Welcome to
Newton Farm Nursery, Infant & Junior School
Our Governing Body
Our Governing Body
What is it?
All schools in England have a Governing Body which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. A key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’: to support, to challenge, to ask questions, ultimately to represent the school community.
The Governing Body works in close partnership with the Headteacher, staff and the Local Authority. Whilst the Headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors are involved with such things as staffing, curriculum and standards, school buildings and finance. It ensures the school functions well and maintains the proper range of academic and social objectives.
Membership of the Governing Body includes parents, teaching staff and representatives from the local community and the Local Authority. Newton Farm Governing Bodymeets twice each term; additionally, there are sub-committees and working parties which meet during each term:
- Finance
- Staffing
- Curriculum and Standards
- Premises
Message from the Chair of Governors
On behalf of the Board of Governors, I welcome this opportunity to briefly introduce you to the work the Governing Body undertakes to ensure that your child(ren) will receive the very best primary school education.
The Governing Body has a range of powers, legal obligations and duties laid down by various Education Acts. In the main, these responsibilities relate to:
· Setting targets and promoting high standards of educational achievement
· Setting the strategic framework within which the school operates
· Management of the school’s delegated budget
· Ensuring that the curriculum for the school is balanced and broadly based
Governors discharge the above responsibilities, together with many others, through a Governing Body meeting each term. These formal meetings are supplemented by a series of sub committee and working party meetings dealing with more specific issues. A number of governors also have responsibilities for specific issues within the school such as literacy, maths and inclusion.
Governors adopt, review and monitor a range of policies that govern the operation of the school including Health and Safety, Behaviour, Curriculum and Performance Management.
We believe Newton Farm and its Governing Body draws a unique strength from its size, fostering a close knit family atmosphere where staff, pupils, parents and Governors work together to ensure that all our pupils have the opportunity to develop to their full potential.
The Governing Body is, therefore, rightly proud of the achievements of the school, not only in terms of high academic results, but also in the solid foundations it provides in preparing all our pupils for the remainder of their formative education.
Shafi Fazaluddin - Parent Governor
Chair of Governors and chair of the Curriculum committee
I am delighted to have the privilege of acting as Chair of Governors from September 2023. On behalf of the school community, I would like to thank our former Chair Julian Green for his diligence and commitment over the past 6 years. I also look forward to working with our excellent team of dedicated governors, the school leadership and our wonderful staff for the benefit of the school.
I currently have four children at Newton Farm School and am passionate about ensuring that Newton Farm maintains its excellent record of academic achievement, whilst continuing to provide a safe and nurturing school environment for young children. With its highly-driven management and staff, and its close-knit community, Newton Farm provides a unique environment in which pupils of all backgrounds, needs and abilities can flourish. I believe a close partnership between staff and parents is key to supporting pupils in their ongoing development, and the role of Parent Governor will be instrumental in cementing this partnership. As always, strong governance will be essential in providing the children with a robust education system as well as compassionate emotional support.
Professionally, after a short period in the IT profession, I practised as a lawyer in the Financial Services sector at two leading international firms in the City of London for around 15 years. Since then, I have been in academia at SOAS, University of London, as a researcher and university lecturer for around 5 years. In 2020, I completed my Doctorate degree, having previously completed two Masters degrees after my BSc. I have volunteered in primary and secondary schools for around 15 years, providing students and staff with both learning support and business mentoring.
I have worked closely with the Friends of Newton Farm in the past, negotiating a generous annual funding arrangement from a local estate agent that supports essential extra-curricular opportunities for our pupils, such as theatre visits. At the same time, I have volunteered and provided a visual display and teaching session at the school to the upper years, where I had an opportunity to interact directly with many of the pupils. I know many of you from conversations and events at the school, and I very much look forward to working closely with you, as a Parent Governor of Newton Farm School.
The Chair of Governors can be reached at the following email: sfaza.310@newtonfarm.harrow.sch.uk
Term of office: Jan 2021- Jan 2025 - Elected by: Parents - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: 100%
Richard Appleby – Community Governor
Vice-Chair of governors and Chair of the Finance committee
I am currently Assistant Registrar at City, University of London, responsible for academic development. Prior to this I was administrative head of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at SOAS University of London and curriculum lead for
PGCE teacher training and Drama Education programmes at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama for many years.
I am a strong believer in the transformative power of education and have committed my career to facilitating this in Higher Education. I believe that I will be able to bring this experience and knowledge as Vice-Chair of Newton Farm’s Governing Body and to contribute to the development of the school as a place where children of all backgrounds and educational attainment thrive and to be a warm and inclusive school community. I believe I have the skills, experience and passion to bring value to the role and to help Newton Farm develop, grow and face future challenges.
Term of office: Dec 2022 - Dec 2024 - Appointed by: Governing body - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: 80%
Julian Green – Community governor
I have been a Governor at Newton Farm since September 2016. In the short time that I have been working with the School, we have had a period of intense change. We are exiting this phase with a new Head Teacher, Senior Leadership Team and a Staff of truly outstanding teachers.
As a Governor, I am grateful to the previous generation of Staff and Governors, who have established Newton Farm School as a beacon of excellence, within Harrow and nationally. Our challenge is to build on those strong foundations.
