St Teresas School Governance 

What do we do? 

The role of a School Governor is to contribute to the work of the Governing Body in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children in the school by: 

• setting the school’s vision, catholic ethos and strategic direction by developing a strategic plan along with the Headteacher ensuring that all children in the school have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and determining aims, policies and priorities for the school; and 
   
• holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils by setting statutory and non-statutory targets and monitoring and evaluating the school; and 
   
• assisting with the appointment of staff and ensuring the implementation of a range of personnel procedures; and 
   
• ensuring high levels of attendance and good standards of pupil behaviour; and 
   
• ensuring the wellbeing, health and safety of pupils and staff; and 
   
• overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure money is well spent. 

Governors meet at the main governor meeting once per term. We also spend time in school with pupils and staff. Sub-committees also meet once per term. 

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The Govenors

Florence Ayankoya
Chair of the Governing Body  
Committee Membership – Resources Committee   
Subject Links – PSHE, RE, Maths

Info TBC

Angel Dike
Deputy Chair & Parent Governor 
Committee Membership – Teaching and Learning  
Subject Links - Music and Writing 

I have been working at one of the world's largest insurance firms as an executive assistant for the past 10 years. In addition to this role, I also run the African Caribbean Network there and thus work closely with its office of Diversity and Inclusion, where I help to organise training and awareness sessions.  The head of this arm of the business is my mentor.   

I have a huge interest in Diversity and Inclusion and hope to bring some ideas and initiatives to the school to ensure that all children feel a sense of belonging.  Afterall our differences do not define us. It is how we treat others regarding those differences that does. 

Abisoya Da Rocha-Afodu 
Foundation Bishop Appointed Governor 
Committee Membership – Teaching and Learning  
Subject Links – Reading  

 Info TBC

Afolake Johnson 
Foundation Bishop Appointed Governor 
Committee Membership – Resources Committee 
Subject Links – SEN and French 

I attended an independent girls boarding school and was inspired by a number of amazing teachers who provided me with the requisite tools which prepared me for  the amazing career I have had in the Civil Service. 

I joined the Civil Service after graduating from University with a BA Hons Degree in French and an MSc in Business IT and have had the privilege to work in many challenging and interesting roles ranging from roles in Operational Delivery to Policy, Accounting and Project Delivery. I have been involved in the delivery of a number of high profile change projects which I am very proud of.  

I live locally and I am married with two young sons who  attended Catholic Primary and Secondary schools and benefitted  greatly from the Catholic faith and value based holistic education. 

I am delighted to be appointed as a Foundation Governor and I look forward to bringing not only my over 25 years Civil Service experience , but also my experience as a Mother and practising Catholic to the committee. 

My faith is important to me and guides what I do and the way I view things. I am passionate that children should receive a first class education at a school that enables them to grow and shape their potential and look forward to working alongside other Governors , the headteacher and teachers at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School.  

Dino Cappico  
Local Authority Governor  
Committee Membership – Resources Committee 
Subject Links – Health & Safety 
School Data Protection Officer

I was brought up in Tottenham and educated at St Francis de Sales primary and St Ignatius Grammar Schools. This was followed by completing a BSc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. 

My first job was in South Africa, being trained on gold and diamond extraction at mines in the Transvaal and in Namibia. Realizing that I would end up working in remote locations where mining is carried out, I changed course and took a job in an oil refinery in Cape Town. This was a technical services role, checking how the various refinery units were operating and making recommendations for improvements. 

I moved back to London and started in engineering design in the oil industry. I worked on several projects for offshore platforms and for onshore plants that would be built for the North Sea and the Middle east and Africa. This was followed by 3 years working on the construction of a new oil refinery in Muscat, Oman. After that, I continued in construction for some sulphuric acid plants in Morocco. 

Back in Europe, I worked in London, Paris, Aberdeen, The Hague and Rotterdam, then Houston and Lima, on a variety of oil industry design projects over several years. I worked in a huge gas construction project in Iran before going back into project design in Europe. 

My career progressed from being a process design engineer, to project engineer, engineering manager and project manager. My final project was for an oilfield expansion project in Abu Dhabi. This started in London and I then moved to Abu Dhabi to take the project through to the award of construction contracts.  

While my knowledge of education is limited, I do have experience of budget control and of staff management.  

I see my value as a Governor of St Teresa’s as being able to give an alternative view and try to provide ideas that may help the Head and Governing Board. Where there are technical issues concerning the school infrastructure, I am sometimes able to give a more technical assistance. 

Louise Ducan  
Parent Governor  
Committee Membership – Teaching and Learning  
Subject Links – Safeguarding  

I am a Parent Governor at St Teresa's. I have an undergraduate degree in Religions and Theology, a masters degree in Human Rights, and have recently completed a diploma in Leadership and Management.  

I have worked in the Third Sector for over a decade, in human rights, disabilities and is now working in healthcare professional engagement at a UK health charity.  I have experience of leading advisory boards, project management, relationship management and leading programmes of conferences, events and clinical skills training. I also have experience of writing funding proposals and presenting to corporate funding partners and project managing the creation of online learning for healthcare professionals

Lynia Dzinotyiweyi 
Foundation Bishop Appointed Governor 
Committee Membership – Teaching and Learning  
Subject Links – Early Years, Art & Design Technology

I was educated in Catholic boarding schools in Africa, which instilled in me strong values that have encouraged me to serve for the common good of society. After moving to England, I gained first-hand experience of the challenges faced by individuals who use English as an additional language, deepening my understanding and empathy for students in similar situations. 

Ray McBrien
Governor 
Committee Membership – Resources Committee 
Subject Links – Science & Computing 

Rachel James  

Staff Governor   

Ella Ryan 

Headteacher 

Hi, I’m Ella Ryan. I am headteacher of this amazing school. I was inspired to become a teacher by my Mum who dedicated her career to teaching young people. 

Instrument of Governance

Governors' information sheet