Headteacher

Emma Wijnberg

Pat Cullen

Volker Kauschel

Thomas Griffith

SYDENHAM GOVERNOR INFO AND ATTENDANCE

Governor info and attendance 2025/26

Sydenham School

Governors' Meeting Dates 2025-26

All Meetings 6pm- 8pm unless marked (AM)

Minutes from the Governors meetings are available on request from the school office.

Please email info@sydenham.lewisham.sch.uk

I wanted to help the Board to take a long-term look at the running of the school. In Lewisham, we have several challenges ahead - falling primary school rolls, for example - that will impact how secondary education is delivered. 

I have more than 20 year’s experience in general management in professional services in London. 

I hope that when I leave the board, the school will have maintained the high-quality education standards that have been set over the past several years. The school also has a very strong reputation for delivering enrichment activities to pupils - from the Duke of Edinburgh scheme to various trips and excursions. Finally, I want to ensure that the school continues to represent the community. 

I am keen to use the skills and experiences I have accumulated in my professional life to support educational institutions in my community. 

I am a professionally qualified Chartered Surveyor with over 11 years of experience in managing and advising on major capital expenditure in the construction industry. In addition, I am an experienced business leader responsible for the management, oversight, planning & reporting of my business’s financial performance. 

It is my hope that through my role as a governor I can make a positive impact on future generations. 

My inspiration to become a governor came from my involvement and commitment to the school community as a parent. I joined when my first daughter was about to go to Year 8 and my second daughter was due to join.  

I have a vested interest in the success and well-being of the school.  Being an active participant in the PTA at the time and organising various events gave me a thorough understanding of the school's culture, values and challenges. This engagement motivated me to contribute further by taking on a governance role, where I can help shape the strategic direction of the school and ensure it continues to thrive. 

I bring experience of sitting on the Executive Committee of a 120-year-old charity. I was also as a governor at a local primary school. During that time, I gained valuable insights into strategic decision-making, performance management and promoting the overall well-being and progress of students. 

Professionally, I am a leadership and inclusion expert with a proven track record in supporting organisations to foster diverse and inclusive environments. 

As part of the governing body, I aim to play a role in cultivating an environment at Sydenham School where every individual feels valued and supported. Ultimately, I wish to contribute to the school's growth and success, leaving a shared legacy of a more inclusive, connected and thriving school community. 

I wanted to become a school governor because I am passionate about education and genuinely interested in supporting the Sydenham School and its students achieving their vision and goals. Growing up, I experienced first hand how dedicated teachers, and a supportive school environment could make all the difference in a child's future. I wanted to give back by helping to create an environment where every student has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Becoming a governor allows me to directly contribute to the school community, ensuring that decisions are made with the students' best interests in mind.   

I also wanted to be part of shaping a positive future for all children in my community. The role of a school governor allows me to use my skills in leadership, strategy, law, risk management, health and safety and business to support the Sydenham School in delivering a high-quality education to every child, no matter their background. 

I am a business leader and multi-skilled professional with a background in law, health, safety and risk management. I am a co-founder of two business: Epinots Compliance (a specialist management consultancy) and NuPathAI (an AI Safety Start-up). I also advise and sit on the board of HAISIO, an integrated energy company. 

Additionally, I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a part-time International Arbitrator and Dispute Resolver at McQueens Solicitors LLP with a focus on commercial disputes and international arbitration law. Previously, I worked as a Trainer, Construction Site Manager, ISO Management Systems Lead Auditor, Construction and Railways Engineering NVQ Qualifications Assessor. As a school governor, I bring my knowledge and skills in law, dispute resolution, risk management, strategic planning, business, health and safety, training, assessment, career mentoring and teamwork to help shape the school's vision and goals and ensure effective governance.  

I bring a unique perspective to the consideration of matters as an African descendent multi-sector professional. I am eager to work collaboratively with other governors, staff, parents, and the wider community to promote a positive learning environment and contribute to the continuous improvement of the school's standards and outcomes. 

The impact I hope to leave on Sydenham School is one of sustainable progress, resilience and inclusivity. Drawing on my diverse background in law, health, safety, risk management, and strategic business leadership, I aim to strengthen the governance of the school and help the continuous improvement of a robust framework for decision-making that ensures the school continues to thrive in the face of future challenges.  

By applying my experience in risk management and strategic planning, I plan to help Sydenham School navigate potential obstacles while seizing opportunities for growth and innovation. I aspire to leave a legacy that fosters diversity, equity, and career readiness for every student. I hope to inspire students to think purposefully about their futures, understand the breadth of opportunities available to them, and feel supported in their ambitions.  

My involvement in career mentoring and training will focus on equipping students with real-world skills and an understanding of various career pathways. Ultimately, I hope that my contributions will ensure that Sydenham School remains a place where every student feels empowered to succeed and where the school community flourishes together 

I have worked with schools and teachers overseas for years professionally and wanted to bring some of this experience to the UK, while supporting a school in my local community. It's a great way to support children and young people in our area. 

