St. John's C.E. Primary School

Meet The Governors

  • Mr Richard Hughes
    PCC Foundation Governor, Joint Chair, Chair of Admissions, Finance and Premises Committee

    Mr Richard Hughes

    I am a member of St John's Parochial Church Council and excited to join the school's Board of Governors. I live locally in Whetstone and am passionate about education. In my professional life, I am a solicitor and have experience of advising and working with a wide range of organisations and people management.


    Appointed by: PCC 06/01/2021. Expiry of tenure: 05/01/2029

  • Mr Ian Copelin
    PCC Foundation Governor, Joint Chair, TLS & PP Committee, Safeguarding Governor

    Mr Ian Copelin

    I am delighted to accept the role of PCC governor at St. John's CofE Primary School. I realise that accepting such a position is a commitment with considerable responsibilities and I will endeavor to fully discharge my duties as a governor to the best of my ability.

    As a family, we have lived in Whetstone since 2012. We have two sons at the school and are entirely supportive of its excellent aims and objectives, academically, emotionally and spiritually. I have been a parishioner at St. John's since 2016.

    I am an offshore installation manager in the oil and gas industry and aware of the diverse aspects of running a complex establishment. I hope such experience will stand me in good stead as a governor at St. John's.

    As the parent of two young children I am fully involved in their social and spiritual development and, with my wife, encourage them to always participate in the life of our school and church community.

    I am open to new ideas and look forward to working as a team and seeing first -hand the impact that we can make in improving the education for all the children in our local community.

    Appointed by: PCC 05/09/2022. Expiry of tenure: 04/09/2026

  • Ms Lucinda Gepp
    Parent Governor, Chair of TLS & PP Committee, OPAL Governor

    Ms Lucinda Gepp

    I'm proud to join the Board of Governors in my role as Parent Governor. I grew up in Whetstone and it's great to be part of such a wonderful community still. I'm a mum of three with my eldest having started at the school. My job as a commercial solicitor provides me with a wealth of experience that can help support the school at this challenging time.


    Elected by: Parents 11/09/2020. Expiry of tenure: 10 September 2028

  • Mrs Daisy Lai
    Deanery Foundation Governor, Chair of Finance and Premises Committee

    Mrs Daisy Lai

    I am thrilled to join St. John's C.E Primary School Board of Governors.

    I am a self-employed accountant, and have gained extensive experience in accounting and finance after spending many years working with accounting firms and commercial firms.

    I have been serving as one of the Children's Church leaders at my local church since 1999. I find the experience enjoyable and rewarding. I am also a member of the church's Leadership Team. It is wonderful to be able to serve God.

    I was also an Associate Governor of The Henrietta Barnett School from 2005 to 2012. I served on the school's Finance Committee. Over the years, schools are facing many more major challenges, such as insufficient school funding, worsening child poverty which is harming children's capacity to learn, and the coronavirus pandemic.

    I look forward to serving on the Board of Governors, and will try my very best to contribute to it.
    Appointed by: Deanery 24/02/2021. Expiry of tenure: 23/02/2029

  • Mr Curtis Sweetingham
    Headteacher Ex-Officio, All Committees

    Mr Curtis Sweetingham

    As Headteacher at St John's, I am passionate about Christian education and believe that all children should be provided with every opportunity to succeed in reaching their full potential. Bringing experience from high achieving schools where emphasis is placed on excellence, progressive thinking, curriculum development and the highest standards of pastoral care, I am committed to setting and achieving challenging targets with the assistance of the Governors and the Senior Leadership Team of St John's.

  • Ms Catherine Mitri
    Associate Member. All Committees

    Ms Catherine Mitri

    As the Head of School at St John's, I believe that teamwork and good communication, built on the foundations of a Christian ethos are key to ensuring that each individual child at our school has a happy and fulfilling education. I am fully committed to working in partnership with the Headteacher, Mr Sweetingham, the governors, staff and parents on the journey towards outstanding.

  • Reverend Kim Quak-Winslow
    Incumbent Vicar of St John's Church Ex-Offico

    Reverend Kim Quak-Winslow

    I was ordained in 2017 and licensed as the priest-in-charge at St John's Church, next to the school, in September 2021. I am passionate about inclusivity, believing that God accepts us equally, irrespective of race, gender, sexuality, class, age, belief or ability. I relish my weekly visits to St John's, leading Collective Worship in the hall and then reading in EYFS to the Nursery and Reception children; the strong links with the school are further developed at church services on week days and on Sundays - where all are welcome.

  • Mrs Judith French
    LDBS Foundation Governor, TLS & PP Committee, Pupil Premium Governor

    Mrs Judith French

    Now retired, I taught for twenty years in a CE primary school after a career in account management with companies such as Sony, Oral B and Gillette. During my teaching career, I had responsibility for all aspects of assessment within the school and served as a school's representative on the executive of AAIA – a national organisation supporting assessment within education. I am looking forward to working on the Governing Board and hope my experience will prove useful in supporting the school.

    Appointed by: Diocese 06/07/2023. Expiry of tenure: 05/07/2027

  • Mrs Paola Postali Bradfield
    PCC Foundation Governor, TLS & PP Committee, Equalities Governor

    Mrs Paola Postali Bradfield

    I am a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant with a decade of experience as an Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapist. Over the years, I have had the privilege of witnessing the transformative impact of ABA on communication and language skills, fuelling my passion for facilitating effective communication in individuals of all ages. In addition to my role as a therapy assistant, I proudly serve as a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Governor and Equalities Governor at St John's, where my son is a pupil, further contributing to the educational landscape by advocating for inclusive practices and ensuring that the unique needs of students with special educational needs are met.

    Appointed by: PCC 01/09/2022. Expiry of tenure: 31/08/2028

  • Miss Kylie McManus
    Parent Governor, TLS & PP Committee, SEND Governor

    Miss Kylie McManus

    I have been a qualified primary teacher in inner London for 15 years, with a particular love of Art and Literacy. I now work as a SENDCo and am deeply committed to removing barriers to learning so that all children can thrive.

    As both a parent with a son at St John's and a new member of the governing body, I am delighted to be part of the school community. I look forward to supporting St John's in continuing to provide a rich, inclusive and supportive educational experience for every pupil.

    Elected by Parents: 01/09/2025 Expiry of tenure: 31/08/2029

  • Mr Ezra Cohen
    LA Governor, Finance and Premises Committee

    Mr Ezra Cohen

    I am a local councillor for Whetstone and a local authority governor at St John's. I spent a decade working in corporate intelligence and am now the co-founder of an insurance company and a policy fellow at the Centre for British Progress. I am excited to be joining the team at such a great school and looking forward to helping out in any way I can.

    Appointed by LA: 16.10.25 Expiry of tenure: 15/10/2029

None of our current governors are governors at other schools.

The Clerk to the Board of Governors is Clerks Associates. 

Previous Governors 

 

  • Jeremy Brough - Parent Governor (resigned 31/07/2025)
  • Gabriella Smith - Staff Governor (resigned 31/08/2025) 
  • Alison Cruickshank - Staff Governor (resigned 31/08/2024)
  • Carolyn Black - Chair of Governors (resigned 21/07/2023)
  • Sam Goodman - LDBS Foundation Governor (resigned 19/06/2023)