Courtwood Primary School is part of The Collegiate Trust. The Directors of the Trust have delegated the oversight and leadership of Courtwood Primary School to the Local Governing Committee (LGC), made up of parents, staff, LA and Trust representatives. Click HERE for information on the Governors.

Information about the Directors of The Collegiate Trust can be found at www.tct-academies.org.

 

Natasha Grant

Principal

Natasha has enjoyed working at Courtwood Primary School for 19 years. During this time she has worked across all 3 key stages and has held a variety of leadership roles, taking on the role of Principal in September 2018. Natasha is passionate about inclusion and the development of the whole child and strives to enable every child to reach their full potential.

Darryl Neville

Chair of Governors / Trust Governor

Darryl has two children attending Courtwood. As a Trust governor he hopes to add value and assist the school in improving the futures of all the children who attend the school. He is a leader who has operated in senior roles within a number of blue chip retailers and service providers, including additional responsibilities managing major projects. For the past four years he has been in role as the Head of Retail for the national charity Sense where he is accountable for all elements of the trading division and collaboration with other departments within the charity.  

Philippa Bigden

Trust Governor

Philippa is an experienced teacher and has held a variety of leadership roles over the last 11 years. She works as an Assistant Principal – Head of Teaching & Learning at Riddlesdown Collegiate and has worked for The Collegiate Trust since its inception. Philippa is incredibly passionate about Teaching & Learning and believes that every child should be given the best possible future life chances, which begins with Quality First Teaching, and access to exciting, challenging, and inspiring programmes of enrichment. Philippa went to a comprehensive school in South East London, before reading English Literature at University. Philippa also holds a PGCE qualification in secondary teaching; a Master’s in Education and is currently undertaking her NPQH.

Kiran Pillai

Trust Governor

Information to follow

Vacancy

Trust Governor

Foluwa Omolokun

Trust Governor

Foluwa is a strategy consulting degree apprentice working at Deloitte. Having grown up in Croydon, Foluwa has a strong connection to the local community and is involved in various social impact groups and leadership boards. With a deep understanding of how businesses operate and develop effective strategies to achieve their goals she is passionate about using her skills to support and improve schools. In her free time, Foluwa enjoys engaging in activities at her local church, spending quality time with her family, and trying out new restaurants with her friends

Remmy Ahebwa

Parent Governor

Remmy is a new parent to Courtwood Primary School through her eldest daughter joining Reception in 2023. She has two children, her youngest in nursery. With over 18 years’ experience in the Civil Service, Remmy brings strong leadership, policy, and project delivery skills, alongside a deep commitment to inclusion and social mobility. She supports school activities through PTFA events and volunteering, and is passionate about ensuring every child receives a high-quality, inclusive education. Remmy is eager to contribute her expertise to the school’s governance and help all students thrive.

Isabel Fixter

Vice Chair / Parent Governor

Izzy is a new parent to Courtwood Primary through her daughter joining in Reception in September 2022. She currently works as part of the Culture department with Croydon Council and was previously part of the Education department in a management position. She brings experience in legal academia and her local Croydon education knowledge to Courtwood Primary and The Collegiate Trust. She has particular interest in behaviour and its relationship with wellbeing as well as supporting the extracurricular life of the school, having grown up as an avid musician.

Andy Stranack

LA Governor

Andy Stranack is the Councillor for Selsdon Vale & Forestdale and the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience.
Andy  has been active in the Forestdale and Selsdon area for twenty years. He previously managed the Selsdon Contact Charity, providing neighbourhood services to elderly and vulnerable people living in and around the Selsdon and Forestdale area. Over the last 20 years he has lived on Littleheath Road, Woodpecker Mount, Markfield and Newlands Wood. He helped to set up, and is currently CEO of, the Ment4 charity in Croydon that provides intensive mentoring support to young people in the criminal justice system, excluded from mainstream education and/or suffering from mental health problems.

 

Sally Thomas

Staff Governor

Sally has been proud to serve as a member of staff at Courtwood Primary for the past nine years, working as both a SEND and class teaching assistant. Alongside this, She has volunteered in school fundraising for four years. Her daughter also attended the school, giving her a strong understanding of the schools values and ethos, which she wholeheartedly support.

She is passionate about ensuring all children are happy, safe, and given every opportunity to thrive through a quality education. She has a particular interest in promoting the arts and creativity as a vital part of learning and development.

Having lived in Croydon for most of her life, she deeply value the role Courtwood plays in our community. Becoming a Staff Governor is her way of giving back to the school that has given so much to her and her family. She is  committed to helping Courtwood retain its identity, values, and strong reputation, ensuring it continues to provide the best start for local children.

Julia Harwood

Staff Governor

Julia has been a Special Educational Needs teacher in the Enhanced Learning Provision at Courtwood since 2018.  She has over 20 years teaching experience in a range of primary schools across Croydon.  Julia is passionate about the Early Years and the foundations of children’s learning and has become a Governor to support decision-making in the best interests of the children and the school, so it continues to be a caring and nurturing place to learn.

Rochelle Thomas

Clerk to the Local Governing Committee

Rochelle is a qualified accountant and works full time in the city as a Business Systems Analyst. As a former Governor to primary schools in Wembley and Croydon Rochelle brings experience to her role as a clerk to the Governing Committee. Her responsibilities as a Governor included being the BCA champion (Black Caribbean Achievement) and a key figure on the finance committee. In her spare time she is busy with her two children who are under 5 and enjoys meeting up with other ‘mummy friends’ in the community.