Governing Body

On this page you will find details and photographs of the members of our Governing Body. You will see that they come from various backgrounds and have a variety of expertise to offer the school.

MP Governance Statement 2021 2022

MPPS code-of-conduct-2021 FGB 10NOV21

One thing they all have in common is the wish to provide the best possible education for every child in our school. They are a group of dedicated individuals who give freely of their time and energy to work in partnership with the staff and parents to achieve this.

Members of the Governing Body

Donna Adkinson
Headteacher

I trained to be a teacher in Greenwich back in 1996. I have worked at Middle Park since 1998, and have been the Headteacher here since January 2012. I am extremely proud to be the Headteacher of Middle Park and privileged to work alongside fantastic staff, governors, parents/carers and community partners.

I am committed to and invested in this school and community and I love working with our diverse and extremely entertaining children. It is important to me that we get to know the children as individuals, that we share with them our own love of learning and that we create for them a safe, positive and enriching learning environment in which they can thrive.

Co-Opted Governors

Carol Ladbrook
(Chair of Governors) Co-Opted Governor Term of Office ends November 2025

I am Carol Ladbrook and I am the Chair of Governors. I became a parent governor at Middle Park Primary School when my son, Robert, was in year 3 – he’s now 31 and National Editor for two motorsport publications! I was appointed as a co-opted governor

A Message from the Chair of Governors

We have a very committed and hard-working governing body at Middle Park Primary School that works in partnership with the Headteacher and staff to ensure the school is successful and the pupils achieve high standards in a safe and caring environment. The GB membership includes staff governors, parent governors, our local ward councillor who is nominated by the Local Authority and co-opted governors who are appointed by the GB. Co-opted governors are representatives from the local community who bring a range of different skills and interests to the GB.

The Governing Body meets once each term and is responsible for:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

In order to fulfil these duties, we have two main committees:

Business Committee – incorporating Finance, Personnel, Premises and Health and Safety
Learning and Achievement Committee

We also have a Pay Committee and a Pay Appeals Committee.

I am very proud to be associated with the school for so many years and to work with knowledgeable and dedicated staff and great fellow governors. I am extremely proud of Middle Park Primary School – we have dedicated and skilled staff, supportive parents and wonderfully enthusiastic and creative children.

Carol Ladbrook
Chair of Governors

Tony Hutchings
(Vice Chair) Co-Opted Governor Term of Office Ends June 2025

I have been a co-opted governor at Middle Park School since November 2014.

As a former pupil of Middle Park I know that the education children receive at primary school is critical to them fulfilling their full capability. I wanted to become a school governor at Middle Park to ensure that it continues to offer the life chances that it gave me all those years ago.

I attend all the main governing body meetings and play an active role on the business committee and the learning and achievement committee.

I bring a range of senior management and leadership skills to the governing body from almost 30 years working in various roles within BT.

As a Governor I attend different meetings and events in school and regularly undertake specific governor training to make sure I can make a positive contribution to the success of the school. I have particularly enjoyed seeing the engagement of the children in school and the variety of external opportunities they have to grow as individuals.

My outside interests include: cycling, golf, walking and bowls.

Norma Spruce
Co-Opted Governor Term of Office Ends May 2025

I was introduced to Middle Park over 20 years ago when working for Alcatel-Lucent in Greenwich. I was appointed as a co-opted governor and joined the business committee where I am still an active member using my business experience and skills to oversee the financial performance of the school and ensuring that its money is well spent. This involves reviewing plans for staffing, building projects, learning initiatives and monitoring expenditure. We are very fortunate at MPPS to have robust and clear financial management and monitoring that underpins the school plans for inclusion and enrichment for its children.

I have always had an interest in education for all and it is inspiring to see the commitment of teaching and support staff to ensure that every child achieves their potential. I live in Eltham and it is a privilege to be part of the local community and to contribute to the support and success of MPPS.

As well as committee and governing body meetings, I visit the school and attend various sports and academic events, where I can meet teachers, parents, and children.

Now retired, I am fully committed to being a wise woman and adventurer, which means I have time to enjoy lots of leisure activities including foreign travel, sport, urban farming on my allotment, learning to play the piano and making the most of London’s theatres and art galleries. It also means that I have time to attend governor-training courses and to keep up to date with latest developments in local and national education matters that may impact on the running of school.

Carla Marques
Co-Opted Governor Term of Office Ends June 2025

I am now a Co-opted Governor, having previously been a Parent Governor for nearly 4 years.

I have worked with kids and teenagers for 22 years. As a mother of 2 children and a professional in the education area, I can balance both personal and professional experience and knowledge to be a school critical friend. I am really passionate about Middle Park Primary School and do my best to be a very active governor. I am member of 4 committees: Business, Learning and Achievement, Pay and Performance Management.

Brian Donnelley
Co-Opted Governor Term of Office Ends June 2025

I am Brian Donnelley and I have worked at the school as the Premises Manager for the past 21 years. I am currently a staff governor but have also been a parent governor when my children were at Middle Park. They both had an excellent time at the school and left fully prepared for their next stage at Eltham Green (now Harris Academy)

I have lived and worked in Eltham all my life and love the area. In my spare time I love to walk my 2 rescue dogs and often go on walks with the Bull Terrier rescue group.

