The Governing Body

The school's governing body performs an essential role in the running of the school, and is comprised of volunteers whose contributions of both their time and expertise are truly valued by the wider school community. We are always on the lookout for new members, and should you be interested in becoming involved, please contact the Headteacher for an informal discussion.

Current Governors

Dominic Bedford 
Co-opted Governor & Interim Chair of Governors

I first moved to Essendon in 1993 and I am proud to call it home. Before moving into education, I had a successful career in banking, which gave me valuable experience in leadership and strategic thinking. My work in education spans roles as a class teacher, deputy headteacher, and headteacher in Hertfordshire, and I now serve as a School Effectiveness Adviser in the primary sector. I hold a Master’s degree in Education and am committed to inclusion and ensuring that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed and access a rich, balanced curriculum.

Contact: admin@essendon.herts.sch.uk​

Lesley Brennan
Principal

I am the school's Principal and joined the school's Governing Board in September 2025. I am a dedicated headteacher with a proven track record of leadership across a diverse range of primary school settings. My leadership style is collaborative and compassionate, fostering strong relationships with staff, pupils, parents, and the wider community. I am passionate about raising standards and promoting a love of learning. I always place children’s wellbeing and achievement at the heart of school life.

Vicky Craig
Co-opted Governor/ Interim Vice Chair

I moved to Essendon in 2014, having lived in the local area all my life. I am married we have two children, my youngest is still a pupil at the school. We feel very privileged to live in such a beautiful and welcoming village. We were married at St Mary’s Church in 2012 by Reverend Pauline and both children have also been christened there.

I became a governor as I am passionate about children’s education and want to support the school in being the best it can be and to help our children achieve their potential. I feel it is important to create a school environment whereby each child is valued and develops their own ideas, self-esteem and confidence, so they can excel both academically and creatively.

Revd. Theresa Musiwacho
Ex-Offiicio/Foundation Governor​

I am the Rector of the Hartford Hundred Group of Parishes. I am a teacher by profession and have worked in Primary Schools abroad and in the United Kingdom. I seek to support the school on issues pertaining to education, family life and Christian ministry. I  am called through the Holy Spirit to share my knowledge and experience as a way of assisting others.

I am married to Solomon and we have two children. I consider myself an approachable and conscientious person and a team player.

Lesley Reith
Associate Governor​

I have lived in Essendon with my family for fourteen years and have now been a governor of Essendon School for nine years and was chair of governors for the last six years.

I studied engineering at university and worked in the engineering industry for the first four years of my career before taking those skills into The City where I worked for The Stock Exchange building their first generation trading systems and databases. When my children were growing up, I retrained as a teacher and have taught physics at different secondary schools across Hertfordshire since qualifying. I am now retired from teaching and devote my time to our family businesses, my role at Essendon School, village life and travelling.

I became a governor in the hope that some of my skills would be helpful in supporting the development of the school. I have not been disappointed and have found my role really stimulating. I am always learning and always striving to sustain our school as a wonderful asset for the village.

Tareq Moneeb

Parent Governor

I am a new parent governor and wanted to support the school with my skills and knowledge of Health and Safety. My 2 children attend the school.

Blessing Vamo

Local Authority Governor

I work as a student nurse for the NHS. I wanted to be a governor at a local school and Essendon seemed the prefect place. It is a delightful school.

Sarah Abad Murillo
Parent Governor​

I am a parent governor as I am passionate about children’s education and want to support the school and encourage the staff, governors and children to be the best they can be.

Joceyln Pryke

Staff Governor

I am the EYFS lead at Essendon Primary School. I joined this delightful school in April 2025. 

The Work of the Governing Body

The governing body of the school has three key roles: setting strategic direction, ensuring accountability, and monitoring and evaluating school performance. The governors are accountable to the local authority for the way in which the school is run.

Our governors establish a strategic framework by setting aims and objectives for the school, adopting policies for achieving them, and setting targets for their achievement.

Governors monitor and evaluate progress against the strategic aims and regularly review the framework of the school in the light of that process. In all these areas, the governors are advised by the Principal. The School Development Plan provides the main mechanism for the strategic planning process. The Principal has responsibility for the operational organisation, management and control of the school and for implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.

Governors have more of a strategic role and are not expected to be involved in the day-to-day management or running of the school. The Principal discusses all the main aspects of school life with the governing body and will expect governors to both challenge and support the school in its improvement. Acting as a critical friend, governors seek to question and gain information to enable them to discuss the best decisions for the school.

Our Full Governing Body meets five times per year, in addition to the meeting of the following subcommittees:

Pupils and Curriculum Committee (P&C) – this committee is responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning and the progress of pupils made from their relative starting points, as well as their outcomes or achievements. Members of this committee review the content and implementation of our curriculum, analyse school data and meet regularly with the leadership team to discuss progress. Where any pupil is not achieving in-line with expectations or making good progress, this committee monitors the support put in place (whether academic or well-being related).

Finance and Premises Committee (F&P) – the purpose of this committee is to ensure that the health and safety aspects of school life are well run and to ensure that appropriate budgeting and shepherding of the school's financial and other resources is taking place.

Pay Committee (P) – the purpose of this committee is to enable the Governing Body to fulfil its key roles in relation to staff, including performance against targets.

Safeguarding committee (S) – the safeguarding committee, meets to oversee our safeguarding procedures and outcomes.

The governing body also provides working parties of governors to deliver the priorities set out in our School Development Plan to ensure that all pupils are offered an appropriately rich and balanced curriculum which meets their individual needs, that all pupils are thriving and making sustained progress and that where any pupil, because of his or her educational or additional needs, is not thriving, appropriate support is put in place to rectify this. 

The governing body is supported by a professional clerk from HFL.

Our Board of Governors are appointed from representatives of our community, the Local Authority (LA), the Church of England, staff and parents.