Allenby Primary School

It is a privilege to be the headteacher at Allenby primary school and serve such a wonderfully diverse community. I have been in education for nearly two decades now and much of that time has been working in Southall so I feel I have a strong affiliation with the local community.

I have had many roles in my career, one of which was as a SENDCo so inclusion is of particular importance to me. In fact, it was one of the major draws for me to Allenby Primary School where inclusion and diversity are at the very core of what we do.

As a senior leader, I have the honour of working with governors, staff, pupils and parents to set the strategic direction for the school. We are incredibly proud of our Unicef Rights Respecting gold status and we have a suite of new values that accompany our Unicef rights, all of which support our pupils with their character development as well as their academic outcomes.

In my spare time, I love to read, listen to music, go to the gym, travel, experience new things, watch sports and spend time with my family. My wife, Mrs. Hickman, is also a teacher in a primary school. We have two active young boys who keep us incredibly busy!  We bought a caravan a few years ago so we have been busy exploring the British Isles and having family adventures in our spare time or when the weather permits.

I am delighted to serve the community of Allenby School as Chair of Governors. I have a strong background in education leadership and school governance, having been a teacher, deputy head teacher, headteacher and executive headteacher in my 35 years since starting my career. I have been a governor for most of that time in the state sector and more recently in the private sector too. I believe a child-centred and empowering education that respects the dignity of each and every child is a basic human right and I strive to ensure that, in my role at Allenby, this is alway central to the work that we do.

I am the mum to two girls, one at university and one currently studying for GCSEs. We love to spend time together when we can, enjoying travelling and spending time in nature camping under the stars! I enjoy reading, theatre and writing, having recently stepped into the world of publishing and business.

I believe our purpose in this world is to grow and to contribute, in whatever form that may take for each individual. We all have a part to play in leaving a wonderful legacy for our children and our children’s children. It falls to us all to ensure we are showing up as the best version of ourselves so that our young ‘hearts and minds’ are nurtured and may learn from the example we set for them. We will never fully appreciate the ripple effect of the work we do as role models for our children and, for me, great joy comes from sowing seeds for future generations to reap the rewards. I am proud of the work that the staff, parents, children and governors of Allenby School do to build a bright future for themselves, their families and the community they serve.

I was born in Wellington, New Zealand and moved to England at a young age. I spent my early years in North London before moving to Oxford. I studied journalism at the University of Buckingham before completing my Master’s degree in Public Policy at King’s College London. I became particularly interested in education policy during this time.

There are many role models I look up to including: Sir Edmund Hillary, Muhammad Ali and Jacinda Ardern. Some of my hobbies include sport, reading and watching movies. I am a huge New Zealand rugby fan, which is great because they always win, but it is important to have balance in life so I also support Arsenal. My greatest passion is travelling to other countries to experience their cultures and learn new things.

I began my teaching career in Hillingdon and then moved to Allenby where I have worked for nearly five years. I love teaching and feel an immense sense of pride when I see pupils making progress. I had several teachers when I was younger who dramatically influenced my life and I cannot think of a more important or rewarding profession to be in. I am very fortunate to represent this wonderful school as a Staff Governor. This role provides me with further opportunities to make a meaningful contribution to the school and to develop new skills.

As our great Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education has played a major role for all individuals in society. In my opinion, Education is paramount. I feel obliged to contribute to an institution that has enabled me to develop into the individual that I am today. 

My name is Tasheba Roberts; a Lawyer and an advocate for young people. Earning certification as a Lawyer from The University of Law, London and holding a degree from The University of Kent in Canterbury.

With the vast knowledge I have gained through my experiences of being a Lawyer, I want to inspire and enlighten others to achieve their goals. Hence, it is incumbent on me to be visible to continue to encourage young children of different gender, ethnicity and backgrounds. I am fully committed to empowering children to aspire to dream big and to believe that their dreams are achievable.

My passion for becoming a Governor stems from my belief that every child has the right to an education and to become successful in life. It is crucial to take a stand to assist the community. Being a Governor not only gives me the opportunity to help play a key role in strategic decision making at board level but, also to be a part of an institution that prepares young children to compete for any job in the world. 

I enjoy reading, travelling, theatre, pampering, interior designing, singing and spending time with family and friends

Why did I decide to become a Governor at Allenby Primary School?

I believe primary school education is an essential role for developing and moulding young people to become successful and responsible adults. An effective governing body is crucial to the success of the school. I highly value the standard of education that Allenby School offers. I believe in the school’s ethos, aims, values and community involvement. I wanted to help play a part in improving children’s education and to support the school’s staff. Moreover, I want to be an engaged member of the team that helps enables the school in achieving an Ofsted “outstanding” rating. As a Governor I believe we have an essential role to help positively influence this process.

I have been clerking and supporting the governing body at Allenby Primary School since November 2011.  My main responsibilities are to provide administrative support, organise and prepare agendas and act as minute taker at governing body meetings including panel meetings where necessary; I am responsible for maintaining governor membership information in accordance with legal requirements and advise on governance, legislation and procedural matters where necessary.

I am Francesca, the SEND Governor for Allenby Primary School, and am looking forward to working closely with the SEND co-ordinator and the rest of the community of the school.  I am now retired but want to continue to be involved with children and staff so being a governor is ideal.

I have been a qualified primary school  teacher for forty seven years and finished my full time work as a deputy headteacher with responsibility for SEND in a local primary school.  I have mostly worked in multicultural areas in the borough of Hounslow and Ealing.  In two of my previous teaching and SMT roles I was the teacher governor. I am passionate about ensuring all children have equal access to learning, so that they all make progress taking into account individual needs.  As a  governor It is important to support all the staff and parents towards that target.  I have two adult sons who have been through the education system so I understand it from a parent's perspective as well as a teacher.

