Governors

Welcome to our Governors’ section

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

We have also provided a Register of Governor Interests and an Annual Statement of Issues for your information.

Clore Shalom School Governing Body

The purpose of the Clore Shalom School Governing Body is to:

set the strategic direction of the school
hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school
ensure financial health, probity and value for money

This is achieved through:

help the school to set high standards by planning for the school’s future and setting targets for school improvement
keep focussed on excelling in school improvement
be a critical friend to the school, offering support and advice
help the school respond to the needs of parents and the community
make the school accountable to the public for what it does
work with the school on planning, developing policies and keeping the school under review
exercise its responsibilities and powers in partnership with the Headteacher and staff
not intervene in the day-to-day management of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when it then has a duty to take action.

The Governing Body consists of:

The Headteacher
One staff governor – elected by the staff
Two parent governors – who are elected by parents
One local authority governor – appointed by the County Council
One co-opted governor – appointed by the governing body
Eight foundation governors – appointed by the school’s trustees

Governors are generally appointed for a two year term, this includes the Staff Governor. The Chairs and Vice Chair are appointed at the beginning of each academic year. The Full Governing Body meets five times per academic year as do the Resources Committee and the Curriculum Committee.

Co-opted Governors are appointed by the Governing Body, on the basis of a regular skills audit, because they have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

Purpose of the Finance Committee

The purpose of the Finance Committee is to:

oversee, challenge and support the school in respect of its Financial, Personnel and Premises obligations and activities.
to work with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure full accountability for the financial wellbeing of the school, the development of staff, the safety of children and achievement of the school’s medium term plan.
oversee, challenge and support the school in respect of its Financial, Personnel and Premises obligations and activities and Health and Safety.

Purpose of the Curriculum Committee

The purpose of the Curriculum and Safeguarding Committee is to:

advise the Governing Body on the school’s curriculum policy and its statutory obligations regarding the curriculum
with the assistance of staff, to monitor and evaluate the delivery of the curriculum, specifically the impact of actions taken to implement the SDP.
to review, approve and monitor the implementation of policies for curriculum areas, special educational needs, collective worship, race equality and pupil behaviour/discipline.
to ensure that the needs of pupils with special educational needs are met.
in conjunction with the Head Teacher, to agree statutory targets for pupil attainment.
at least annually, to receive a report from the Headteacher on the quality of teaching and the standards of pupil achievement, and to identify any necessary governing body actions.
after consultation with the Headteacher and staff, to identify priorities for the School Development/Improvement Plan and to consider the draft plan for discussion and approval by the governing body.
to monitor, at least once a term, progress in implementing the School Development/Improvement Plan.
Governors are required to question and monitor matters of pupil safety and safeguarding procedures within the school.

