Manford Primary School
Governors
Welcome to our Governors’ section.
Our Governing Body has undertaken a process of audit to ensure that members are able to provide the support and challenge required to support our improvement agenda. All our Governors are fully vetted.
September 2025
Co Chairs of Governors - Co-opted - Mandy Roberts and Ellen Matheson Harley
Vice Chair - Co-opted - Damon Last
Parent Governors - Rebecca Ayres and Kwesi Afful
Co-opted Governor - Noah Swinden
Co-opted Governor - Zey Suka-Bill
LA Governor - Gail Allaway
Staff Governor- Toni Jones
Headteacher - Julie Donnelly
Clerk to the Governing Body – Carolyn MacLeish
Governors can be contacted through the school office.
Mandy Roberts- Co-Chair of Governing Body
I have had the privilege of being a Governor and also Chair at Manford Primary School since November 2019. I believe a child's early years are the foundation for their future development and became a School Governor because I wanted to work with the Head Teacher and Leadership Team at Manford and ensure the children are provided with a strong base for lifelong learning and have an excellent educational experience.
In my professional career, I am a Chartered Member of the CIPD and have over 20 years of People Management experience, having worked within both the financial and regulatory sectors.
I hope to use the skills that I have acquired throughout my professional career within the Governing Body, by supporting the school and its pupils. My aim is to be able to make a positive contribution to the school and every child’s education and play an active role in helping the school to go from strength to strength.
Rebecca Ayres
I am currently a parent governor and had one child at Manford primary. As well as mummy duties I work in a large private company in the city. I wanted to join the board to use my skills to support the school and all pupils and families in the local community. I believe education is key to getting the very best out of all our children and aim to help the school in achieving their vision.
Damon Last
I started as a parent governor for an Outstanding school in Essex for two years before joining Manford Primary’s governing board as Vice Chair in July 2017. I work for Redbridge Council as the manager of a team that supports Redbridge schools with data and IT, with over fifteen years’ experience. I will use my knowledge and links with the local authority to provide any advice and guidance that the school needs. My goal is to help the school to achieve an Outstanding Ofsted rating where every pupil can reach their full potential and leave with happy memories of their time at Manford Primary.
Ellen Matheson Harley Co-Chair
I became a co-opted governor of Manford Primary School in November 2019. I believe that education is a social leveller and that every child is entitled to a good standard of education. On visiting Manford I was struck by the positive energy and feel of the school.
I live and work in the borough. As a Solicitor of many years with the Local Authority, I have considerable knowledge and skills that I can use to assist the Governing Body in its role to be a critical friend to the School. The ultimate goal is to make Manford an outstanding school and a school of choice for parents.
| Name | Date (re)appointed | Term (yrs) | Appointed by | Date stepped down | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandy Roberts | 06.11.2023 | 4 | Co-opted | ||
| Ellen Matheson Harley |
06.11.2023 |
4 | Co-opted | ||
| Mariam Myet | 24.03.2021 | 4 | Co-opted | 17.06.2025 | |
| Damon Last | 03.10.2023 | 4 | Co-opted | ||
| Zey Suka-Bill | 01.09.2025 | 4 | Co-opted | ||
| Noah Swinden | 23.05.2022 | 4 | Co-opted | ||
| Rebecca Ayres | 25.11.2025 | 4 | Parent | ||
| Avril Carnelley | 18.07.2019 | 4 | LA | 21.07.2022 | |
| Kwesi Afful | 25.06.2024 | 4 | Parent | ||
| Gail Allaway | 01.09.2024 | 4 | LA | ||
| Shahnura Hussain | 08.09.2021 | 4 | Co-opted | 28.11.2022 | |
| Toni Jones | 17.06.2025 | 4 | Staff | ||
| Jeanette Baptiste | 25.11.2020 | 4 | Parent | 24.11.2024 | |
| Julie Donnelly | 01.04.2019 | HT | Governors |
Declarations of Pecuniary Interests 2025/6
Please see below for governors that have declared pecuniary interests for the current academic year:
Damon Last-is employed by London Borough of Redbridge
Julie Donnelly-is a Trustee for Beacon Academy Trust (which includes The Forest Academy)
Meeting Attendance 2024/25
Finance and Personnel
Full Governing Body
