The Governing Board


The Governing Board supports the work of the school, and acts as a critical friend to the Senior Leadership Team.

Members of the Governing Board:

Mrs J Capstick, MBE Community - Chair of the Governing Board - LA Governor (contactable c/o the school office)

Mrs G Harris - Headteacher

Mrs L Buchanan - Vice Chair - Co-opted Governor

Mrs M French - Parent Governor

Mr R Ward - Co-opted Governor 

Miss A Jansen - Co-opted Governor

Ms S Byrne - Co-opted Governor

Miss Y Whittington - Staff Governor

Governing Board Documents

Updated: 20/03/2024 49 KB
Updated: 20/03/2024 30 KB
Updated: 13/03/2023 19 KB
Updated: 13/03/2023 43 KB

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 Jenny Capstick, the Chair of our Governing Board, via the school office.

Mrs Jenny Capstick MBE - Chair of Governors - LA Governor

I have been privileged to serve as a governor at Fairholme since 2011 and as Chair since 2014. I worked in education for 35 years both in the UK and abroad.  The last 23 years were spent in the London Borough of Hounslow. Prior to my  retirement I was Head of The Teaching Support Service which then became part of an inter-professional early intervention service providing advice and support to schools across the borough for children with special educational needs and disabilities. I am fully committed to ensuring that every child is provided with the best educational opportunities to equip them for their future in our rapidly changing world. As governors we have a duty to both support and challenge the school in their pursuit of excellence and build upon the many strengths of our school while enabling a drive for continuous improvement.

Mrs Gemma Harris - Headteacher

I am delighted to be the new Headteacher of Fairholme Primary School since September 2023. I wholeheartedly believe in our 6 core school values and am making it my mission to ensure that they are at the heart of all we do. 'We believe we can achieve', is our school motto and this is something we take seriously. We aim to ensure that, through our rich varied curriculum offer, that all children succeed and do well. All children achieve their very best, are proud of themselves and have the skills they need to make it in the real world. My mission is to ensure that Fairholme is a school that uses learning and education to enhance the life opportunities for all our children. I am proud to be leading a team of professionals who value learning and academic successes but also truly value and understand the importance of nurture and developing the whole child. We do this well at Fairholme and are proud of this.  Myself and the senior leadership team are excited about the journey that Fairholme is on and we look forward to leading the school to moving from strength to strength, with our young people at the centre of all we do. 

Mrs Laura Buchanan - Vice Chair of Govenors - Co-opted Governor

I have worked in education for over 12 years in a number of schools in both Hillingdon and Hounslow. Currently, I am Deputy Head teacher of a primary school in Hounslow. I am dedicated to ensuring that all children receive an engaging, broad and balanced education that nurtures their interests and talents whilst preparing them well them for the future.  I am invested in the local community in and around Bedfont and feel privileged to be given the opportunity to both support and challenge Fairholme Primary School as they continue on their journey.

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.

Miss Annabel Jansen - Co-opted Governor

I am delighted to have been accepted as a co-opted governor for Fairholme Primary School. I studied Chemistry at University and then went on to teach science to secondary school students via the Teach First programme, before changing careers to work in the energy industry. I hope to be able to use both my experience in teaching and in corporate commercial roles to have a positive impact on the Fairholme school community. I am passionate about education, in particular STEM subject areas, and ensuring that young people are given the best possible opportunities to succeed in life.

Mr Ryan Ward - Co-opted Governor

As a co-opted governor of Fairholme Primary School, I am deeply honoured to join the effort of shaping a brighter future for the students and community of Feltham and Bedfont. With a background rooted in the local area, I recognise the significance of investing in the education and development of our youth.

After completing my A-Levels at Rivers Academy West London in 2012, I was fortunate enough to embark on a journey with Sky, where I have since honed my technology, management, and mentoring skills. Today, I manage a department of technical professionals and services across Sky for the UK, ROI and Europe.

I am eager to bring my experience to the table as we work towards providing our students with an excellent, inspiring education in a safe and happy environment. The potential of these young minds is evident, and our responsibility is to prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow's world.

Ms Sarah Wiltshire - Co-opted Governor

I believe Fairholme to be the best school for my children; the school has been a large part of our lives. With this in mind I want to give something back to school. So by applying to be parent governor I want to help support and challenge Fairholme to be the best that it can be. I hope some of my attributes that I bring can be used to help the school and committee. I work currently with children and vulnerable adults, I’m fair and hardworking. Fairholme School is key to our community and I am willing to listen and be proactive in the position to ensure I’m acting in the best interest of the children that attend Fairholme.

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.