My own experience in the realms of Business and IT, adds to the mix of talents on the Governing body.
In my private life, I am committed to a lifetime of volunteer service to the community in a range of different activities. I am committed to showing our children, by example, the importance of giving of ourselves for the common good and the satisfaction they can derive from helping others.
The Head Teacher, the Staff and the Governors all work as a team to ensure that the school’s performance continues to improve. We are united in the aim of providing our children with a safe and stimulating environment for their formative years so that they can develop their own abilities to become independent learners and responsible members of society.
The Governing Body and individual Governors ensure that all Staff are valued and given opportunities to develop so that they are able to achieve their own full potential.
We encourage all the School’s stakeholders, Staff, Parents and Pupils to engage with us so that together we can ensure that Newton Farm School goes from strength to strength.
Term of office: Dec 2022 - Dec 2024 - Appointed by: Governing Body - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: 60%
Hayah Choudhry - Local Authority Governor
Chair of the Pay committee
I currently work as an in-house Legal Corporate Counsel in the Financial Services industry, involved in all legal affairs related to drafting, negotiating and implementing corporate governance and business-to-business contracts. Becoming a parent inspired me to look for opportunities to participate in the education sector and I am very lucky to have found a way to contribute to the system by becoming a school governor. I migrated to the UK as a teenager from Karachi, Pakistan and settled into a very different and socially challenging schooling environment in the UK, where I completed my tertiary education and legal studies. I believe this experience puts me in a unique position to offer a different perspective on how a school, the staff and its stakeholders can enhance the schooling experience for each child. It is in my opinion vital, that we work towards a truly inclusive environment which nurtures the diverse experience of each child and works for all levels of ability, by focussing on learning goals and praising effort rather than a fixed mind-set. I can help convey this vision by highlighting the commitment, focus and determination required to succeed within the legal profession. I am excited to be part of Newton Farm’s Governing Body and contribute to the continued success of the School by supporting the Staff, students and the parents.
Term of office: Sep 2022-Sep 2025 - Appointed by: Local Authority - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: 60%
Mr Bradley – Headteacher
I was appointed as Head teacher at Newton Farm school in September 2017. Prior to this (with the exception of a brief hiatus where I served as a Deputy Head teacher in a school in Westminster) I worked as a teacher in Newton Farm school for six years, during which time I grew to admire and respect the thriving community both in and around the school. I am thrilled to return to Newton Farm, a school which means so much to me, in the role of Head teacher, and look forward to working with the Pupils, Staff, Governors and Parents to ensure that the high standards that we have always enjoyed at Newton Farm are maintained well into the future.
Term of office: Sep 2017- Present - Appointed by: Governing Body - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: 100%
Naqiyah Padley - Parent governor
Chair of the Safeguarding committee
As the former Chair of Friends of Newton Farm, I have significant experience in engaging and partnering with the school in delivering a range of projects inline with policies and procedures. My previous experience as an Executive Assistant to the Vice President of a global corporation ensures I am highly organised and have exceptional budget management skills. My goal would be to work with the governing body to ensure all of our children, regardless of their ability or background, receive a well rounded and holistic education delivered in a range of learning styles. With three children across Infant and Junior school, I am a resourceful and approachable person with the motivation and time to commit to the role of Parent Governor.
Term of office: Jan 2021- Jan 2025 - Elected by: Parents - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: 80%
Sandeep Sethi - Community Governor
Sandeep is a banking executive with 25+ years of experience across Risk Management, Banking Operations, Internal Audit & Relationship Management. He currently heads the Regional Control function and manages a diverse team of risk professionals. Sandeep completed his Bachelor’s degree and Post-Graduation in Management from India before achieving a coveted British Chevening Scholarship to study at London School of Economics and Political Science, London. He is well travelled and has worked across India, Middle East, UK giving him deep insights into. various cultures
Most importantly, Sandeep is a father to two children (one of whom is a Newton Farm School’s alumni) and has been an integral part of their school journey. From his past experience of researching schools, learning styles and educational psychology (not to mention numerous parent-teacher meetings), he has attained a deep understanding of the education system’s benefits and potential improvement areas. He is looking forward to combining his vast corporate experience and risk & governance expertise to deliver a uniquely passionate, meticulous and holistic approach.
Term of office: Sept 2022 - Sept 2024 - Co-opted by: Governors - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: 75%
Andrew Martinez - Staff Governor
Since joining Newton Farm School in 2018, I've had the privilege of being part of a community that genuinely cares about each student's growth and well-being. As the staff governor, I'm proud to work with a team that's wholeheartedly dedicated to enhancing the educational experience of our students. It's a role I take seriously and find immensely rewarding.
Seeing our students learn, grow, and tackle challenges with enthusiasm is incredibly motivating. I'm grateful for the chance to contribute in my own way and to collaborate with colleagues who share the same passion for education. Together, we aim to make a positive difference in the lives of our students.
Term of office: Sept 2023 - Sept 2024 - Co-opted by: Governors - Relevant Business/Pecuniary Interests: None
GB meeting attendance 2022-23: N/A
Please click on the link below to see our Equality Information & Objectives Policy . . .
Governance documentation
If you wish to get in contact with a School Governor please contact the School Office.