OVERVIEW

Being a school governor is an important role. They are responsible for working closely with the executive headteacher and senior leadership team to ensure that the school is statutorily compliant, that it offers good value for money and that the care and safety of all staff and children is of the highest priority.

We meet together several times a year for full governing body meetings (FGB) and for committee meetings. The governors also come into school to meet with teachers and leaders; to support with interviews; and to be involved in the life of the school at events like Christmas Fairs, Summer Gala and Sports Days.

Their remit can be summarised into three key areas: Check, Support and Challenge.

Our Governing Body comprises 16 governors:

1 Executive Headteacher

1 Elected Staff Governor

1 Local Authority Governor

5 Parent Governors

8 Co-opted Governors

VACANCIES

We currently have 0 vacancies.

If you feel that you could offer our school your support and experience, please do get in touch with either the executive headteacher (Ben Waldram) or the Chair of Governors (Pete Cumberland).

We would welcome applications from anyone with the desire to help develop our school. 

The link below gives further information on the role of a school governor.

https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/information-for-residents/education-and-schools/school-governors/

 

MEET OUR GOVERNORS

Sajidah Ahmad: Co-opted Governor

I am a local councillor for Wollaton West and NHS leader, with experience in communications, cybersecurity and digital health technologies. I have twice been named as one of the 50 most influential Global Majority leaders in health in England. I am interested in working with parents and teachers at the school to put Nottingham school children at the heart of the technology and AI revolution. I am passionate about access to nature and educating people about the environment and our need to protect it.

I attended school in Bilborough and went on to study Political Science at University in Birmingham. I ran for parliament in the 2024 General Election. I believe passionately in the Early Years Foundation Stage and lifelong education and its power to transform lives. 

 

Jennet Banfield: Co-opted Governor

I qualified as a Secondary Mathematics Teacher in 2006, and since then, I have worked in a variety of mainstream schools and Alternative Provisions.

I currently work one-to-one with young people who no longer access mainstream education, mainly due to SEND needs.

I am a mum of two. My eldest son has been through Fernwood Primary and is currently at secondary school and my youngest is in the juniors.

I have been involved with school for many years, mainly helping with Friends of Fernwood, our parent group, who work hard fundraising and providing activities for the children to get involved with beyond their school day.

As a governor, I hope to use my knowledge and experience both in education and as a mother, to support school in providing a safe and conducive environment for our children to grow and learn.

 

Simon Bell: Co-opted Governor

It's a privilege to be able to serve the pupils, staff and parents at this fantastic school through being an active member of the governing board. 

I'm very lucky to be a Dad of two young children and they've driven part of why I wanted to take on a role as a Governor reflecting on the importance of teaching and guiding them as they develop. My top priorities for anything I'm involved with are that we live our values and build a culture where everyone has an equal opportunity to be amazing in their own way. 

Being a Governor for me is about an opportunity to really make a difference by constructively challenging and working with different parts of the school to continue to create an awesome experience for our children. 

At work, I'm a senior leader with a focus on continuous improvement and developing colleagues. I have extensive experience of working with regulators, contract and policy management, alongside operational and people management. All of which I'm keen to translate into serving Fernwood. 

 

Naomi Cook: Co-opted Governor

I have been a Governor at Fernwood Primary School for several years. In the first instance, I was elected as a Parent Governor while my daughter attended the school, moving into the role as a Co-opted Governor after that. 

As a pupil, My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her experience at Fernwood. This gave me the desire to be part of a team who were there to ensure that all other pupils at the school enjoyed the same level of contentment and solid educational provision. I am a firm believer that how the school is judged on performance is incidental: a child will always learn in an environment where they feel happy and safe.

I am a Design Manager in the Highways and Transportation sector with over 20 years’ experience, predominantly in the private sector. Currently working in Nottingham, my background is transport planning, feasibility and preliminary design with a strong focus on active travel and safety. I am also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation and am an active committee member for the East Midlands regional branch, where I head up the Technical Events sub-committee.

