Our School
Governors
The largest volunteer force in the country
School governors are ordinary people from the local community who wish to make a positive contribution to children’s education. They are the largest volunteer force in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. Governors are not involved in the day-to-day management of the school.
Almost anyone can become a school governor and you can find out more information here. All new governors receive training and support from Ivy Learning Trust and their fellow governors. If you are interested in assisting the School in this way, please contact governance@ivylearningtrust.
Local Governing Body

Matt Miller
Trust Appointed Chair of Governors (interim)
Matt is a highly experienced chair of governors having been involved in school governance for over 20 years and, since retiring from the Metropolitan Police where he was a senior detective, he has developed a second career as a consultant within the education sector.
His working week is divided between investigating incidents or cases which take place in schools and delivering governance training and support. He was first appointed as a national leader of governance (NLG) in 2012 before taking on wider duties as an NLG advocate across London and large parts of central and south east England.
In this role he has conducted many external reviews of governance across MATs and maintained schools including special schools and faith schools.
He has chaired interim executive boards in often challenging circumstances and is also the chair of Highlands School, a large outstanding secondary school in north London.
Matt is committed to supporting all efforts to level up the educational playing field so that all children, irrespective of backgrounds or academic ability are provided with equal choice and opportunity to succeed.
In 2016 Matt was awarded an MBE for services to education.

Matt Clifford
Headteacher
As a primary headteacher I feel immensely privileged to be in a position where I can work hard for the children of Enfield to provide them with an inclusive, exciting education based on moral values, high expectations and academic excellence. I am extremely excited to be the headteacher of Brimsdown School and will do my upmost to support our families and make our school a real community hub.
It fills me with joy when I see my pupils motivated and enjoying their learning. Instilling children with this love of learning and the perseverance, determination and confidence to stand up for what is right, is at the heart of my educational philosophy. I want my children to remember their time at my school with a sense of pride and fulfilment; discovering their talents and cherishing the experiences and opportunities they were provided with.
By the time our pupils leave our schools we will have had the chance to influence them for nearly three quarters of their lives. It is a responsibility I feel we are very fortunate to have. Our schools belong to the children; we are just lucky to work in them. If we listen to the children, acknowledge their right to influence policy on issues that affect them and work with care and diligence then those we have the privilege of teaching will leave us with the skills, knowledge and values they need to become the successful citizens of tomorrow.
As Headteacher of Brimsdown I am passionate about leading an inclusive school at the heart of my community and play a small part in raising an amazing generation of children who can change the world.

Paul Kirsarkye
Parent Governor
A parent governor with over 15 years working within a secondary setting as a careers advisor, I work with all the secondary schools and colleges within Haringey and have links for education in surrounding boroughs.A graduate in Education and sociology, I grew up and currently work in Haringey but live in Enfield and am fully invested in education for all as well as sourcing funding for establishments providing further tutoring for SEND young adults. I work closely with social workers, family support workers as well as engage with gang action groups and heads of service. I strongly believe that every child has a right to live a fulfilling and happy life through learning and play and achieve to overcome their barriers and excel.

Katerina Pascali
Parent Governor
I am a former pupil of Brimsdown Primary School. My son is now at the school and is in Year 2. I have lived in the Enfield area for many years and am proud to be part of the local community. I have worked within school settings so have a good understanding of the school structure. I graduated from City University with an LLB Law Degree. I wanted to work in the Entertainment/Media/Music Law industry, however my career path led me to work in schools. I love music and used to run my own fanzine. This led me to interview and photograph many rock/metal bands in the 90s era. I am currently a Lunchtime Playleader at another school in Enfield. I feel my experiences and knowledge will help me to be a good Governor at Brimsdown Primary School.

Madeleine Roberts
Trust Appointed Governor
After completing my English degree at the University of Cambridge, I trained as a Primary teacher and I have taught in Inner and Outer London schools for the last 7 years. Despite teaching in Hackney and Camden, I am an Enfield girl at heart! Having previously led English and Assessment, I am now the Assistant Principal for Curriculum at Ark John Keats which is just down the road from Brimsdown. I believe that education has the power to transform lives and I love being part of that journey!

Janice Tunney
Trust Appointed Governor
I spent 40 years working in the primary education sector, 25 years as a class teacher across a variety of London boroughs and then 15 years as headteacher of an infant school with an attached nursery in Essex. Since stepping down from that role I have been studying with the Open University as well
as playing netball and looking after two grandchildren. I am also an enthusiastic singer belonging to two choirs, one in Enfield and one in central London. I am of course still keenly interested in children and their learning.

