Meet the Team!

Martine Archer - Chair of Governors (Original Proposer)

Date Appointed: 01/10/2011, 01/10/2016

Appointed By: Hatfield Trust and Members

Pecuniary Interests: None

Attendance:

1/2 Full Governing Body Meetings 2019 2020

1/2 Outcomes Committee 2019 2020

Committee: Outcomes Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus:

Martine has been involved with HCFS since its inception, as she felt strongly that our children of Hatfield deserved to attend primary school within their community.  She is part of the founder group of the school and since it opened in September 2012 she has been the Responsible Officer, testing all financial elements within the school.  She was also the Community Governor, sitting within the Outcomes Committee of which she was the chair.  In April of 2015 she was elected the Chair of Governors.

She lives in Hatfield with her husband and 2 children.  Her daughter is currently in Golden Eagles class in Year 6 and her son is currently in Seals class, Year 1.

Her background has been in Business Development.  She has worked for 16 years within the beauty industry, as a Regional Development Manager and has been able to transfer these skills into her roles within the Governing Body, to great benefit.

Martine holds a great passion in the world of opportunities for our children, which is a strong feeling that runs through the Governing Body, giving her great pleasure to be a part of a team that helps to support the Senior Management of HCFS, in ensuring strong foundations for our children, who will undoubtedly enrich our society in years to come.

Gill Jones – Lead Proposer and Trust Member

Date Appointed: 01/09/2011

Appointed By: Lead Proposer for the school

Pecuniary Interests: Director, Bridge London Trust - Councillor, Blunham Parish Council -Director, Clayton Jones Consultancy

Attendance:

2/2 Full Governing Body Meetings 2019 2020

2/2 Outcomes Committee 2019 2020

Committee: Outcomes Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus:

Gill is an experienced education and school improvement professional. She has been involved in opening four primary free schools in Hertfordshire and was the CEO of West Herts Schools Trust. Previously she was Head of Standards and Effectiveness in Hertfordshire. She was also a member of the Director of Children’s Services strategic management board. Her career prior to this included work as a school adviser, Ofsted Inspector, NPQH trainer, Head Teacher and teacher.

Heidi Russell Jones – Community Governor

Date Appointed: 14/12/2015

Appointed By: Hatfield Trust and Members

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

Attendance:

2/2 Full Governing Body Meetings 2019 2020

2/2 Outcomes Committee 2019 2020

Committee: Outcomes Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus:

Heidi has spent many years working alongside schools through her role as a Marketing Manager for an educational ICT resource provider and a charity developing life skills in young people.  During this time she developed a passion for supporting schools to create meaningful and memorable learning experiences that inspire young people and help prepare them for life beyond school. 

As a mother of a young son heading off to school in September she has both a personal and professional interest in understanding the opportunities and challenges of a growing school.  She is committed to support HCFS in offering the very best education to each and every child in the school. A keen wildlife watcher and traveller she is enthusiastic about the outdoors and understanding and enjoying the world around us.

Jean Wilson – Community Governor

Date Appointed: 25/02/2016

Appointed By: Hatfield Trust

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

Attendance:

0/2 Full Governing Body Meetings 2019 2020 

1/2 Resources Committee 2019 2020

Committee: Resources Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus:

Jean is a qualified Solicitor with over ten years of legal experience in the financial services industry. She is also currently completing a Company Secretary qualification in order to expand upon her knowledge of governance and best practice of company organisation in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors.  
Jean was delighted to become a Governor of HCFS and she hopes to provide the school with support from her legal and governance perspective.  She feels that HCFS is already established as a vital part of the local community and a shining example of what can be achieved when an enthusiastic and committed group of people work together.  Jean wants to be part of the team that can help HCFS continue its achievements.
Jean lives in St Albans with her husband, young baby and excitable dog.  She is a keen amateur triathlete and marathon runner who can often be found spending Sundays pounding the streets come rain or sunshine.