 

Pete Cumberland: Chair of Governors

My working background has been in education in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Prior to my retirement from full-time work, I worked at Broxtowe College of Further Education and was involved with finance, staffing, the upkeep of the college buildings and health and safety.

I have been a school governor in several Nottingham schools for over 30 years. I became a Co-opted governor of Fernwood Primary School Governing Body in 2015 and have been the chair of governors for the past six years. I have two grandchildren who are pupils at the school.

I believe passionately that all children, irrespective of their social, economic or cultural upbringing are entitled to an outstanding educational experience, providing them with the knowledge they need to make a success of their lives.

My main aim as a governor at Fernwood Primary is to support and positively challenge the senior leadership team and to support the staff in providing the children with the best possible education to achieve their potential before moving to secondary education.

 

Amy Goulden: Parent Governor

I have two children now in the Juniors and live locally. My kids both love Fernwood and enjoy the music lessons and extra-curricular clubs, as well as attending breakfast and after school clubs.  I am a keen member of a local bootcamp fitness group and I enjoy the occasional muddy run. I’m dyslexic so I enjoy making connections and thinking through the big picture, but also understand how hard book-based learning can be for some. 

At work I’m the Head of Community Safety and Engagement at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service where I manage fire, road and water safety education/youth interventions and our person-centred home safety visits.  I'm also involved in supporting the service to meet the needs of and recruitment from marginalised communities. I'm pleased to be able to support Fernwood to keep learning and building on its excellent work around diversity, inclusion and the prevention of online harms.

I have 19 years’ experience in policy and partnerships across cohesion, equalities, engagement and safety areas. I have a particular interest in supporting under-resourced and newly-arrived children and communities to thrive and in building trust and understanding between these communities. I sit on the Finance Committee and am a link governor for diversity and inclusion.

 

Ben Greenwood: Staff Governor

This is my sixth year as a teacher at Fernwood, and my second as a staff governor. I love to offer my expertise, share my own experiences and provide the governing body with the staff’s perspective on matters. In my time at Fernwood, I have worked across the majority of KS2. Currently, I am a class teacher in Year 4, PE Lead and proud coach/coat holder for many of the school’s sports teams.

I joined teaching as a career-changer, having spent a number of years post-university working in the Swiss Alps as a ski instructor and latterly, as director of a ski school. I had always wanted to be a teacher and the experiences and transferable skills I picked up along the way put me in great stead to seize the opportunity when it arose.

I was brought up in Nottinghamshire and love the area. In my spare time, I can be mostly found at Notts County FC or roaming around Nottingham with my partner and daughter, probably at a soft play!

 

Brett Griffin-Young: Parent Governor

I’m a dad of three children, two of whom have gone through Fernwood School and one about to start in September 2024. My family creation is a little different to most: my husband and I used both Surrogacy in the United States and adoption here in the UK to create our family and this also resulted in my complete change of career 15 years ago when I started my own business helping people create their families. Family and what it means is incredibly important to me. I have been so impressed with Fernwood over the years at how the school accepted and embraced my family.

I have wanted to be a Governor for some time and finally the time is right for me! I look forward to working with parents and the school in ensuring Fernwood remains the wonderful, inclusive school it is!

Outside of work and Governing, I love to travel - adventures with my kids is my favourite thing! Working on my allotment with my husband and cooking. It’s my de-stress time when I’m preparing a meal! 

 

Damien Hull: Co-opted Governor

I am proud to serve as a new co-opted governor at Fernwood Primary, drawing on my years of experience as a teacher in further education, specialising in psychology, sociology, and criminology. Throughout my career, I’ve guided students in their academic and career ambitions, offering support as they navigate higher education and other pathways. I’ve also led school trips across the UK, Europe, Africa, and the USA, believing strongly in the value of these wider experiences for student growth.

