Governing Body
If you would like to contact any of the school governors please contact the school.
Merry John
Headteacher
It has been a privilege to lead Stanborough since September 2018. I have an unshakable belief in every student, each with their own gifts, talents, challenges and aspirations. My team share an educational philosophy which promotes the highest expectations and consistent pastoral care. Our core aim is to nurture enquiring minds and to inspire our youngsters to pursue their dreams, leaving our school ready to excel in a future which has limitless possibilities.
I am a Mathematics graduate from Lancaster University and have 23 years’ experience working in schools. I have been educated in three countries; a secondary school experience in Nigeria, followed by A-Levels in India and a Mathematics degree in the UK. My educational experience in three countries has enabled me to appreciate various cultures and backgrounds but has also provided me with an insight into the positive differences in the education system in these countries. My principles, values and ethos as an educational leader have been shaped by these experiences.
I am a mother of three children and have been happily married for 22 years. In my spare time, I enjoy long distance running and have taken part in a number of competitive races.
Guya Persaud
Chair of Governors
I have recently retired after 36 years in the teaching profession having served as a senior leader for 20 years performing duties as a deputy and a head teacher.
Both my sons attended Stanborough School and my wife also worked here. I am passionate about education and would welcome the opportunity to use my experiences and knowledge in supporting the Headteacher and all members of the Stanborough family in realising their vision of becoming outstanding.
Adam Wadley
Vice Chair of Governors, Finance & Resources
I joined the Stanborough governing body in November 2019.
I originally qualified as a chartered accountant and have over 20 years experience in various finance, strategy and corporate development roles in the different industries including the charitable sector. More recently, I have split my time between my own independent consultancy business and work in the charity sector.
As the husband of a teacher and the father of three children, I constantly see the powerful impact that education can have. I am delighted to be able to make whatever contribution I can to support the staff in their mission to provide the best possible education for every student at the school.
Peter Miles
Chair of Finance and Resources Committee
I joined the governing body as a parent governor when our eldest son started at Stanborough in the early 90s. Now a community governor, I have been privileged to serve as chair of governors for six years some while ago and now chair the finance and resources committee.
I look forward to continuing to support the school through this current era of remarkable development and improvement.
Jonathan Hickey
Finance and Resources Committee
After obtaining an MSci & PhD in Chemistry from Cambridge University I founded a business in China prior to working as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co.
This provided a foundation for the last 10+ years of my career where I have held commercial, strategy and product leadership roles in technology companies in the US and UK. These include eBay, Elsevier and most recently Moonpig.
I see secondary school as having been the most important part of my education. So as a parent governor I want to contribute my experience to support the school and staff delivering the best possible education for all the students at Stanborough.
Jane Cranham
Chair of Standards and Achievements Committee
I have worked in education for all of my career, first as a secondary English teacher and then for a local authority, starting in advisory work and gathering a range of education related responsibilities. Over the years I have had the opportunity to work alongside headteachers and school leaders from all phases and have seen first-hand the difference they have made to opportunities and outcomes for the young people in their care.
I fully support the ambition of Stanborough School’s leadership. I have been a Stanborough parent for over 6 years and I believe it is an exciting time to join the governing body and to help to contribute to the school’s future.
Geoff Mossman
Vice Chair of Standards and Achievements Committee
After working for Banks for over 30 years I am now Self Employed supporting specialist lending.
I have been a governor since my daughter started at Stanborough and now have both my children at the school!
I have seen the school develop and support the children over the last three years and I am very excited to see this continue over the coming years.
Lax Hirani
Vice Chair of Personnel Committee
When I was growing up, my ambition in life was to become a Horticultural Engineer. It didn’t quite pan out that way, instead I am a Software Development Consultant. It all changed for me during secondary school in a life changing moment.
My elder daughter attends Stanborough and my second daughter is looking forward to joining next year. As a parent, we have been to visit and have compared various local secondary schools as we have been considering options for them. Stanborough has the potential to provide all the options we are looking for and that potential is what persuaded us to choose Stanborough and I decided, given the opportunity, I’d like to be part of that team, that strives to help Stanborough continuously improve. I have no doubt it will become one of the best local schools in the coming years. I look forward to serving at Stanborough and making a positive difference to the staff and students, to help get the best out of every student, both academically and non-academically, whilst always keeping in mind and supporting them through some of the challenges they might be going through at home.