Sara Levan Chair of Governing Board	Sara Levan is the Director of Jewish Life and a member of the Senior Leadership Team at JCoSS. She has taught in the UK, Japan and Israel as well as working in youth and community developments across the Jewish community. She holds an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy and also volunteers as a parenting mentor and coach. Classification: Foundation Governor Term of office: December 2022 to December 2026 Areas of interest: Member of the Curriculum and Safeguarding Committee, Finance and Resources Committee, Admissions Committee. Headteacher Performance Management Pecuniary interests: employee at JCOSS
Ben Konopinski Vice Chair of Governing Board	Ben Konopinski has worked in the IT Industry for over 18 years during which he ran a company and then started his own business in 2012. Ben is able to bring his skills of managing budgets, business management and health & safety to the Governing Body. Ben is also active in fundraising and utilising contacts made throughout his personal and business life. Ben lives locally with one of his children still attending Clore Shalom, so has a very keen interest in making sure the future of the school is one to be proud of. Ben is currently the Vice-Chair of the Governing Board and Chair of the Finances Committee. Classification: Vice Chair of Governing Board Term of office: January 2022 to January 2026 Areas of interest: Member of Finance and Resources Committee, Vice Chair of the Governing Board Pecuniary interests: none
Gemma Blaker Headteacher	Gemma completed her teacher training in 1998 and has worked in secondary and primary schools ever since, teaching from Year 13 to Year 1. Originally a secondary English teacher, she specialised in SEND and was a Head of Inclusion for many years. Gemma was curriculum lead in her last school and has a passion for all things related to teaching and learning. Gemma came to Clore as Headteacher in September 2023. Classification: Headteacher
Natasha Hamilton Local Authority Governor	Natasha is a qualified solicitor with over 10 years of strong disputes and regulatory work experience working in private practice and for the last 6 years as a civil servant in Ofgem. She is publicly and commercially minded with a focus on delivering by being flexible, adaptable and solutions-based. In addition, Natasha has spent the last decade running a small cancer charity Cure Cancer @UCL so brings to the role a range of transferable skills and desire to help. Classification: Local Authority Governor Area of interest: Health and Safety Term of office: May 2024 to May 2028 Pecuniary interests:
Sasha Rosen	Sasha Rosen has been a governor at Clore since September 2023. As the Head of Faculty of Jewish/Religious Education and a Lead Practitioner of Teaching and Learning at JCoSS, Sasha has a real interest in helping develop the Teaching and Learning of the school so that all students continue to make progress and thrive whilst at Clore.
Ian Brookman Foundation Governor	Ian is a teacher with over 20 years experience in secondary education. Currently Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school in Camden where responsibilities include data, assessment and enrichment. He is deputy designated safeguarding lead and oversees provision for LAC and PLAC students. Prior to his current role he was Head of the Creative Arts faculty at a large Jewish secondary school. Still active as a performer Ian conducts various orchestras and ensembles including the Barnet Band and Camden Youth Orchestra. Classification: Foundation Governor Pecuniary interests: none
Beth Bean Staff Governor	Beth has worked at Clore Shalom for the past 7 years. She started as a teaching assistant and now is our school administrator. Beth has two girls at the school in Years 3 & 5. She lives in Shenley and loves getting involved with the local community. Classification: Staff Governor Term of office: September 2021 – Ongoing
Katie Benson Foundation Governor	Katie is an experienced Jewish educator and school leader with over 13 years’ experience across Jewish primary and specialist education. She studied Philosophy and Ethics at the University of Manchester before completing her PGCE in Primary Education. She held teaching and leadership roles at Etz Chaim Primary School, Clore Shalom School and Kisharon School, where she currently leads Early Years and will become Assistant Head of Lower School from September. She is passionate about Jewish education, inclusive practice and supporting schools to thrive strategically and educationally.
Micah Smith Foundation Governor	Micah Smith works as an in-house lawyer at Legal & General, where he specialises in pensions law. He used to be an English teacher and is passionate about education, having previously been a governor at another primary school. He has a son in Year 1 and two younger children who he hopes will one day join the school. He is a member of Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue and is very proud of Clore Shalom’s progressive Jewish ethos.
Louise Lazarus Parent Governor	Louise Lazarus is a Chartered Accountant and Audit Partner at PwC having worked there over the last 20 years. Her day-to-day job involves independently and objectively examining an organisation (from small private businesses to large listed FTSE companies) and providing assurance to stakeholders. She leads large teams and projects, solves complex problems and provides constructive challenge to her clients. She brings these skills alongside her strong financial background to the parent governor role Louise currently has two daughters at Clore Shalom.
Robert Bursack Parent Governor	As a proud parent of two children at Clore Shalom, I am delighted to serve as a Parent Governor and help shape the school’s future direction and success. Being part of the governing board gives me the opportunity to contribute to the school’s strategic vision and support its continued development. Professionally, I am an experienced e-commerce and retail leader, currently serving as Head of E-commerce at a North London Premier League football club. I bring expertise in commercial strategy, digital transformation, data driven decision-making, financial planning, and leadership. I look forward to applying these skills, alongside a collaborative and analytical approach, to support the school and its leadership team.
Max Sobell	Max is Head of Lifecycle & CRM for Ocado Retail, the UK’s leading online grocer. He has worked in digital transformation, growth strategy and marketing throughout his career across a number of global consumer brands. Outside of work, he is passionate about volunteering and youth empowerment, having been a voluntary leader and then sabbatical officer for a Jewish youth movement, as well as currently being a trustee of Jewish Volunteering Network.

Governor meeting minutes available on request

For Governor Attendance Records please click here