Holly Provost
Trust Appointed Governor
I have lived in Enfield for 8 years working part time as a retail supervisor and raising my two boys with my partner. My eldest child attends Brimsdown Primary School and is in year 2 with a diagnosis of ASD. It hasn’t always been an easy journey for us but the school has been a great support and so I wanted to be able to support them in some way so I was appointed Trust Appointed Governor in July 2022. I have a real passion to understand my child’s diagnosis so have taken part in many Local Authority Workshops as well as enrolling on and completing courses on Understanding Autism and Safeguarding, Prevent and British Values. I have also just enrolled in a course in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health. I believe with the correct support, inclusion, education and values, regardless of challenges every child can become the very best version of their individual selves and I am excited to see how my role can support in their journey’s.

Zainab Iqbal
Trust Appointed Governor
I was born and raised in the neighbouring London Borough of Waltham Forest and was appointed Trust Governor of Brimsdown Primary School in March 2021. I am currently a Management Consultant in the City, working with a range of clients in both the public and private sectors. Following my graduation from the London School of Economics, I taught History at a Secondary School in Walthamstow, where I worked closely with teachers and pupils to develop an accessible and inclusive KS3/4 curriculum. More recently, I completed my Master’s at Harvard University and whilst in the US, I worked at a non-profit in the education sector, managing partnerships in Washington D.C. and the Bay Area. I am passionate about improving education access and standards, primarily amongst traditionally marginalised communities.

Marina Sophocleous
Elected Staff
I have been part of the Brimsdown community for nearly 24 years as my three children all attended Brimsdown from nursery.
I have worked at Brimsdown since 2011 and during this time I have held several different roles from starting as a lunch supervisor to working in Early Years to being a 1-1 with SEND children.
In my present role as Pastoral Care Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead I work very closely with parents and children supporting them.
I have been a staff governor since 2015 and really enjoy being part of the Local Governing body and supporting Brimsdown.
Governors
Name | Title | Date of Appointment | Term of Office | Appointed by: | Declaration of Interest | Date Interest Declared |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matt Miller | Chair of Governors (Interim) | Re-appointed 15/06/2023, 5/06/2022 | 1 Year | Ivy Learning Trust | 1. National Leader of Governance 2. Governance trainer Enfield LA 3. Consultant Director of Governance - Enfield Learning Trust 4. Governor Training and Consultant - Ivy Learning Trust 5. Matt Miller Consultancy Ltd 6. Chair of Governors, Highlands Secondary School 7. Chair of Governors, Chesterfield Primary school 8. Chair of Governors, Hopewell Special School 9. Chair of Governors, Delta Primary school 10. Chair of Governors, Churchfield Primary school | 1-8. 15/06/2022 9. 11/11/2022 10. 23/05/2023 |
Matt Clifford | Headteacher | 01/09/2022 | Ex-officio | Ex-officio | Governor at St Georges Catholic School | 01/09/2022 |
Marina Sophocleous | Staff Governor | Re-appointed 3/12/2019, 03/12/2015 | 4 Years | Elected Staff | None | NA |
Paul Kirsarkye | Parent Governor | 22/02/2023 | 4 Years | Elected Parent | None | NA |
Katerina Pascali | Parent Governor | 22/02/2023 | 4 Years | Elected Parent | None | NA |
Holly Provost | Trust Appointed Governor | 05/07/2023 | 4 Years | Ivy Learning Trust | None | NA |
Madeleine Roberts | Trust Appointed Governor | 01/06/2022 | 4 Years | Ivy Learning Trust | Member of senior leadership, Ark John Keats | November 2022 |
Janice Tunney | Trust Appointed Governor | 01/07/2022 | 4 Years | Ivy Learning Trust | Governor at Eastfield primary school. | 01/07/2022 |
Zainab Iqbal | Trust Appointed Governor | 25/03/2021 | 4 Years | Ivy Learning Trust | None | NA |
Declarations of Interests for Ivy Learning Trust Members and Trustees
Please see the following link.
Declarations of Interests for Ivy Learning Trust Members and Trustees.pdf
Local Governors who have stepped down in the last 12 months
Local Governors who have stepped down in the last 12 months.
Name | Title | Date of Appointment | Date Stepped Down | Appointed by: | Declaration of Interest: | Date Declared: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saziye Kemal | Trust Appointed Governor | 01/06/2022 | 20/09/2023 | Ivy Learning Trust | None | NA |
Elliott Plumb | Trust Appointed Governor | 12/12/2019 | 06/01/2023 | Ivy Learning Trust | None | NA |
Governance documents which need to be available for public inspection can be requested by emailing the governance professional at governance@ivylearningtrust.org