St Vincent's Catholic Primary School

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
Psalm 133.1

Our Governors

Foundation Governors

Phillippa Weekes (Chair)

I’m from London with my family heritage being from Trinidad in the Caribbean. I grew up in Kilburn NW6 and attended St. Michael’s Grammar School in North Finchley. I graduated from Middlesex University with a Degree in Marketing. I had a 20 year career in Media and Marketing agencies doing Marketing and Communications.

I have been living in Mill Hill and Edgware for the past 10 years since my son was a pupil at St. Vincent’s and he had an extremely happy and positive experience every day at school. He is now a motivated and inspiring year 8 student at Secondary school.

I am passionate about the education and well-being of children, and 5 years ago made the brave decision to retrain as a Primary Teacher. Through hard work and God’s grace I graduated with a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in 2020. I have been on the Curriculum Committee and Vice Chair of Governors for 3 years, and as of October 2021, I am now a Foundation Governor and the new Chair of Governors. I’m a practicing Catholic and it is also my honour to be the lead Confirmation Catechist at St. Sebastian and St Pancras Church in Kingsbury for the past 13 years. Through my work and commitment to my faith as a catechist and teacher, I have also studied for and achieved the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) in 2019 through Westminster Diocese.

I’m keen to continue to support the school in their mission to nurture every child to strive for excellence in all aspects of their spiritual and academic life and be happy.

Maria Coyle

I was educated in local catholic schools and became a Parent Governor at St Vincent’s so I could put something back into the education system that supported me so well in the past. I also wanted to help the school that our daughter attends.

I have been a Chartered Quantity Surveyor for over twenty years and a Fellow for the last six years. I work for a large family owned Building Contractor where I am a Business Commercial Manager. This involves being responsible for the commercial and legal aspects of numerous construction projects and for all the surveying staff on those projects. For the last ten years I have been an APC Assessor for the RICS, which involves sitting on panels to assess candidates.

I am also a key figure within my company for training and attainment of chartership, assisting where possible.

Fr Eugene Curran
Born in Dublin and the eldest of four, I have been a Vincentian since 1979 and a priest since 1987.
I was a secondary teacher and lectured at university level until my appointment to Sacred Heart, Mill Hill, in 2019, though I did serve in Damascus House, Mill Hill, from 1996-1998.
Besides my interest in faith, education and mental health and well-being, I am also an avid Harry Potter fan and a committed Narnian.
I am delighted to be involved with St Vincent’s as a governor and am particularly happy when our young people join me at services either in the school or in the Church. 
 
Sister Anne Byrne
I have been a primary school teacher in various parts of England and Wales. I enjoyed my teaching career and taught in St Vincent’s many years ago. When I finished teaching I worked in parishes in Darlington, Manchester and Cardiff, as a pastoral assistant. Returning to Mill Hill three years ago it is good to be involved in St Vincent’s and also in Sacred Heart Parish.
 
Liam Tierney

I myself have benefited from a catholic education as are my three children who are/have been pupils at St Vincent’s. I was delighted to become a governor at the school to assist in any way I can. St Vincent’s is a great school as evidenced by OFSTED reports and provides a caring and nurturing environment.

I have seen at first hand the hard work put in by all staff. The school is continually trying to improve and provide a great future for our children.

I have lived in the parish for a number of years and I am a native of Derry in Ireland. I am a serving police officer. I am on the Premises Committee.


Parent Governors

Dr Christophe Galichet

I am a neuroscientist by training. Born and raised in France, I moved to London in 2002 to pursue a PhD degree at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, which was opposite to St Vincent’s School until its integration with other academic bodies to form the Francis Crick Institute in Central London, and remained a medical researcher to date.

Mill Hill feels like home since my arrival in London.  After all, I have spent all these years studying, working, and eventually started a family here. We belong to the Sacred Heart Parish; my daughter Amelie is a pupil at St Vincent’s and our son, Sebastien, started at St Vincent’s reception.

James Sutherland

I am honoured to be a parent Governor at St Vincent’s. With three children attending the school across the key stages, I have a vested interest in the school’s long-term success and sustainability and keen to support the provision of an exceptional learning experience for pupils, staff and parents alike. Through my focus on both curriculum development and wellbeing, and on early years, I’ve been party to the tremendous work the school do on integrating children into school life and managing their learning journey to achieve the best outcomes for pupils at St Vincent’s. I am humbled by my experience as a parent Governor and very happy to support the school go from strength to strength.

Bodeme Imomoh

I have been a Parent Governor at St Vincent’s since 2021. I have 3 children, two are currently at St Vincent’s. I am passionate about volunteering my time towards the school and the Governors at St Vincent’s working together as a team to make sure we get the best possible outcomes for the students.

My main link area is STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math). I am deeply invested in ensuring the school provides a nurturing environment where every child can reach their full potential, regardless of background, special educational needs, or disabilities.

I recognize the challenging nature of the governor’s role, involving the asking of difficult questions on behalf of the children we serve. I am committed to being both demanding and fair, advocating for the best interests of the students.

TBC

TBC


Staff Governors

Marie Tuohy

Headteacher

Emma Scelsi

I was a pupil at St Vincent’s school and I am currently a teacher there too. I studied education at Greenwich University and went on to do my PGCE at University College London. I am currently completing my masters at Middlesex University specialising in Leadership and Management. I am also the mental health lead at St Vincent’s which gives me the opportunity to support children and staff across the school.

Education is an essential requirement for every individual personally and socially. I have had a passion for teaching from a young age so it is a privilege to directly help and uphold the vision and growth of St Vincent’s as a staff governor.

Curriculum Intent

At St Vincent’s it is our INTENT is to enable ALL children to thrive through the opportunities we provide them with, in order to:

Curriculum Context

St Vincent’s is a 1.5 form entry school with 285 children ranging from 4 -11. Children come predominantly from the parishes of Sacred Heart in Mill Hill and St Anthony’s in Edgware.

Children come from a diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds, speak 17 different languages and hail from 26 different ethnic groups. The curriculum we present, and promote, to the children is an endeavour to reflect these differences by providing opportunities to explore the different countries, languages and customs our children are part of through the projects they investigate. We have looked closely at the context of our school, the backgrounds of the children and how life is for a child growing up in North London today. We have used the underlying principles of our Catholic Faith and the example of our namesake St Vincent to create a set of values which lie at the heart of our curriculum.

We are aware of the changing nature of society and the pressures faced by young children as they enter the next stage of their education. The rise in Mental Health related issues has been widely documented across the media. Therefore, issues such as internet safety and the enormous impact across society of social media are at the forefront of our minds when planning our curriculum. With the current worldwide concerns relating to Covid 19, racial justice, equality and diversity, as well as gender and economic background, we feel it is our duty to prepare the children through a concerted focus on building independence, resilience and communication skills linked to our Vincentian Values.