Meet The Governors

My name is Helen Cambridge. I am a co-opted Governor and have spent a number of years serving as a Governor at John Chilton School and elsewhere. I have been a  teacher at John Chilton School for 23 years in total and currently work in the Early  Years class.

My role and my experience allows me to offer the Governing Body a solid understanding of how the school works, how changes and decisions taken, impact on staff and pupils. It also gives me an opportunity to champion the role of the Governors to the staff, and puts me in the position of being able to influence the strategic planning for our school.

I have been a Parent Governor since 2009. During this time I have been Chair of the Governing Body and am currently chair of the school’s resources Committee.

I have worked in IT and consultancy for 20 years and so have a keen interest in the  school’s IT systems and practices where my consultancy background is highly useful in  analysing the budget, scrutinising data and overseeing financial details when  necessary.

I joined the Governing Body of the school in February 2017.  Previously I worked as a senior Finance Executive in the Telecommunications industry for 20 years and then for 10 years as a Maths Teacher in a state comprehensive school.  This previous experience gives me a unique set of financial and educational skills which I hope to use to good effect for The John Chilton School.  Now that I am a stay at home dad with two teenage children I serve as a Governor at two schools and I am also a Trustee of a Legal Aid Charity.

I have been a member of the team at John Chilton School for a number of years in my position as the Data and Exams Officer. I have over 20 years extensive experience in corporate sales and account management for a major banking group. This has given me a wide knowledge and understanding of business structures and processes that I look forward to bringing to my role as a staff governor.

As Headteacher at John Chilton School, I have a key relationship with fellow Governors. It is my responsibility to keep them well informed about the running of the school. At the same time Governor colleagues hold me to account for my leadership  and its impact on the educational performance of the school, its pupils, as well as the  management of the staff team.

I aim to work closely with the Governing Body to ensure a clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction for John Chilton School for the benefit of the pupils and the whole school community.

I joined the Governing Body of the school in March 2019.  I have worked in education for 15 years and I currently work as a Subject Leader of French in a secondary school. Previously, I also worked towards the inclusion of students with disabilities in University settings. This allows me to have a good understanding of what teaching and learning for all should look like. I hope my expertise in this field will prove to be useful for the John Chilton School.

I am honoured to be a parent governor at John Chilton School. I have six children – two with SEN. My daughter, Beibei, is a pupil at JCS. Our family has French and U.S. nationalities, and I was a corporate lawyer in New York and Paris before moving to London a few years ago. Prior to joining the JCS Governing Board in 2019, I was a governor at another Special school in Ealing. I have also served on a number of other boards, including at two French schools, and worked as general counsel for a small French university. I hope my background can be an asset to JCS.

I was appointed by the Local Authority in December 2020.

I retired after 40 years’ service with London Transport. At retirement I wanted to give something back to the community and this enabled me to follow a keen interest in children’s education to ensure equal opportunities are available for all children whatever their background/ circumstances.

I am currently on the resources and health/safety committees. I also volunteer at a food bank in the borough.