Outside of work, I’m active in my local community, particularly through St. Leonard’s Church in Wollaton. I believe it takes a village to raise a child, and I appreciate Fernwood’s role in fostering connections to the community and promoting civic responsibility. Two of my daughters attend Fernwood, and my wife is involved in the ‘Friends of Fernwood’ group, which supports the school. In my free time, I enjoy composing music, running, and having adventures with my family.

 

Kate Mann: Co-opted Governor

As a newly co-opted governor at Fernwood Primary, I bring over 20 years of experience in education and currently serve as a Deputy National Director within a large multi-academy trust. My career has spanned a range of leadership roles, including Deputy Headteacher, SENDCo, and Executive Headteacher, all of which have strengthened my dedication to building inclusive, high-quality learning environments. In my current role, I focus on educational strategy across multiple schools, working as part of a team to ensure every child has the support and opportunities they need to thrive. I look forward to bringing this experience and perspective to my role as governor.

Living locally, I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute positively to the lives of children in our community. I look forward to working closely with the staff and pupils at Fernwood and to serving its families and the broader community.

Outside of work, I enjoy staying fit and active, I can often be found umpiring a netball match or strolling around Wollaton Park. I adore animals and spend much of my time looking after my two house rabbits and pet cat.

 

Raina Mason: Local Authority Governor

I joined the governing body in 2019 as a parent Governor and long time local resident and am now the Local Authority appointed Governor. 

In my work life, I spent 15 years as a solicitor in local government, including education law and community protection and I worked heavily in strategy setting and policy decision-making. I am also Co-chair of the board of a domestic abuse charity locally and understand the importance of the social and emotional well-being of our children and school community. I am Governor lead for Personal Development/PSHEE/RHSE and well-being.  My current work life involves Regulation of the housing sector and I understand the way Regulation and governance needs to work to be effective. 

I feel privileged to get to work with our brilliant staff team and fellow governors, and in supporting and challenging the Senior Leadership Team in taking forward Fernwood’s vision. 

 

Emma Robinson: Parent Governor

I have two children currently in the infants at Fernwood. They both love the school and I am proud to have the opportunity to contribute to its development.

I work locally as a GP. I am the Clinical Lead for our surgery and have special interests in women's health, child and adult safeguarding, and in training doctors to become GPs. I have found my experience in safeguarding and educating extremely valuable in my role as a governor.

Prior to becoming a governor, I performed a similar role on the committee of a local preschool. I am currently the governor lead for Early Years and sit on the Safeguarding group. 

 

Sarah Tomsett: Co-opted Governor and Vice Chair

I am a mum of three children, who all attended Fernwood Primary, but have now moved on to The Fernwood School and Bilborough College.  My professional background is in financial services.  I worked for one of the large accountancy firms for 14 years, specialising in monitoring audit quality and advising on corporate governance - leading these for the Midlands and East of England.  

I also had significant involvement in training and recruitment during this time.  I have been a school governor since 2015 and vice-chair since 2019.  

My other main interest is cricket, where I am a committee member and lead for junior and women's memberships for Wollaton Cricket Club.  

 

Ben Waldram: Executive Headteacher

I began my post here at Fernwood Primary and Nursery School in September, 2023. Previous to this, I was headteacher at a Nottinghamshire Church of England Primary school. I have been working in education for 20 (plus) years and love it. Being headteacher here is a huge privilege and working with an excellent staff team, strong governors and wonderful children is a joy.

I am married and we have three children - all who came to Fernwood too.

When I'm not at school, I enjoy spending time with with my family; I also read a lot, cook plenty and try to tame the wilderness that is my allotment.

 

Leila Wrigley: Parent Governor

My oldest son started reception year in September 2023 after attending Fernwood nursery and has been so happy at Fernwood. I have a younger son who I hope will join Fernwood nursery very soon. Fernwood is a fantastic school, and I would like to help the school continue to improve and develop. I’m really pleased to now have this opportunity to partner with the staff who work tirelessly to support our children.