Manoj Kumar – Parent Governor

Date Appointed: 07/02/18

Appointed By: 

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

Attendance:

1/2 Full Governing Body Meetings 2019 2020

1/2 Resources Committee 2018 2019

Committee: Resources Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus:

Manoj Kumar is a parent governor of Diya Manoj who is in year 5, Falcons. An IT engineer by profession with qualifications in IT, computers and Supply chain. After working for 17 years for various companies, Manoj now runs his own successful business providing technical, domain and project managerial consulting services for large retail organisations requiring supply chain automation. Manoj's many transferable skills include  IT and  experience in managing large scale commercial automation projects to time and budget. As part of his MPhil degree, Manoj has research and teaching experience.

As a parent, Manoj is passionate about ensuring all children get the kind of education his child currently enjoys and  would like to contribute and assist in whatever way he can. As a Hatfield resident since 2006, Manoj is also keen to give back to the local community and has been active in various local campaigns in particular concerning health care and leisure facilities.

On the personal front, he enjoys sport and plays badminton regularly. His hobbies are gardening and enjoys trekking and rambling and has been on many trekking holidays. 

Anne Murphy - Community Governor

Date Appointed: 10/10/2018

Appointed By: 

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

Attendance:

2/2 Full Governing Body Meetings 2019 2020

2/2 Resources Committee 2018 2019

Committee: Resources Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus:

Anne is Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Portsmouth.  Prior to joining UoP she worked at the University of Hertfordshire for twelve years. In addition to her work in university administration, she researches in eighteenth-century history. She has published two books: The Origins of English Financial Markets and The Worlds of the Jeake Family of Rye. Before joining academia, she worked in banking in the City. Anne is passionate about ensuring educational opportunities for all and is proud to be a governor at HCFS. She is particularly enjoying learning more about education in a new context.

Helen Mussellwhite – Community Governor

Date Appointed: 22/05/2019

Appointed By: 

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

Attendance:

2/2 Outcomes Committee 2019 2020

2/2 Full Governing Body Meetings 2019 2020

Committee: Outcomes Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus:

Helen Mussellwhite is a Community Governor. Helen is a Secondary School teacher at a local secondary school. She has been a teacher for 20 years and specialises in Physical education and Childcare. Helen is the vocational and PSHE Co-ordinator for her school. 

Helen is very passionate about education and ensuring that schools give their students the best opportunities and experiences that they can, in order to help the children become model citizens and succeed in the future. Helen is looking forward to working with the school to share experiences and knowledge to make this happen.

Victoria Hobson – Principal Governor

Date Appointed: 01 January 2021

Appointed By: Staff Appointed, Ratified by Hatfield Trust and Members

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

3/3 Outcomes Committee 2020-2021

3/3 Resources Committee 2020-2021

3/3 Full Governing Body Meetings 2020-2021

Committee: Outcomes and Resources Committees

Area of Expertise and School Focus: 

Victoria began her teaching career at HCFS, before spending a short period of time working at the sister school at the time. Victoria returned to HCFS in 2019 as a member of the Senior Leadership Team and became Principal in January 2021.

As HCFS’s Principal, Victoria reports to the Governing Body on the progress the school is making and advises the Chair and other Governors on a range of matters in relation to the strategic development of the school. Victoria is passionate about ensuring the pupils at HCFS are not just seen as a number on a page. She strives to ensure all members of the school community are uniquely valued in school, are given the care and attention they require and are provided with the relevant opportunities and support to flourish and become the very best they can be.

 Victoria’s biggest passion is her family. She has a three year old son and a loving husband who she adores and loves spending time with. Victoria has an allotment and a lot of her and her families’ free time can be spent outside there, growing fresh produce and enjoying each other’s company.

