Our Governors

Fairfield Park Lower School Full Governing Body (FGB)

Fairfield Park Lower School Full Governing Body (FGB) is currently constituted of 13 members. The FGB operates under the leadership of a chair, vice-chair with the help of a professional clerk.

The FGB meets twice a term, and additionally operates with two committees, each of which meets half-termly. These are: Curriculum and Standards and Resources. Fairfield Park Lower School governors come from a range of backgrounds: parents, staff, the local authority and the wider community in Fairfield. We aim to fill our vacancies with people who have a range of relevant skills and most importantly are committed to acting in the best interests of the children and their learning.

Please click on the pictures to see pen portraits for each governor.

• Jenny Stone
  Headteacher
  Jenny Stone

  I have been Head of Fairfield Park since opening the school in 2007. I was involved in the build of the new school, designing and formulating the vision and ethos of the school community with the governors. I am married with 2 grown-up children and a grandparent to a school-aged child. I have been in education since 1995. Prior to teaching, I worked in the commercial industry and have a background of accountancy, selling, managerial and customer care. I have taught in all year groups from 4-9, but have specialised in the Foundation Stage and Year 2. In 2005, I worked as a part time Early Years consultant for the local authority, visiting and supporting many schools. I have completed the NPQH head teacher certificate and have led awards in Investors in People and Investors in Excellence. I have been a Well Being facilitator and a Healthy Schools facilitator since the pilot projects in Beds and have worked with the Work Life Reform Agency and many Beds agencies. Since we achieved our outstanding status in 2012, I have been designated as a National Leader of Education (NLE), which empowers our school to celebrate and share our skills and expertise with other schools that are under-performing. I have always been passionate about teacher and staff professional development and have worked alongside Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses and universities for over 15 years. I have also been an external examiner for ITT providers in East Anglia. I have been a strategic partner of the Central Bedfordshire Teaching School Partnership since 2012 and work with Robert Bloomfield Academy and all stakeholders. Since the decommissioning of the Local Authority, I have collaborated with 17 local schools in Central Bedfordshire and set up the 1st Alliance.

• SUE HOWLEY MBE
  CHAIR OF GOVERNORS
  SUE HOWLEY MBE

  I have been a governor since 1990 and involved with Fairfield Park from 2006.

  I am currently serving a second term as Chair of Governors at Fairfield Park Lower School. I was Chair of Governors from 2007 for 10 years when we were awarded the prestigious National Governors Association (NGA) award for outstanding governance in 2017.

  I am Chair of the Local Governing Board at Pix Brook Academy, a Free School in BEST. I am a governor at Vandyke Upper School and at Shelton Lower School. I have chaired governing boards in several schools including the Diocesan MAT.

  From May 2012 - 2021 I was a designated National Leader of Governance (NLG) and successfully supported a number of schools in Central Bedfordshire.

  I was delighted to be awarded an MBE for voluntary services to education in the 2009 Queens Birthday Honours.

  I have a very thorough understanding of education having previously been an Ofsted Inspector for 12 years, an External Advisor for Headteacher Performance and a governor trainer. I was a member of the Central Bedfordshire Children's Safeguarding Board for over 5 years and the Schools Forum for 10 years as well as being a member of the Partnership Vision for Education Board

  I have a background in HR with extensive experience of strategic planning, recruitment, organisational management and training at a senior level with a major retailer.

  I am committed to high standards in schools through professional development, challenge and support and keep up to date with the changing education landscape.

  I am very committed to ensuring that all students have the best possible experience whilst at school and I have a reputation for being demanding and having high expectations. I am retired from paid employment which gives me the capacity for my governance work.

• JENNY MACDONALD
  VICE CHAIR OF GOVERNORS (CO-OPTED GOVERNOR)
  JENNY MACDONALD

  I am married with two daughters and I have lived in Fairfield since 2010. I returned to work in 2019 following a long career break to a large accountancy firm as an experienced Senior Manager in their Risk and Quality department. I qualified as a chartered accountant in 2000 and have worked in Manchester, London and Sydney. I have considerable business, financial and people management experience. I joined the governing board in January 2014 and am delighted to contribute to this outstanding school. I have previously served as Chair of Governors and as part of succession planning for the board in September 2020 I became Vice Chair and continue my role with the Resources committee supporting on finance.

