Our Governing Board

Governor Profiles

Governors are volunteers from the local community and here you can find some more information about each of our Governors.  If you are interested in joining our Governing Board, please speak to our Headteacher or get in touch with Ryan Ward, the Chair of our Governing Board, via the school office.

Mr Ryan Ward – Chair of Governors
I have been a governor at Fairholme since 2019 and am proud to now serve as Chair. I bring experience in global technology leadership, strategic planning, and finance to help deliver our School Development Plan and support our vision that “we believe we can achieve.” Working closely with the Headteacher, staff, and governors, I’m committed to ensuring Fairholme continues to be a nurturing, ambitious school where every child is encouraged to learn, grow, and aspire with confidence.

Mrs Gemma Harris - Headteacher

I am delighted to be the Headteacher of Fairholme Primary School, a role I have held since September 2023. I am passionate about our six core school values and work hard to ensure they are at the heart of everything we do. Our school motto, “We believe we can achieve,” truly reflects our positive, can-do approach and the high expectations we have for all our children. At Fairholme, we offer a rich and varied curriculum that supports every child to succeed, achieve their very best and feel proud of who they are. Alongside strong academic learning, we place great importance on helping children develop the skills, confidence and resilience they need for life beyond primary school. My vision is for Fairholme to be a welcoming and inclusive school where education opens doors and creates opportunities for all. I am proud to lead a dedicated team of staff who care deeply about our children, value academic success and understand the importance of nurturing the whole child. This caring, balanced approach is something we do well and are very proud of.

Together with the Senior Leadership Team, I am excited about the journey ahead. We look forward to continuing to build on Fairholme’s strengths and moving the school from strength to strength, always keeping our children at the centre of everything we do.

Mrs Lorraine Kennedy - Vice Chair

I am thrilled to be supporting Fairholme School as a Co-Opted governor, I have recently been voted into the position of vice chair.  I hope to be a critical friend to the school, head teacher and senior leaders to ensure we meet the schools vision and values.

My professional background is HR, People Management and Payroll.  I have been retired for 5 years, during those 5 years I volunteered supporting by reading with the younger years which I found very rewarding. 

Miss Yvonne Whittington - Staff Governor

I am a mother of one and my daughter attended Fairholme Primary School which is why I became involved in the school.  I first started as a volunteer listening to Years 5 and 6 read. 

I became a Governor as I believe that education is very important to all children and that if they learn to love education in primary school they will then carry that through to secondary school, college and even university.  All children deserve the best education possible and we need to encourage them to dream big because they are the future for Great Britain.

Ms Sarah Wiltshire - Co-opted Governor

I am thrilled to serve as a co-opted governor at Fairholme School. I believe Fairholme is a school where children can reach their full potential. As a Governor I hope to bring some of my local knowledge and experience from working with children. I have had 3 children attend Fairholme school over the Years and the school has been a big part of our lives. I am committed to supporting the school in providing the best possible learning environment for its students. Working alongside the other Governors and Staff, I look forward to contributing to the school’s continued success and development.

Mrs Michelle French

It is a privilege to be a parent governor at Fairholme Primary School. I hope that my voluntary involvement in youth sport will assist me in understanding what children need from their school but at the same time offer a realistic parent’s perspective. I work in the local area for a successful logistics company and have done for nearly 20 years. Over this time I have watched the company grow and a lot of the success has been down to team work. 

I hope with team work we can take Fairholme on a journey to be the best it can be for the children, staff and community.

Mrs Rachel Holland – Co- opted Governor

I am delighted to have been co-opted to serve as governor for Fairholme. My association with the school, as class teacher, year group leader and subject lead, gives me a useful insight into the incredible work our school does to support our lovely children and their families.

I am proud to be Hounslow ‘born and bred’ and to have spent the best part of the last 30 years teaching in Hounslow primary schools. There has never been a dull moment!

There has never been a more important time to be preparing our young people for their future lives. In a world of some uncertainty, the varied skills we can help foster, like curiosity, problem-solving, collaboration, along with a sound understanding of their cultural entitlement are crucial to our children’s future success. I look forward to being part of the team that helps our school to be the best it can be.