Shelley Taylor
Personnel Committee
I have two sons at Stanbrough in Years 7 and 8. I have worked in Public Health in Hertfordshire for the last 13 years. Nine years working on children and young people’s projects such as child weight management and mental health supporting schools. For the last four years I have worked on adult suicide prevention, currently leading the Suicide Prevention Programme for Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS.
I have a MA in Criminology and a MSc in Health Psychology, and I will be starting my Doctorate in Health Psychology in October.
Being a new governor, I am looking forward to supporting the school as best I can over the next few years.
Jacqueline Broderick
Personnel Committee
My family and I moved to Welwyn Garden City in 2017. This was not our original intention, but once I had an opportunity to spend time here while house hunting, I knew this was where we would be happy. We settled in quite well and we were very pleased that our daughter was accepted to Stanborough. Knowing how important education is, we felt our daughter would get the best learning opportunities at Stanborough.
I’m a Finance Systems Manager for a Global Mobility Tech company and previously spend the bulk of my career in consulting. My experience draws on over 20+ years of HCM, Finance, Payroll, and Time Tracking, working with top software companies in the industry. I’m passionate about building strong teams and have been able to work with and build teams across the globe.
Jane Ikeagwu
Personnel Committee
My name is Jane Ikeagwu, a senior Nurse within the NHS. I lead a team of clinicians in delivering and improving patients experience and care strategically. Prior to this I worked in the civil service as a policy advisor for 10 years.
I am a mother of two girls, my youngest daughter currently attends Stanborough. I am passionate about education and its importance, and I’m always seeking various ways to learn and acquire knowledge as learning is continuous in life. I believe with my experience, I can support the school to drive for excellence by providing strategic direction and guidance and holding those in leadership accountable, thereby enabling Stanborough to become an outstanding institution where students can achieve anything they set their minds to.
Ajay Mathew
Finance & Resources Committee
I hold a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer science, and I am currently employed as Senior Director at a Travel technology company. Across a span of 20 years and two continents, I have worked in technology, retail, property and the travel industry with specific focus on IT infrastructure, business strategy, sales transformation and operational development.
My passion for education and my commitment to ensuring the best possible learning environment for our children drove my desire to become a parent governor. I am dedicated to promoting excellence, respect, equity and inclusivity within our school. My personal experience has led to my strong belief that education creates a solid foundation for success.
I am delighted to get this opportunity and use my work and life experience to contribute in whatever way I can towards the development of our Stanborough community. My son has recently joined Stanborough school, and I am looking forward to working with the school and help realise their vision.
Jesal Shah
Finance & Resources Committee
I have a BA Hons Degree in Marketing with Business and was fortunate to be able to start my career in Digital just as e-commerce was beginning to grow in the UK. I’ve since spent the last 17 years in various Digital Marketing roles helping businesses acquire new customers online and engage with existing ones, predominantly within Financial Services.
As the Digital industry has evolved, my career has too, which has seen me specialise in Marketing Technology and Digital Transformation for the last 8 years. This has enabled me to develop subject matter expertise in Data, Privacy, Digital and Technology transformation, whilst harnessing my Marketing pedigree. I now operate as part of a senior leadership team and am responsible for leading squads of Product Owners, Business Analysts, Scrum Masters and Tech teams to drive Marketing innovation and transformation for a major global UK Bank.
Having attended the open evening last year and various other parent events, I was impressed with how the school was being run. My son has recently joined Year 7 and his smooth landing has been testament to that. So, I’m extremely grateful and excited to have the opportunity to partner with the governing body to help the school continue its transformation journey to outstanding.
Finally, I was born with a physical disability and through the school of life have been relentless in my pursuit of a normal life, independence and achieving what I wanted to. As a result diversity and inclusion are very close to my heart, so I hope my career and life experiences will enable me to support the school in helping our students be the best versions of themselves.
Stephen Kane
Standards & Achievements Committee