• IAN DALGARNO
  LOCAL AUTHORITY GOVERNOR
  IAN DALGARNO

  I am married and live in Arlesey. I am employed as a manager for an international retailer and have had over 25 years experience of business management. I am currently Vice-chair of Arlesey Town Council with responsibilities for general purpose, finance, planning, public relations and environmental issues. I am also chairman of 1st Arlesey Scouts Group and support the leaders to ensure they have the required resources to do their roles.

• CRAIG MITCHERSON
  CO-OPTED GOVERNOR
  CRAIG MITCHERSON

  I am married with two children, we have lived on the park since 2008. My professional career has been in education, I have been a teacher for twenty years, teaching in schools across Hertfordshire and Central Bedfordshire. My current role is in senior management at a large Luton secondary school with responsibly for student behaviour and wellbeing as well as a designated safeguarding officer. I have been involved in school governance for the last thirteen years and I have been part of the governing body at Fairfield since 2013. I am currently the chair of the standards committee and also lead governor for Pupil Premium. My interests outside of education include rugby, sadly watching no longer playing, cricket, golf, skiing and kayaking.

• CAROLYN CHOUDHRY
  CLERK TO THE GOVERNING BODY
  CAROLYN CHOUDHRY

  Having originally trained as a bilingual secretary I have been clerking for school governing boards for the past ten years and prior to that a parent governor for four years the last of which as vice-chair. The clerking highlight for me was being nominated by two schools in 2013 and subsequently winning the National Governors Association biennial award for Outstanding Clerk of the Year England and Wales.

• SABBIR HUSSAIN
  CO-OPTED GOVERNOR
  SABBIR HUSSAIN

  I am married with a young son and have lived on the Park since 2014. I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2007. Since I qualified, I have been working as a Treasury Accountant for a FTSE listed Upstream Energy Services Company based in London. I am the Treasurer for the Sunday league football team based in Fairfield Park. In my spare time I enjoy playing football for the Sunday league team (if selected!). I cherish spending time with my family, travelling and exploring the outdoors. I am a keen investor and part of a small investment club trading equities and futures as a hobby.

• MARK COATES
  PARENT GOVERNOR
  MARK COATES

  I am married and have lived on Fairfield Park since 2012 and I have two children. I work as a university lecturer and the programme leader for a civil engineering degree. I am passionate about developing education at all levels. I currently sit on the standards committee and look forward to contributing to the governance of the school.

• PENNY HOLLANDER
  CO-OPTED GOVERNOR
  PENNY HOLLANDER

  I moved to the area in April 2021 after a working lifetime in education. I have taught in primary and secondary schools in Berkshire and Oxfordshire in a variety of roles, as classteacher, head of year, deputy headteacher and mentor. On moving to Cumbria I was involved in initial teacher training and latterly as educational consultant to church schools in Carlisle diocese where I offered support and training to teachers and senior leaders. Additionally, I was trained as a church schools inspector.

  My educational philosophy and passion that every child is given the opportunity to flourish and achieve their full potential, regardless of ability or talent has always been the driving force. I wholeheartedly believe in fully inclusive schools that both recognize and celebrate diversity in all its forms. Pastoral support has always been a key part of my role in each of my teaching positions.

  Having been a school governor previously, in both primary and secondary schools, I look forward to bringing my educational knowledge and experience as a governor at Fairfield Park Lower School.

• LAURA SHORTERS
  APPOINTED PARENT GOVERNOR
  LAURA SHORTERS

  I am married with two young children and we have lived on Fairfield Park since 2017. I am a qualified chartered accountant, with a Masters in Chemistry and currently I am a Finance Director in a FTSE 100 Telecommunications company based in London. I'm looking forward to my role as governor, as it allows me to give back to the community and support local children to get the best education possible.

• OLIVIA DIXON
  CO-OPTED GOVERNOR
  OLIVIA DIXON

  I am currently a serving police officer for Hertfordshire Constabulary. I have had a variety of roles including neighbourhoods and the response team and I am now in intelligence in specialist operations. Whilst on neighbourhood policing I ran a scheme at the primary schools on my patch to educate children on crime and anti-social behaviour. Since I left neighbourhoods I've missed being a part of children's education and I'm excited to see schooling from a different angle and be able to influence it.