Our Governing Board

Governor Profiles

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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 at Fairholme Primary School, I am proud to support our shared vision that "we believe we can achieve." I am committed to helping every child succeed, nurturing their unique potential, and fostering a love of learning that will guide them throughout their lives.

Growing up locally and completing my A-Levels at Rivers Academy West London, I understand the value of a strong educational foundation. Over the years, I have developed leadership, mentoring, and problem-solving skills in my role at Sky, where I manage a team delivering technology services across the UK, ROI, and Europe. These experiences have shaped my passion for helping others reach their full potential, which aligns closely with Fairholme’s core values of self-belief, aspiration, responsibility, respect, honesty, and kindness.

At Fairholme, we aim to develop curiosity, confidence, and resilience in every child, enabling them to take responsibility for their learning and embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. I look forward to working closely with the school community to ensure we continue to provide a safe, nurturing, and inspiring environment that allows all children to thrive.

It is an honor to be part of a team that values and nurtures every child’s individuality, celebrates success, and prepares students to become lifelong learners, ready to take on the challenges of the future. Together, we can achieve great things

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.