Tatiana Andries – Parent Governor

Date Appointed: 26 March 2021

Appointed By: Parent Governor Election

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

/3 Outcomes Committee 2020-2021

/3 Resources Committee 2020-2021

/3 Full Governing Body Meetings 2020-2021

Committee: Outcomes Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus: 

I am proud to be elected as the parent governor at Hatfield Community Free School. Having my academic background in Law and many years of experience working as a Legal counsel, I also worked with Non-Profit organizations, providing free legal advice for victims of domestic abuse. 
I enjoy meeting new people, familiarise myself with multicultural traditions and literature.
It is an honour to be allowed to contribute to the educational excellence strategies of Hatfield Community Free School - a school in which my daughter Daliana-Andreea is a proud student. A chance to help children to reach their full potential means a lot to me. I am happy to support the school in all endeavours related to bringing out the best in children.
Being the parent of a child with developmental language disorder, I have significant experience in speech and language therapy and special education needs. I am aware, how important it is to be a child advocate promoting their interests inside and outside of a school. I believe this role is the opportunity to share my experience and contribute to the work done by the school in supporting and nurturing children in their educational excellence, social and emotional well-being.

Maxine Kinghorn – Parent Governor

Date Appointed: 26 March 2021

Appointed By: Parent Governor Election

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

/3 Outcomes Committee 2020-2021

/3 Resources Committee 2020-2021

/3 Full Governing Body Meetings 2020-2021

Committee: Resources Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus: 

I am delighted to have recently been elected as a parent governor. I have two children at HCFS, one in Reception and one in Year 2.  My background is in business & finance, as an accountant and office manager working in various business areas, from small start-ups to a global law firm for the last 25 years.  My aims are to assist the school in achieving and maintaining excellent standards in all areas, utilising my current knowledge as the financial governor of another school in Hatfield, where I have  been placed for the last 2 years, making sure high standards are met in line with OFSTED guidelines, maintaining policies and budgets and supporting the school during the COVID crisis.  It is very important to invest in a child’s future and to ensure that their school andteacher are working to the best that they can be. 

Anne Richardson – Staff Governor

Date Appointed: 11 June 2021

Appointed By: Staff Appointed, Ratified by Hatfield Trust and Members

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

/3 Outcomes Committee 2020-2021

/3 Resources Committee 2020-2021

/3 Full Governing Body Meetings 2020-2021

Committee: Resources Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus: 

I am married with three grown up children and seven Grandchildren. Being a Grandma is a role I treasure, and spending time with my family is my favourite pastime.

I remember vividly walking around the building site that was to become HCFS on a soggy Saturday with my eldest Granddaughter who had been allocated a place in the first reception classes. Her two siblings have since joint our school, one is just completing year 6 and the other year 4.

I was employed in March 2015 as an inclusion LSP, then I moved to classroom LSP before in September 2018 taking on the role as Thrive Practitioner. I am very passionate about the Thrive approach and look forward to continuing  working in this role and growing the Thrive approach across our school. 

I have loved being a part of our school as it has grown, Hatfield Community Free School is a very special place where I believe everyone is committed to ensuring that all our pupils are nurtured and educated to the very highest standard.  

Ellen Summers – Staff Governor

Date Appointed: 11 June 2021

Appointed By: Staff Appointed, Ratified by Hatfield Trust and Members

Term of Office: 4 Years

Pecuniary Interests: None

/3 Outcomes Committee 2020-2021

/3 Resources Committee 2020-2021

/3 Full Governing Body Meetings 2020-2021

Committee: Resources Committee

Area of Expertise and School Focus: 

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been elected as a Staff Governor at HCFS. I have spent the last six years working at HCFS across each phase in the Primary Curriculum and feel this offers me a clear understanding for the curriculum and day-to-day running of HCFS. Across the years, I have been fortunate enough to undertake a variety of training to support the school in a number of roles. In 2021, I qualified as a Thrive Practitioner and am now enjoying helping all pupils develop socially and emotionally across the school; something that is extremely topical and close to my heart in our current society. In my spare time I enjoy taking walks with my Husband and my dog and spending time with family and friends. I have an interest in amateur dramatics and definitely bring this into my teaching practice on a regular basis! I definitely hope to get back on to the stage at some point in the future.