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Meet the Governors

Julian Vennis - Acting Chair
Fr Derek Hyett - Foundation Governor
Eleanor Taylor - Foundation Governor
 
My name is Eleanor Taylor.  I am an ex Hackney Primary Headteacher and School improvement partner within the London borough of Barking and Dagenham - My career has been successful and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  I have recently retired.
I feel that my energy , enthusiasm,  expertise and experiences in the field of education will make me suitable to work well with Our Lady’s and St Joseph’s governing body and I look forward to a mutually beneficial exchange 
 
Eleanor
David Blackwell - Foundation Governor

I joined the Governing Body in May 2022. I am a practicing Catholic and since retiring I qualified as a Canon Lawyer. I exercise this ministry as Ecclesiastical Judge and Defender of the Bond in two Dioceses, Northampton and Southwark.  In addition I spend two days a week volunteering at immigration charities.

I have two grandsons, one 8 years old at a Catholic Primary School and the other is just 18 months. In my spare time I like to keep fit. I ran the London Marathon ten times.

I became a governor because I felt I had something to offer the Governing Body after my experience as a Teacher for 43 years in Hackney schools,  27 as Deputy Head at Our Lady's Convent and many years as both a Teacher Governor and as an Observer.

My vision for the school is that it will continue to provide outstanding education for local Catholic families.

Joycelyn Marshall - Foundation Governor
I am very proud to be a school governor at OLSJ School. I hope to bring an honest and hard-working approach to my role. It is the same attitude I had as a class teacher for many years.
 
I hope to be an asset to the school, by committing my time and having a positive attitude. 
 
I have a strong belief and love in our creator Father God, His Son the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 
 
God cares about how children are raised and nurtured. 
 
Therefore it is my duty as a governor that every child at the school will be happy, safe, confident and strive to become the very best they can be. 
 
I see it as my responsibility to work with the school governors team to give the children the opportunity to have the ability to achieve their dreams and goals through education, extra curriculum activities whatever their social status. 
 
I am thrilled to be joining this amazing team and even happier to help the school through its visions for the children's future. 
 
Miss Marshall 
Michelle Hogan-Tricks - Foundation Governor

My name is Michelle and I am of Guyanese and Irish decent. I have a son (Noah) in Yr 5. I have another son who left OLSJ 3 years ago and is now in Yr 9. OLSJ will always be a special and important place to me, as having attended the school myself, it’s been an integral part of my life for a long time.

Apart from being a school governor, I have been a specialist nurse within brain and spine for the last 22 years and love HIIT kick boxing.

I became a parent governor over 3 years ago and did so as I wanted the opportunity to give a parents perspective on decisions that were being made by the school. More recently I transitioned to a foundation governor role.

For me, it is really important that our children at OLSJ first and foremost feel, safe, secure, loved and part of a school family. This is fundamental for sound mental health and setting them up with the right conditions for learning. Without this, no child can achieve to the best of their ability.

Of course academia is important and I am the curriculum link governor. I have a keen interest in looking at the attainment of our children, and have recently been involved in a deep dive of this with some of the SLT. We strive to ensure all of our children at OLSJ reach their maximal potential.

Finally, I’m a big advocate of our children obtaining lots of enrichment actives as well as the structured curriculum and we manage to achieve this with great support from our parents association. It’s important our enrichment programme includes lots of culturally diverse activities and awareness; this is going from strength to strength and I am pleased to be working alongside a leadership team who share this passion.

Yvonne Coley - Foundation Governor

Education is important - it gives you the academic, practical and creative tools to question and engage with what the world's all about.To have an impact on the next generation is something of great value and I want to be involved in that. I have worked in education for over 20 years but I became a school governor because I felt my expertise was highly useful and beneficial to the next generation of learners and I want to make a tangible impact. I bring my educational and parental experience to the board and use the expertise I've gained at work to help children receive an excellent education through quality assurance.I look forward to meeting and working with you all.

Theresa Garnett - Staff Governor
My name is Theresa Garnett. I am a staff governor and have many roles within school including assessment but my passion is supporting children with their learning especially in maths. I have a long connection with  OLSJ, having started here at the age of 5 and both my daughters followed in my footsteps. OLSJ gave them happy memories, a well rounded education and a love for learning. I started volunteering here when they were young and have been a member of staff for over 22 years. OLSJ is a welcoming, catholic community which I am privileged to be able to support as a Staff Governor.
Rapture Orafu - Associate Governor
 
My Name is Rapture Orafu, I have been involved with Our Lady & St Joseph Primary in some capacity since 2002 which culminated in becoming an Associate Governor in 2020.
I'm a part of the Diversity and Health and Safety sub committees. I'm also involved in making sure our staff have the adequate First Aid training to keep members of our school community safe.
 
I have been involved in education for over 20 years, I am a qualified teacher and provide IT consultancy to education establishments and the private sector.
 
I became a governor because I believed in the values and ethos of the school and as I have been linked with this school for many years I wanted to assist in maintaining its status as an Outstanding School and a shining beacon in the community that it serves.

I became a governor during the COVID lockdown period and I wanted to do my part in helping Our Lady & St Joseph navigate the challenges it was facing, times have changed now and things are returning to normal however there will always be challenges on the horizon. I want to continue to support the staff and students navigate them and ensure transparency and accountability is maintained as well as the outstanding status of the school for years to come.