically across the whole school. I work very closely with the Headteacher, the Senior Management Team but also with all teaching and support staff. I am aware of what staff want, how they feel and what they need in order to do a good job. My term of office as a Governor at the school runs to April 2026.

Ally Birchall – Co-opted Governor

I am a working mum of two children at Holly Park. Having been a primary teacher for 14 years, I have an excellent understanding of the role of governors and have reported to and presented at many meetings. My current role is in a sixth form college running innovative outreach projects in primary schools focusing on quality academic enrichment and careers education. I hope to support the SLT in achieving all that is set out in the school’s development plan, balancing the requirements of Ofsted with the needs of individual pupils. I am passionate about ensuring that children from all backgrounds and abilities are able to grow and thrive in a safe, secure and inclusive environment. My term of office ends 1/12/29.

Lavinia Ter Horst – Co-opted Governor (Support staff)

Lavinia has been as a teaching assistant at Holly Park School for the last seven years and is passionate in ensuring that the children in our school have the best opportunities and the best education possible. Lavinia is a mother to a 13 year old son who has ASD. He is a past pupil of Holly Park having journeyed through the school. Vi has been a consultant parent for the Barnet Autism Advisory service. Vi is a member of staff, a parent and local resident. She knows many of the neighbours surrounding the school and likes to be involved in the community. My term of office ends 24/4/2027.

Atia Rafiq – Parent Governor

Atia is a GP, GP Educator, and honorary lecturer at UCL. She works with patients from every background, teaches junior doctors and supports university students in their projects. Working in teams, critical thinking and analysis of systems are part of her working life which are useful skills in being a school governor. Atia is keen to ensure that we don’t just stop at safeguarding, but teach children physical and mental wellbeing skills and community responsibility. Atia loves the diversity seen at Holly Park and wants to see this celebrated in order to produce children who are confident in being themselves. My term of office ends 24/4/27.

Leanne Hall – Parent Governor

I have been a parent at the school for over eight years, with my youngest child now in year 2 and my eldest at secondary school, so I have good experience in how the school runs from an external point of view. I have been an active part of the PTA and served as a class rep for six years. I work full-time as a Publishing Director in the Children’s division of Penguin Random House and am interested in how our children’s future is shaped by the decisions made by the school, the curriculum, and the ever-changing world they are growing up in. I am on the Senior Leadership Team at work and have recently completed a Creative Leadership Programme. My term of office as a Governor at the school ends on 1/12/2029. Business or financial interests: None

Dominic Gee – Parent Governor

My son joined the school in KS2 in January 2025 and I have been really impressed by all aspects of school life at Holly Park. I have been fortunate to take part as a volunteer on school trips and be a member of the Parent Council. I am excited about being a parent governor and will bring to the role the perspective of a parent, any skills I have developed working in operations and compliance in the financial services industry and a strong desire to contribute to the mission of the school. My term of office as a Governor at the school runs to 1/12/2029. Business or financial interests: None

Kate Thornton – Parent Governor

I am the parent of a child in year 1. I am passionate about supporting the school. Professionally, I have had a career encompassing roles in politics and governance which has given me a unique set of skills and expertise that I am grateful to be able to use to support our school. School Governors need to be critical friends to the school leadership team, working in harmony to ensure the school can do the best for all our children – a role I am honoured to hold as a Parent Governor. My term of office as a Governor at the school ends on 1/12/2029. Business or financial interests: None

Sophie Dean – Parent Governor

I became a parent governor because I care deeply about children’s education,

wellbeing and the long term success of our school community at Holly Park. My previous

work in the entertainment industry strengthened my communication skills and gave me

confidence in engaging with different groups of people. I am able to listen carefully to be

able to represent views fairly and thoughtfully. I am currently retraining as a psychotherapist

and this has given me valuable insight into child emotional development and the

importance of a supportive educational environment. I believe this perspective will be

helpful when discussing the well-being of both pupils and staff in the school. As both a

parent and someone committed to child development, I want to contribute to a governing

body that supports a nurturing, inclusive, and ambitious environment for all pupils. My term of office as a Governor at the school ends on 1/12/2029. Business or financial interests: None

Mun Keat Looi – Parent Governor

I am a journalist of over 20 years experience. I am also a journalism lecturer at Imperial College London and mentor many young journalists and students, one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

I have served on the executive committee for my professional body, the Association of British Science Writers, for 5 years and have experience in media literacy, digital media and communications. I hope that the strategic thinking picked up from these roles, including 12 years at one of the world’s largest charitable foundations can help as a governor. I have lived in the neighbourhood for over 15 years and this is a chance to give back to the local community and the school that my son now attends, benefiting not just him and our friends and neighbours, but children for hopefully years and years to come. My term of office as a Governor at the school ends on 1/12/2029. Business or financial interests: None

If you would like to find out more about the work of the Governors, or would like to be join the governing body, please contact the school. We will continue to develop the school for benefit of the children. This is why we do what we do.

A passion and concern for the development of our children are the main requirements for any Governor. Please feel free to contact the chair of governors via the school office or by email at chegarty6.302@lgflmail.org

Clare Hegarty – Chair of Governors

Here you can see how often Governors attend school events and meetings:

Governor Attendance Summer Term second half 2025

Governor Attendance Spring Term second half

Governor Attendance Autumn Term first half 2024

Governor Attendance Summer Term first half 2024

Governor Attendance Spring Term second half 2024

Governor Attendance Spring Term first half 2024

Governor Attendance Autumn Term second half 2023

Governor Attendance Autumn Term first half 2023

Governor Attendance Summer Term second half

Governor Attendance Summer Term first half