At work, I am a qualified accountant with considerable experience in managing finances of large-scale programmes, business partnering senior leaders and working within public sector contracts including the NHS and the Department for Education.

 

Subtain Zeb: Parent Governor

My aim is to help the school continue to improve and develop and to use some of my experience and knowledge gained through work. I have worked in health care for 21 years and have had many different roles including: CQC Registered care home manager, HR manager, Operations manager, Director of care and many more. 

My current job is in forensic mental health, I am the director and the manager and I work with service users from all backgrounds including the BAME community. I believe the skill I have gained will transfer well to the work of school governance, helping the school with safeguarding, budgeting, health and safety and risk management.

I am particularly keen to ensure that all children are safeguarded well and can fulfil their full potential whatever their background, special educational needs or disabilities.

My current training includes: Bachelors degree focused in Criminology and Law, Level 2 in First Aid (First responder), Safeguarding children and adults, Manual handling, Health and safety, Account management, Care planning, Dementia training, Risk management, Super pay, Sage, peninsula HR management and many more.

I am proud to have the opportunity to contribute to the enrichment of the children's development at Fernwood primary school. 

 

Table showing roles and responsibilities, committee memberships and attendance for the academic year 2024/25.

Last updated 25/10/24

Governor details	Appointed by	Term of office	Committee	Role/Responsibility	Attendance
Mrs Sajidah Ahmad	Co-opted by FGB	19/09/24 to 19/09/28
Mrs Jennet Banfield	Co-opted by FGB	19/09/24 to 19/09/28
Mr Simon Bell	Co-opted by FGB	19/09/24 to 19/09/28
Mrs Naomi Cook	Co-opted by FGB	13/01/22 to 12/01/26	F&GP	Languages Link	1/1
Mr Pete Cumberland	Co-opted by FGB	12/05/24 11/05/28	F&GP P&P	Chair Humanities link Safeguarding EHT Appraiser Pupil Premium Link Health & Safety	1/1
Mrs Amy Goulden	Parent Governor	28/11/22 to 27/11/26	F&GP	Personal Development Link	1/1
Mr Ben Greenwood	Staff Governor	08/12/23 to 07/12/27	P&P	Arts & Other Link Staff Liaison	1/1
Mrs Sally Gregory				Resigned from FGB on 09/09/24
Mr Brett Griffin-Young	Parent Governor	21/03/24 to 20/03/28	P&P	Personal Development Link	0/1
Mr Damien Hull	Co-opted by FGB	19/09/24 to 19/09/28
Mrs Kate Mann	Co-opted by FGB	19/09/24 to 19/09/28
Mrs Raina Mason	Local Authority	13/01/22 to  12/01/26	P&P	Personal Development Link EHT Appraiser	1/1
Dr Emma Robinson	Parent Governor	28/04/22 to 27/11/26	P&P	STEM Link EYFS Link Wellbeing Link	1/1
Mrs Sarah Tomsett	Co-opted by FGB	01/09/23 to 31/08/27	F&GP P&P	Vice chair STEM Link SEND Link	1/1
Mr Ben Waldram	Executive HT	Whilst in post	F&GP P&P	EHT	1/1
Mrs Leila Wrigley	Parent Governor	21/03/24 to 20/03/28	F&GP		1/1
Mr Subtain Zeb	Parent Governor	28/04/22 to 27/04/26	P&P	Humanities link	1/1

Establishing the strategic direction, by:

• Setting the vision, values, and objectives for the school
• Agreeing the school improvement strategy with priorities and targets (Strategic Plan)
• Meeting statutory duties.

Ensuring accountability, by:

• Appointing the Executive Head Teacher
• Monitoring progress towards targets
• Performance managing the Executive Head Teacher
• Engaging with stakeholders
• Contributing to school self-evaluation.

Ensuring financial probity, by:

• Setting the budget
• Monitoring spending against the budget
• Ensuring value for money is obtained
• Ensuring risks to the organisation are managed.

