Our Governing Body

The Governing Body at Northway School provides strategic leadership, support and challenge to ensure that pupils receive the best possible education and opportunities to achieve their potential. Governors bring a range of skills and experience and work together to monitor school improvement and ensure resources are used effectively.

The Governing Body has three core responsibilities: setting the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding leaders to account for educational performance and pupil outcomes; and overseeing financial performance and value for money.

As a specialist school, Northway places the individual needs, wellbeing and achievements of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at the centre of its decisions.

Governing Body Constitution

Northway School is a community special school maintained by the London Borough of Barnet. Its Instrument of Government took effect on 7 November 2016 and provides for 12 governor positions: two parent governors, one Local Authority governor, one staff governor, the Headteacher and seven co-opted governors.

There is currently one co-opted governor vacancy.

Current Governing Body Membership

Governor	Category / position	Current term	First appointed
Matt Dreisin	Co-opted – Chair	13 Mar 2023 – 12 Mar 2027	13 Mar 2018
Naomi Wineman	Co-opted – Vice Chair	16 Nov 2025 – 15 Nov 2029	7 Nov 2016
Danielle Barker	Headteacher (ex officio)	While in post	1 Sep 2018
Daniel Blass	Parent	2 Dec 2023 – 1 Dec 2027	8 Oct 2019
Reshma Hirani	Parent	11 Nov 2022 – 10 Nov 2026	11 Nov 2022
Sandra Down	Co-opted	24 May 2023 – 23 May 2027	24 May 2023
Theresa-Danielle Hamilton-Dwomoh	Co-opted	11 Mar 2024 – 10 Mar 2028	11 Mar 2024
Geraldine Krieger	Co-opted	19 Mar 2023 – 18 Mar 2027	18 Mar 2015
Louise Jennings	Local Authority	19 Nov 2024 – 18 Nov 2028	19 Nov 2024
Angela Oldroyd	Staff	9 Jan 2024 – 8 Jan 2028	9 Jan 2024
Bhadresh Patel	Co-opted	18 Nov 2025 – 17 Nov 2029	18 Nov 2025

Clerk to the Governing Body: Caroline Winston

How Governors Are Appointed

Parent governors are elected by parents and carers of pupils at Northway; the staff governor is elected by school staff. The Local Authority governor is nominated by the London Borough of Barnet and appointed by the Governing Body. Co-opted governor vacancies are advertised and the Governing Body appoints individuals with relevant skills, experience and an interest in supporting the school. The Headteacher serves ex officio.

Governor Responsibilities

Governors have designated monitoring responsibilities and provide support and challenge to school leaders through visits, discussion, review of information and reporting to the full Governing Body.

Responsibility	Governor
Chair of Governors	Matt Dreisin
Vice Chair; Safeguarding; Quality of Education – Secondary; Headteacher Appraisal Panel	Naomi Wineman
Inclusion and SEND	Danielle Barker
BVAC Review	Daniel Blass
Parent and Community Liaison	Reshma Hirani
Quality of Education – Primary	Sandra Down
Ofsted and External Liaison	Theresa-Danielle Hamilton-Dwomoh
Health and Safety; Pupil Wellbeing	Geraldine Krieger
Pupil Premium and Sports Premium	Louise Jennings
Continuing Professional Development	Angela Oldroyd
Operations, Policy, Processes and Compliance	Bhadresh Patel

How the Governing Body Works

The Full Governing Body meets six times each academic year, approximately once every half term, to review school performance, monitor progress against strategic priorities and fulfil its statutory responsibilities. Governors also undertake monitoring activities linked to their individual areas of responsibility, reporting their findings to the wider Governing Body. Northway operates through full governing body oversight and designated link governor responsibilities rather than standing committees.

Register of Interests

The Governing Body maintains a register of relevant business and pecuniary interests. As at November 2026, no current governors have declared any relevant business or pecuniary interests. Governors are expected to declare changes as they arise.

Governors Who Have Left Office

No governors have left office during the preceding 12 months.

Governor Attendance 2025/26

The Full Governing Body meets six times per academic year. 

 

Contacting the Governing Body

Parents and carers may contact the Governing Body through the school office, marking correspondence for the attention of the Chair of Governors.

For matters concerning individual pupils or day-to-day school operations, parents and carers should initially contact their child’s class teacher or the relevant school leader.