I aim play a positive role on the governing body and to support David and the rest of the staff  - both educationally and their welfare - to ensure the school reaches its goals successfully.

I am a qualified psychodynamic counsellor and psychotherapist and I qualified from the Manor House centre for psychotherapy and counselling. Later I trained and qualified as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist at the Westminster Pastoral Foundation.  Prior to this, in my younger days, I was a primary school teacher and language teacher in Italy.

For most of my life I have been in contact with schools, first as a student, then a teacher then a parent. My kids attended NHEHS and Durston House school in Ealing. During their time there I was a very active member of the school community. I helped organising Fetes, bring and buy sales and became a support teacher helping children with their reading. I also gave Italian lessons to six forms students in NHEHS to support the Italian teacher. In my younger days I was always involved with young people emotionally or academically. My ten years work as supervisor with Kids Company consolidated all the above. My role there was to offer therapy/supervision to case workers, therapists, social workers and office people. My psychoanalytic background offered me a safe and confidential platform to support all of them. Later on, within kids' company, I offered therapy to gang members and youngsters in emotional distress. My insight in mental health will help me pinpoint the dynamics between students, students and teachers and between teachers. My profession is constantly evolving, and I keep studying and reading new topics which will help me understand and try to help people's dynamics. In my clinical profession and having worked at Ealing hospital mental health department and the secure unit I came across a variety of issue which make people suffer. Sexuality, culture, gender and diversity are some of the fields I am interested in and work with. My background in languages facilitates the candour of people who can use their mother tongue. I believe that my awareness of mental health can be of great benefit to a school where bullying, gender, admiration for gang work etc are still very important among students.

My name is Nimit and I am from India. By education I am a Business Management graduate with a specialization in Finance and an MBA. I spent the first 25 years of my life studying and working in various parts of India and then moved to Singapore where I lived for 2 years and then moved to London. I have worked in Management Consulting, Business Strategy and Planning functions across Ernst & Young, Sabre and JLL.

I bring a strong sense of commercial acumen to Allenby Primary School's Board with my 11+ years of experience leading commercial activity in large corporations.

I am passionate about giving back to society, it gives me satisfaction and working with Schools as a Governor is a step in that direction. I have been very active socially working with Yuva Ignited Minds in India, Aidha in Singapore and now as a Trustee for Hornsey Lane Estate Community Association and as a Governor for Allenby Primary School in London.

Outside of my professional life I am an active Badminton Player and have made representations for clubs and school in the past.

My name is Ewelina, and for the past decade, I've been living in the heart of Ealing, west London. I hold a first-class degree in Publishing and English Literature earned at Kingston University, where I spent five years - first as a student, then as a contractor working for a non-profit organisation. During my time there, I championed social action by volunteering in schools with a high rate of pupils from underrepresented backgrounds and running co-curricular activities with the university students and the local community after graduation. 

My interest and dedication to providing everyone equal access to education were demonstrated in my dissertation focused on the issue of the socioeconomic gap in the UK and educational inequality. In my previous role, I also served as a Deputy Safeguarding Lead. I'm currently completing my master's degree in Education and Technology at the UCL Institute of Education, with a particular interest in learning design.

I've decided to join Allenby to continue my journey as an active citizen, and I chose this specific area of community work for professional and personal reasons. As someone who experienced growing up unprivileged, with few opportunities to learn and thrive, I believe education is the greatest leveller. By supporting one young person today, we are supporting dozens in the future.

My name is Asiya Shaheen and i am proud to say that my role in Allenby Primary school is being a Parent Governor and Chair of Special Educational Needs (SEN). Originally from India, I embarked on a journey to the United Kingdom 17 years ago, seeking new opportunities and experiences. My passion for education and advocacy led me to actively engage in the school community, ensuring that every child, especially those with special needs, receives the support and resources they deserve. Through my role, I am committed to encourage an inclusive environment where every student can thrive and reach their full potential. My educational journey includes studying teaching assistant and childcare here in the UK, complementing my background in physiotherapy from my time in India. I have 3 children, who all have attended Allenby Primary School which allowed me to understand the school community as a parent and progress my involvement with the school for a significant amount of time. I aim to continue building a firmer relationship with the school and to do my absolute best for the children.

Firstly, it has been a great pleasure to work at Allenby Primary School, where inclusion and diversity are celebrated throughout. For me, our unique and vibrant area is rich in history and culture, which makes Allenby incredibly special. I take pride in serving our community, a community I am proud to be a part of. Growing up as a British Pakistani, I found strength in my language, culture, and heritage. I believe that this can be a powerful motivator for our children to succeed and thrive in today’s society, and it underpins everything I do. A strong sense of confidence and self-esteem can help children make meaningful progress across all areas of their academics, as the two go hand in hand.

In my spare time, I enjoy traveling and have dabbled in interior design over the years. Traveling has given me the opportunity to immerse myself in and understand new cultures. I have a particular interest in history, which often influences the countries I choose to visit. My role models are somewhat unconventional and closer to home; they include my parents for various reasons. I admire their strength in settling in new cities and countries in pursuit of a better life, sacrificing their own needs to provide greater opportunities for their children. This, along with many other reasons, makes my parents my role models. Ultimately, my love for history and my passion for social equality and justice have been shaped by the many museums I visited as a child and the stories I heard about significant individuals.

I hope my time at Allenby Primary School allows me to contribute my strengths while also growing as an educator and leader. I believe that through trust and collaboration, we can facilitate growth for our children, staff, and the wider community.