Governor Profiles

Dave and his wife, Fran, moved to Brent Pelham in 2011. He is the dad of Toby, who joined Furneux Pelham in 2015. Dave was elected onto the Board of Governors as a parent governor a year later and, in 2017, was appointed Co-Chair. He is Co-Chair of the Curriculum & Pupil Welfare committee and is the link governor for SEN, Pupil Premium and Data Analysis. Dave is a journalist who has worked for The Sun newspaper’s sports desk for nearly 15 years. He also had a column in the Herts & Essex Observer until 2016. He is also a keen quizzer – running regular quiz nights locally – and an avid birdwatcher and nature enthusiast.

A secular humanist and strong critic of the Government’s faith-schools policy, Dave offers a non-religious perspective perhaps lacking from other Church of England school boards. He is fascinated by primary-school education and how to tailor the curriculum to enable pupils to fulfil their potential.

Kristian Taylor – Foundation Governor

Kristian joined the governing body in 2013.  He is married to Mirella and lives in Berden with their two children: Luca, who attended Furneux Pelham from 2009-2016 and also Ava, who attended Furneux Pelham from 2012-2019. Kristian is a Sales and Marketing Director at an IT Company specialising in Apple and IT solutions for schools and colleges. He visits many schools and meets numerous teachers, headteachers and IT manufacturers on a regular basis. Kristian is the link governor for Safeguarding, eSafety and ICT. He is a keen swimmer and cyclist and was a volunteer ChildLine counsellor for several years.

Matt Harris – Parent Governor

Matt joined the governing body in 2017 and has 2 children who currently attend  Furneux Pelham School. Matt is a chartered accountant who qualified with the government auditor, the National Audit Office, before joining an asset manager in the City. Following a subsequent role at a Cambridge tech business, Matt returned to the City as MD at a family office firm investing in property and technology businesses.  He is also a link governor for Data Analysis which entails reviewing data on school academic performance. Matt has a particular interest in how schools can benefit from current changes in tech.

Gary Smith – Parent Governor

Gary moved to the village with his wife Heidi in 2013.  His daughter Sophie joined the school in September 2018 and Gary became a school governor in 2019.  He has two other younger daughters. Gary is an employment solicitor based locally in Bishop’s Stortford having previously worked in the City.  He grew up in Bishop’s Stortford and has lived in the area all of his life. Gary has joined the Resources committee and is looking forward to learning more about the school.

Louise Foley – Headteacher

Louise is Headteacher at Furneux Pelham School.  She has represented the staff of the school as a member of the Governing Body for the majority of the last fourteen years. Louise has a son, who is in Year 6 at the school.  Despite living outside of the area, she and her husband chose to send their son to the school as they value the school and its community so highly. Having trained to be a teacher at Homerton College, in 1999, Louise taught at St. Andrew’s School in Much Hadham, before moving to teach in a large Catholic School in Surrey for a few years.  She returned to the area where she grew up to take up the role of Deputy Headteacher at Furneux Pelham School.

Anne Grass – Co-Chair Curriculum & Pupil Welfare

Anne joined the Board of Governors in October 2019.  She lives in Anstey with her husband Terry and their two daughters, who both attend Furneux Pelham School. Anne has always worked in the field of education with her roles ranging from primary school teaching to SEND consultancy work for the local educational authority. She is now a Specialist Teacher and Assessor of Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia) which she fulfils alongside working for various schools as their Access Arrangements Assessor and Examinations Invigilator. Anne has joined the Curriculum and Pupil Welfare group where she is keen to learn more about how the school supports inclusion to ensure that every pupil reaches their full potential.

Claire Goldsmith – Co-opted Governor

Claire joined the Board of Governors in 2019 ahead of her eldest daughter starting in reception in September 2019. She lives in Braughing with her husband Andy and their two daughters. Claire has worked in the retail industry for much of her career, most recently Tesco Head Office, where she held various senior management positions across Commercial and Marketing. Claire has joined the Resources Committee and is looking forward to learning more about the school. She is passionate about children gaining a positive educational experience and getting off to a good start in life.