Meet The Governors

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the head teacher and deputy headteacher. In some schools the site is owned by the governing board. It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is governors who work with the headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.

Our Governors

Debbie Strowbridge, Local Authority Governor – Chair of Governors

Debbie is a National Leader of School Governance NLG. Debbie is the Chair of Governors of an outstanding primary school in Waltham Forest where she has been Chair of Governors since 1998, when her children attended the school. Debbie brings a wealth of educational performance, school standards, safeguarding, strategic planning and governance knowledge to the board. Since Debbie’s accreditation as a NLG in February 2014, Debbie has provided support, advice and guidance to several governing boards, school leaders and chairs of governors where necessary.

Gillian Barker, Co-opted Governor – Vice Chair of Governors

Gillian has been a school governor since 1996 and chair of governors at Walthamstow School for Girls, an LA-maintained secondary, since 2013. She has lived in Leytonstone since 2003 and in Waltham Forest since 1985. She has a Master’s degree in business. She has management experience as a head of marketing at various law firms in the City of London and now works as a freelance marketing consultant. As a governor, she has chaired staffing and finance committees, been a vice-chair and served on selection panels for two successive Headteachers as well as deputy/assistant Headteacher appointments.

Alun North, Co-opted Governor

Prior to his retirement in 2012, Alun was the Headteacher of an Outstanding Junior School in Waltham Forest. From 2008, he worked for 4 years with the London Challenge as a Local Leader of Education. Since 2012, Alun has worked three mornings a week at an outstanding Waltham Forest Primary school teaching higher level maths to years 5 & 6. Alun brings a wealth of educational leadership and management knowledge to the governing board.

Ellie Ross Parent Governor

Parent of: Child in Year 6
I’m passionate about supporting staff and parents at George Tomlinson to build upon our successes and continually strive for the best possible ‘all round’ school experience for our children. I’ve worked in Primary and Secondary schools locally and in France, and have volunteered regularly at GT teaching French. I’m confident I’ve the necessary skills, energy and enthusiasm to play a key role on the new Governing Body. I would represent diverse parental viewpoints always with the children’s best interests at heart. I’m positive about the future of our lovely school and would love the opportunity to help shape it.

Andrew Warren, Co-opted Governor

Andrew is currently an Assistant Headteacher at The Jenny Hammond Primary School in Leytonstone, where he has been teaching for the past 14 years and a member of the school’s governing body for the last 6 years. He is currently helping to guide the school through an expansion phase. Andrew has worked closely with other local schools as part of moderation and subject leader’s work. He has experience teaching across the primary years and is very knowledgeable about the internal running of different aspects within a school.