As individuals on the Governing Body we agree to the following:

Role & Responsibilities  

• We understand the purpose of the Governing Body and the role of the Executive Head Teacher.
• We accept that we have no legal authority to act individually, except when the Governing Body has given us delegated authority to do so, and therefore we will only speak on behalf of the Governing Body when we have been specifically authorised to do so.
• We accept collective responsibility for all decisions made by the Governing Body or its delegated committees. This means that we will not speak against majority decisions outside the Governing Body meeting.
• We have a duty to act fairly and without prejudice, and in so far as we have responsibility for staff, we will fulfil all that is expected of a good employer.
• We will encourage open government and will act appropriately.
• We will consider carefully how our decisions may affect the community and other schools.
• We will always be mindful of our responsibility to maintain and develop the ethos and reputation of our school. Our actions within the school and the local community will reflect this.
• In making or responding to criticism or complaints affecting the school we will follow the procedures established by the Governing Body.
• We will actively support and challenge the Executive Head Teacher.

Commitment

• We acknowledge that accepting office as a governor involves the commitment of significant amounts of time and energy.
• We will each involve ourselves actively in the work of the Governing Body, and accept our fair share of responsibilities, including service on committees or working groups.
• We will make full efforts to attend all meetings and where we cannot attend explain in advance why we are unable to.
• We will get to know the school well and respond to opportunities to involve ourselves in school activities.
• We will visit the school, with all visits to school arranged in advance with the staff and undertaken within the framework established by the Governing Body and agreed with the Executive Head Teacher.
• We will consider seriously our individual and collective needs for training and development, and will undertake relevant training
• We accept that in the interests of open government, our names, terms of office, roles on the governing body, category of governor and the body responsible for appointing us will be published on the school’s website.

Relationships

• We will strive to work as a team in which constructive working relationships are actively promoted.
• We will express views openly, courteously and respectfully in all our communications with other governors.
• We will support the chair in their role of ensuring appropriate conduct both at meetings and at all times.
• We are prepared to answer queries from other governors in relation to delegated functions and take into account any concerns expressed, and we will acknowledge the time, effort and skills that have been committed to the delegated function by those involved.

• We will seek to develop effective working relationships with the Executive Head Teacher, Heads of School, staff and parents, the local authority and other relevant agencies and the community.

Confidentiality

• We will observe complete confidentiality when matters are deemed confidential or where they concern specific members of staff or pupils, both inside or outside school.
• We will exercise the greatest prudence at all times when discussions regarding school business arise outside a Governing Body meeting.
• We will not reveal the details of any Governing Body vote.

 Conflicts of interest

• We will record any pecuniary or other business interest (including those related to people we are connected with) that we have in connection with the Governing Body’s business in the Register of Pecuniary Interest, and if any such conflicted matter arises in a meeting we will offer to leave the meeting for the appropriate length of time. We accept that the Register of Pecuniary Interests will be published on the school’s website.
• We will also declare any conflict of loyalty at the start of any meeting should the situation arise.
• We will act in the best interests of the school as a whole and not as a representative of any group, even if elected to the Governing Body.

Breach of this code of conduct

• If we believe this code has been breached, we will raise this issue with the chair and the chair will investigate; the Governing Body will only use suspension/removal as a last resort after seeking to resolve any difficulties or disputes in more constructive ways.
• Should it be the chair that we believe has breached this code, another governor, such as the vice chair will investigate.

The Seven Principles of Public Life

(Originally published by the Nolan Committee: The Committee on Standards in Public Life was established by the then Prime Minister in October 1994, under the Chairmanship of Lord Nolan, to consider standards of conduct in various areas of public life, and to make recommendations).

Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.

Integrity - Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

Objectivity - In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

Openness - Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

Honesty - Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

Leadership - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

Adopted by the Governing Body of Fernwood Primary & Nursery School.

Code of Conduct derived from that of NGA – National Governors’ Association.