Robin Fallon

Co-Opted Governor Term of office ends July 2025

Initially I joined as a Parent Governor in an effort to support the obvious passion and endeavour that contributes to my own two sons’ education. After being led through the initial wave of unfamiliar acronyms, it’s now an absolute privilege to see and contribute to the decision-making process that ensures ambition, fairness, aspiration, and safety are matched with an exceptionally holistic approach to developing such well-rounded children, regardless of any disadvantageous background they may have experienced.

A long time ago I told my school careers advisor that I’d quite like to become a photographer. He suggested banking. Twenty years later my wishes were fulfilled. I feel it’s very important that at At Middle Park we recognise and actively encourage a far more diverse range of skills and interests.

Sabrina Hussain

Parent Governor Term of office ends June 2025

I have been a parent at Middle Park primary school for the past five years. I have four beautiful children and seeing them run into the school gates every morning excited to see their amazing teachers & learn is what prompted me to get more involved. I wanted to be part of their school journey and contribute to what is already such a wonderful school, the bond between the parents & staff members as parents drop their children for 6 hours knowing they are in great hands is what also really stood out for me. The trust that is there and the sense of community where everyone matters and work together to create the best environment for both the children and staff so that everyone can benefit greatly in their daily life at Middle Park.

I am currently at university studying English Language & English Language teaching. I was very fortunate to have encountered some of the best teacher’s year in and year out who have gone above and beyond, ensuring the interests of each child’s future were of paramount importance. They have shown me what difference an exceptional school with phenomenal staff members can do for students, hence why I decided to become a teacher myself.

Commonly parents have an idea of what they’d like to see within the school to better their children’s school experience but often have no way of addressing them. Hence why I chose to become a parent governor as it gave me the opportunity to see what decisions are and will be made, enabling me to communicate some of the concerns and ideas parents would like to put forward to the governing board and collectively work together to create a safe space for our children to get the best out of their education.

Alshaymaa Muhamed

Associate Governor Term of office ends June 2026

Hello, everyone! I’m Alshaymaa Muhammed, a person who finds immense joy in the little things. For me, reading is a delightful escape, where I can immerse myself in different worlds and let my imagination run wild. Nature has a special place in my heart, and I adore capturing its beauty through my photography. It’s a thrilling feeling to freeze those magical moments and cherish them forever. Another passion of mine is watching movies, which transport me to new realms of storytelling. Among my treasured children’s books are “The Gruffalo’s Child” and “The Tin Forest,” each holding a special place in my heart. I believe schools are enchanting and wonderful places, full of learning and discovery. Being a part of Middle Park Primary School community brings me great happiness, and I am excited to share learning, parenthood experiences and joy with all of you!

Olatunde Kofoworola

Parent Governor Term of office ends June 2026

Joining the school governor team has greatly influenced me personally and given me the chance to participate more in school’s educational activities by using my transferable skills, knowledge, and experience to support the academic work and governance, making sure that both students and teachers—teaching and non-teaching—were valued and entitled to the fundamental resources and standards of good education, and taking good care of the school environment for everyone’s mental health.

It has given me an opportunity to observe student progress throughout the school via the team, with a focus on contributing to the curriculum, monitoring various aspects of the work being done and providing support in any possible way I can, and promoting the wellbeing of the school employees.

I’ve always had a passion for helping and caring for people, therefore it is a wonderful honour for me to be a part of the team that monitors the school’s performance, assists students and staff in realising their full potential, and ensures that standards are recognised.

Radimir Radev

Elected by Parent Governor Term of office ends June 2028

I am a newly elected parent governor with a passion for educating children to be well-rounded members of their local community and society as a whole. In addition, I am passionate about supporting them to fulfill their potentials.

With my experiences within the Housing and Project Management sectors, I intend to use my diverse skills to add value to the MPPS Board and make a positive difference to the community.

Luiz Custodio

Parent Governor Term of office ends June 2028

Daniel Lawrence

Staff Governor Term of office ends June 2027

I am a teacher governor that has been selected by my colleagues to represent the staff of MPPS. I have been affiliated with Middle Park since 2008 when I first came as a student teacher. Since then I have been employed as a class teacher since 2012.

In 2014 I embarked on my own adventure and taught for two years at an international school in Hong Kong.

I have been fortunate to be back teaching at Middle Park since returning to the UK in 2016. In my spare time, I enjoy walking my puggle Bruno. The children love to hear about the mischief that he gets up to!

The children and staff make MPPS such a special place and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Emma McCarron

Staff Governor Term of office ends June 2027

I have been part of the school since 2012 when I started volunteering in Year 6 and I fell in love with the school and the children. After qualifying as a teacher I was fortunate enough to complete my NQT year at Middle Park and I have not looked back since. I am currently the SENCo for the Early Years and I am based in Athena class. Previously, I have had experience in Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Taking the children on all of these different learning journeys has been most rewarding. Being a governor has allowed me to see a different side to the running of the school but ultimately the children are at the heart of everything we do.