Professionally, my background is working on gender equality and education, with a particular focus on countries experiencing conflict or instability. I have worked with governments, schools, girls and communities to help improve learning, safeguarding and attendance. I also have a fundraising background and so can help support with grant seeking and developing services. I'm currently a civil servant. 

I hope I can influence an overall approach to equalities, as well as work with other governors to support school improvement. 

I am deeply passionate about education and the journey children take through the education system. My experience working in higher education has made me eager to understand more about secondary education, particularly the transition from school to post-18 options, such as further education or employment. I care deeply about attainment, particularly in relation to widening participation initiatives and promoting social mobility for all students. Additionally, I am committed to supporting my local community, believing in the power of community engagement to create meaningful change. Having moved to the area at the end of 2019, I was ready to resume this work after a break to focus on family life. 

I bring a wealth of experience in education and governance. In my professional role, I’ve served on various committees, contributing to strategic direction, vision-setting, and defining team ethos. I manage leaders, oversee staff performance, and hold responsibility for budgeting and operational efficiency. I have strong project management skills and significant experience in recruitment, appraisals, and staff development. As a Director of Careers at a University, I bring experience in supporting student outcomes and helping young people transition to life outside of education. I was previously a Governor at a Southwark based primary school, where I served on the resources committee and gained, insight into school operations and challenges. 

I aim to support Sydenham School in fostering an inclusive and aspirational environment where all students can thrive. I am particularly interested in contributing to initiatives that enhance student outcomes, build skills for future careers, and promote social mobility. Sydenham’s values align closely with my own, particularly its emphasis on global citizenship, enrichment opportunities, and robust career development programs. By leveraging my understanding of high-performance learning and skills development from higher education, I hope to strengthen the school’s work in preparing students for the future. Ultimately, I want to leave a legacy of collaboration, innovation, and tangible progress in educational equity and positive student outcomes. 

I have spent most of my adult life working in humanitarian settings overseas. As a father of two, I wanted to work on important issues affecting our children closer to home and I could not think of anything more important than quality, safe education.

I have been a leader in large charities, working to protect and educate children. I believe my programme experience over many years, together with organizational governance and fundraising can help the board to develop strong strategies to sustain and strengthen Sydenham school.

I want to see the school improve every year, both in its progress and achievement results, but also in the ways in which Sydenham keeps children safe, happy and developing in a range of ways. I’d like to help Sydenham to be the school that girls across the borough wish to attend, and one that we all feel proud to be part of.

I have always had an interest in education and personal development but also assessing things from a strategic lens. Having attended an all-girls school myself, I value the lessons I learnt there and hope to positively contribute towards creating an environment where the pupils at Sydenham are able to strive to their full potential. 

I'm a qualified Chartered Accountant having spent 7 years working within the Financial Services audit and Deal Advisory space. I have also previously worked as a staff member at a University within the School of Accountancy.

Contributing towards the continued successful management of the school through a strong financial position and cultivating environment for the pupils.

Volker has worked in the Banking industry in Europe, Asia and the UK for well over 30 years. He has two teenage boys who sparked his interest in education and before joining Sydenham School he has been a governor at another school in London.

Given his professional background, Volker joined the Finance & Resources Committee which he now co-chairs. His main interest is to support the development of the link between the curriculum and the finance capabilities of the school and the development of additional revenue streams.

His personal interests include the arts, outdoor activities, and sports.

My family moved to the UK 40 years ago. I joined a local school as an in-year admission, with very little English. The support I had from the school made all the difference to my staying in education, going to university and having a career in higher education. That experience and being raised in a family where I was encouraged to be useful to my community, inspired me to get involved. 

I have worked in the education sector for over 20 years, in roles which included managing quality assurance of student experience and ensuring institutional compliance with regulatory frameworks.

I am deeply impressed by School's commitment to providing high quality and inclusive education to the girl’s and young women in our community. The call for them to 'Aim High' and exemplify the Sydenham Characteristics is something that I am very proud to be a part of. 

As a teacher, I am passionate about education but one of my blind spots was governance. Wanting to find out more about it, I thought the best thing I could do was throw my hat in the ring. Nearly four years ago I took up my first post as a governor at a SEND provision school in Islington.

I am new to both the community and the school and was thrilled that a staff governor post was vacant as I thought this would be a great way for me to get involved and give back. I’m looking forward to being able to compare this role with my other governance role.

I am in my seventh year of teaching and have held various posts such as Initial Teacher Training Coordinator, Head of Year and Deputy Head of Department. Therefore, I have a good grasp of the range of experiences my colleagues at school have.

I also have my experience as a governor on the Teaching and Learning board at a SEND school to back me up. This has given me the chance to get to grips with what it means to run a school and how to ask the right questions to make sure that aiming for success is central to everything we do.

I want to represent my colleagues and their interests at the governing body and ensure that their experiences are considered. Happy and well-supported teachers radiate this in the classroom, and our students can see this and are impacted by it; so helping to achieve this will have a knock-on effect to the whole school community. This is the legacy I would like to leave!