Who's Who

Governing Body

Who’s Who

Gemma Anderson

Co-opted Governor

I joined the Governing Body in 2016 and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the school through my role. The school has an incredibly warm and welcoming atmosphere and it has been a pleasure working with the staff and governors and seeing the school grow. The school holds a wide range of events throughout the year which I really enjoy participating in, especially the summer fair!

Currently, I am serving  on the Teaching, Learning and Safeguarding Committee and am excited to work with the school on their development plan, thinking about pupil premium.

I’m a Deputy Head-Teacher at a local independent school with 15 years of experience in a range of schools. I hope that my education and management experience serve me well on the governing body.

Martin Chitty

Associate Governor

 I was delighted to join the governing body as a governor in February 2023. After a varied career in consultancy within the energy sector, I recently retired and am keen to use my past knowledge and experience to help young people achieve their full potential.

 I have volunteered at events for TeenTech, a charity that helps young people from every social background to understand the opportunities in the science, technology and engineering industries, and how rewarding careers in STEM subjects can be.

 I am a trustee for the National Energy Foundation, and work as a volunteer for charities including a Trussell Trust Foodbank in an inner London borough, and Key4Life which aims to reduce youth re-offending through an innovative rehabilitation programme.

 As a parent I have helped my two adult daughters through school and university and have some awareness of the day-to-day pressures and opportunities for staff and pupils in education, particularly in balancing budgetary constraints, while ensuring equality of opportunity and access for all children.

Joe Foulds

Co-opted Governor

Chair of Finance and Premises Committee

I have joined the governing body as a co-opted governor in 2019 and am proud to have the opportunity to contribute to the Merton community. After growing up in the Midlands I spent five years living in Bristol, where I also studied Computer Science at the University of Bristol, prior to moving to South London.

After spending 8 years building and running a tech startup company as CEO, I have since moved on to found a boutique tech consultancy company, and hope to bring my experience with both long-term strategy and governance to Joseph Hood. 

In my spare time I enjoy watching or playing chess (which I used to play competitively during my younger days), and also have a passion for cooking and travel when time permits. 

The community atmosphere at Joseph Hood is what attracted me to the school, so I look forward to supporting the school as it continues to grow in strength, continuing to serve its community and local area.

Chris Fox

Co-opted Governor

Vice Chair of Governors

I’ve been a parent at Joseph Hood since my elder son joined the school in Reception in 2015, and I was elected Parent Governor in November 2017. Both my boys love the school, and I was really keen to become more involved in it, so I leapt at the chance of standing for parent governor. I never had the experience my boys are having, of attending a local school, firmly embedded within the community, where they feel safe and where they are being helped to flourish by a genuinely caring group of teachers and school managers. My experience of school was of a distant, scary place, ruled mainly by fear and pressure. I’m fascinated by Joseph Hood’s brilliant ethos and want to do all I can to help the school maintain it against whatever storms it may face.

I’ve worked in or around education all my adult life, as a lecturer, education researcher and trade unionist. I now of a training company in Bloomsbury which operates all over the world. I really hope my experience of sitting on other governing bodies, being subject to governing bodies, and managing teams of education professionals and associated operations, will be useful to Joseph Hood. I just want to support the school in any way I can. No doubt as I attend more meetings and sit on more committees my fellow governors can help me do so.

Outside of work I play guitar in a couple of reasonably active bands, including one with my wife, Cassie. I used to play a lot of rugby, but since having children I’m mainly to be found out and about with them: swimming, exploring, or chucking a rugby ball about.

I’m very excited to be a governor. Thanks for voting for me.

Ben Fullbrook

Parent Governor

I joined the governing body as a co-opted governor in 2019.  I am a barrister specialising in public, planning and property law.  My legal practice also covers education law: I have represented students at SEN tribunals, and both the Department for Education and individual schools in judicial review proceedings.

My eldest child has just started at Joseph Hood; I have been hugely impressed with the care and professionalism of the staff there.  I am a local resident and attend Dundonald Church.  I’m thrilled to be able serve the school.

Miranda Newson 

Staff Governor

I have been a class teacher at Joseph Hood Primary school for seven years and have a lot of experience working in other school through many different roles. I absolutely love my job especially when I can bring creativity to the curriculum and make an noticeable impact of children's learning. 

Sophie Ireland

Co-opted Governor

I am very excited to be part of the Joseph Hood community. It is such a vibrant school. I grew up in the Merton area and recently made the move back; settling in Raynes Park with my husband just over 2 years ago. I have a finance and commercial background and currently lead the strategy team at a well-known European travel technology company. I hope my experience will help support the school in achieving its goals. 

Harriet O'Connor

Co-opted Governor

Chair of Governors

Chair of Teaching, Learning and Safeguarding Committee 

I am very proud and happy to be a Governor at Joseph Hood Primary School. As well as being a Co-opted Governor at the school, I am also a parent of two children who attend the school. Both my children are flourishing here and as parents, we couldn't be happier with our choice of primary school. We live locally to Joseph Hood and love being part of this neighbourhood.

I am a qualified primary school teacher and teach locally at Poplar Primary School in Year 5 and 6. This gives me a fantastic insight into our education system and how other schools operate. Before I had children, I was a teacher and a governor at Brandlehow Primary School in Wandsworth, which achieved an ‘Outstanding in All Areas’ ofsted report while I was there.

Since becoming a Governor, there are many things that have impressed me about this school. I can see first-hand the thoroughness and passion that all the staff put into their work. I also love how there is always a welcoming, warm atmosphere at Joseph Hood and the way in which the children behave calmly, politely and happily both in and out of the school. I look forward to supporting this school as it goes from strength to strength.

If I ever get any spare time, I love making things and painting!​

Chelsea Pompadur

Co-opted Governor

I was very pleased to become a school governor in May 2023. I am passionate about both education and volunteering and have worked with young people in a number of settings throughout my career, including in school, higher education, and through STEM outreach initiatives. I currently work in communications at a university and hope to bring my experience of this, as well as championing mental health and wellbeing amongst staff and students, to my role as governor.

I have really enjoyed my first few visits to Joseph Hood and have seen how caring and knowledgeable the staff are, and how happy the children are to be at school. I look forward to supporting the school and community going forward.

Laurie Power

Co-opted Governor

I am incredibly happy to have joined the governing body in March 2023. Having taught in primary schools across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, I have a passion for quality education and developing happy children for the future. I currently lead a team of Year 3 teachers in a north London school and alongside being involved in the Safeguarding team at the school, and hope to bring these experiences to support Joseph Hood. I live in south London and enjoy running through the many available parks in my free time. From my time at Joseph Hood, I have seen nothing but outstanding leadership and happy children, and I am looking forward to contributing to the greater development of the school and wider community.

Anita Saville

Headteacher

I have been teaching for over 20 years. I started my teaching career in Hampshire and moved to London in 1996 when I accepted a post as Manager of the Infant Department. I became the Head Teacher at Joseph Hood in 2004. Before that I was a Head Teacher in Westminster. I consider myself to be very fortunate as I love my job! When I’m not working, I love spending time with my husband and son and can often be found at weekends in Richmond Park or down on the South coast where I have family.