Governing Body

The governing body at Roding Primary School is comprised of dedicated volunteers from the broader community. They are deeply committed to the school's continuous growth and to providing the highest quality education, fostering an environment where all pupils can develop into life-long learners.

As the governing body, we have three core functions:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction around the school's development plan
Collaborating with the leadership team on enhancing the school's educational performance against national standards, supporting pupil achievement, and managing staff performance effectively
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and ensuring that the budget is utilised efficiently to ensure effectiveness and impact.

Voting Rights

All governors automatically have voting rights at FGB meetings and on the committees to which they are appointed. This is standard.

The regulations specify that associate members can attend and contribute to discussion but not vote at FGB meetings. Roding Primary School currently do not have any associate members.

The governing body have two committees:

Personnel, Finance, Premises and Health and Safety Committee (PFP)
Teaching and Learning Committee (T&L)

Governors at Roding Primary

Chair of the Governing Body – Dawn Hallybone

Vice Chair of the Governing Body – Alexandra Podd

Name	Term from	Term end	Governor type	Roles and Responsibilities
Dawn Hallybone	13 Jul 2023	12 Jul 2027	Co - Opted Governor	Governor Training Curriculum
Robert Finn	13 Mar 2025	12 Mar 2029	Co - Opted Governor	GDPR & Cybersecurity
Amanda Harris	15 Jul 2025	14 Jul 2029	Co - Opted Governor	Health and Safety Finance watchdog & Budget
Olaide Oboh	12 Jul 2023	11 Jul 2027	Co - Opted Governor	English and phonics
Alexandra Podd	21 Nov 2024	20 Nov 2028	Co - Opted Governor	Safeguarding – Child Safety & Well Being Inclusion – SEND & EAL (inc. anti-racism)
Mandeep Sira	01 Dec 2022	30 Nov 2026	Co - Opted Governor	Maths

Eric Ertac	30 Nov 2023	29 Nov 2027	Parent Governor	Pupil Premium & Attendance Sustainability
Lianne Francis	18 Nov 2024	17 Nov 2028	Parent Governor	Early Years

Melissa Nwankiti			Headteacher

Niall O’Sullivan	30 Nov 2023	29 Nov 2027	Staff Governor	Pupil Premium & Attendance

Find out more about our governors

Olaide Oboh

PFP

I have a twenty-year track record working across large public and private sector organisations. With a degree in Sociology, I am fascinated by how people engage with one another, with physical spaces and society in general; and this curiosity drives me.

In my day job, I lead on building relationships, establishing and nurturing partnerships with key local businesses, investor and stakeholder contacts, as well as embedding a social impact approach in local communities.

I am passionate about continuous development and regularly volunteer to support young girls get into a variety of routes within real estate.

I am a local resident and a parent of two children.

Dawn Hallybone

Chair

Both my children attended Roding and I also taught within the borough for over 17 years. I am still involved in education and currently work for an Education Technology company. Being a governor is important to me as it is a chance for me to support the school and the local community.

Melissa Nwankiti

Headteacher

As the current Headteacher, I bring a wealth of experience and dedication to my role, having started as a Deputy Headteacher at Roding in 2018, serving as Co-Headteacher for two years following that and then becoming full time headteacher.

My journey in the education sector is extensive and varied, encompassing leadership positions in diverse boroughs such as Hackney, Barnet, Islington, and Haringey.

Initially qualified as a Paediatric nurse, I transitioned to teaching, bringing a unique perspective to my educational approach. I am also a trained and qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCCo) and have completed the National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH). My diverse background and extensive experience underpin my commitment to fostering a nurturing and high-achieving environment at Roding Primary School.

Mandeep Sira

PFP

I have spent my working career in sales, mainly in publishing, both adult and children’s books and now in children’s toys. I became a school governor as I wanted to give back to the community and thought that it would be a good opportunity to use my skills and gain new ones also. I am passionate about making a difference and believe every child should be able to develop themselves to their potential in order to have the best start in life.

Reverend Alexandra Podd

I am the Vicar of St Paul's Woodford Bridge, and really pleased to be able to serve our community in this way. When I left university, I was all geared up to train to teach, but took a sideways step into being a minister. I have kept my passion for education and love spending time with children and learning from them. I have experience as both a leader and overall leader of summer holidays for disadvantaged young people, and as part of that, have expertise in supporting children and families who have additional needs with complex backgrounds.

I am the school's safeguarding governor, working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Officer, and also vice-chair of the governing body. Wellbeing, particularly of staff, is important to me, and I am always happy to chat to anyone of any faith and none.