Welcome to our Governors' section. 

Woodside Primary School part of the Ivy Learning Trust. The overarching responsibility for governance of the Trust and its schools lies with the Trust Board. The Trustees are responsible for setting and monitoring strategic objectives, as well as compliance with charity and company law and the Trust’s funding agreements.

Each School within the Trust has a Local Governing Body (LGB). We are responsible for monitoring and evaluating standards and pupils’ achievements. We act as a critical friend to the headteacher and work both with her and with the Trust Board. The Local Governing Body meets at least once a term and our minutes can be found on the school website within the governors page.

School governors are ordinary people from the local community who wish to make a positive contribution to children’s education. They are the largest volunteer force in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. Governors are not involved in the day-to-day management of the school.

Almost anyone can become a school governor and you can find out more information here. All new governors receive training and support from Ivy Learning Trust and their fellow governors. If you are interested in assisting the School in this way, please contact governance@ivylearningtrust.org.

Further information can be found on the Ivy Learning Trust website. Please see link above. 

Samantha Kersley

Chair of Governors

Inclusion Governor (joint)

Trust Appointed Governor

I am the Mum of a gorgeous little girl in Year 4 and I specifically chose Woodside as I fell in love with it on my first visit.  I currently hold a management position for a local Financial Services organisation and have a Master’s Degree in Human Resources.  I have over 15 years’ experience working with people as a HR Manager and believe I will be able to bring this experience to good use within the parent governor role.

Rubbina Umar

Vice Chair of the Governors

Safeguarding

Trust Appointed Governor

Caroline Ginty

Headteacher

I am delighted to be the headteacher here at Woodside. I started in September 2017 and know that under my leadership Woodside can go from strength to strength. I hold the children’s well being and achievement at the heart of my leadership.

I have been a teacher for 25 years and prior to coming to Woodside I was a deputy head of a large junior school in Enfield. I have worked in a variety of different schools fulfilling various teaching and leadership roles, all of which have given me valuable experience when it comes to leading a school.

I have two beautiful children, aged 18 and 20 so understand the joys and stresses of parenting.

Chris Theodoulou

Trust Appointed Governor

I have been a teacher at Eastfield Primary (a school within the Ivy trust) for 7 years now, and have just recently moved to the Goffs Oak area. Prior to this, I ran my own house renovating company and I was an area manager running a number of after school clubs in Highgate. All of which was done after completing my degree in Sport & Exercise Science.

Becoming a Governor has been something I have wanted to do for some time now so that I can enhance my understanding of the inner school workings, and help promote the importance of education, helping to provide children with the best possible start.

Being a part of the Woodside local governing board will give me the opportunity to build valuable relations, by sharing my experiences and understanding of education. I hope this will help Woodside continue to promote a love for learning, and assist in providing the children with greater opportunities for their future knowledge and development

Sophie Everist

Inclusion Governor (joint)

Trust Appointed Governor

Myself and my entire family have lived in Cheshunt all our lives and I attended Flamstead End Primary School and Goffs Secondary School as a child and young adult.

I have a degree in English Literature from the University of Greenwich and I have been teaching at Goffs-Churchgate Academy since 2018, after previously working at Goffs Academy for many years. My current working roles are English Teacher and Head of Literacy, both of which I enjoy equally.

Before becoming a teacher, whilst doing my A Levels and Degree, I worked for Marks and Spencer for seven years, in a customer services advisor role.

I am particularly interested in the cross-over from Primary to Secondary education and what we can learn from each other. As well as this I am also interested in the provision for SEN children and inclusion. It is also very important to me, as someone who has lived in the area all their life, to ensure that the schools in our area are prosperous for the future community and perhaps one day, my own future children.

Will Dakin

Inclusion Governor (joint)

Trust Appointed, (Previously a Parent Governor)

I live in Cheshunt with my family and I have a son who is a pupil at the school. I have worked for over 30 years within public and private sector organisations abroad and in the UK in areas of management and strategic operations.

I value the importance of children’s education to enable them to develop and achieve their full potential. I am a strong believer of life-long learning having gained an honours degree in social science, a post-graduate degree in corporate risk and I have recently completed an MBA.

I help raise money for charities for children who have become victims of crime.

Nicola Boyd

Staff Governor 

I’m no stranger to the world of education. I’ve worked for the last 18 years as a TA then a HLTA,  teaching a variety of lessons in all classes. I also run a small business  which means that it is very important to be able to manage a wide variety of elements. My family and I have lived in Cheshunt all our lives, my  son who is now grown up and working attend the same local schools as I did. 

My position at Woodside affords me the opportunity to build relationships with both teachers  and  support staff, meaning I have a good understanding of what happens in the classroom, as well as behind the scenes. 

I am truly passionate about the education that children receive and have a desire to ensure that every child gets the best possible education and opportunity to succeed in life

Nikki Coleman

Parent Governor 

It has always been my ambition, both professionally and personally to work to support public services and serve my local community. As a mum of a son who attends Woodside and who has benefitted from its safe, nurturing, and enriching learning environment, I was delighted to have been appointed to the role of parent governor.  

I hope to be able to use the skills I have developed in my professional role as a Head of Development and Engagement at an NHS Charity together with the experience I have as a parent to support the school to ensure the pupils of Woodside get the best possible education and learning experience.  

Yemi Ajeku

Trust Appointed Governor

I am a proud and loving mother to two incredible girls,who attend Woodside Primary School.

As a dedicated professional, I have chosen a career path in nursing, specializing in the Theatre Recovery Unit at a London hospital. With years of experience in nursing, I have honed my skills and knowledge to provide exceptional care and support to patients during their critical recovery stages.

In addition to my nursing career, I have always had a strong desire to work with children and young people. My experience as an assistant junior church teacher allowed me to nurture and guide young minds, instilling in them values and knowledge that will shape their futures.

My personal goal in life is to contribute to making this world a better place, one person at a time. Whether it is through my nursing career, my work with children and young people, or simply by spreading positivity and kindness, I am committed to making a difference. I believe that every individual has the power to create positive change, and I am determined to use my skills and experiences to do just that.

Governance Arrangements

Information on governance arrangements is available on Ivy Learning Trust's website

Governance documents which need to be available for public inspection can be requested by emailing the governance professional at governance@ivylearningtrust.org