Woodside Governors (ID 1011)

• Nkiru Ozoemena
  Parent Governor
  Nkiru Ozoemena

  Nkiru Ozoemena is a proud mother of one, with her daughter attending Woodside Academy. She has been a Parent Governor at Woodside Academy since 2024 and is very glad to serve the school that has been impacting the lives of their children.

  Nkiru studied philosophy at the University of Ibadan,iNigeria, before relocating to the United Kingdom. Since moving to the UK, her work has been focused on people and children. She has worked in healthcare and supported young adults. Nkiru holds certificates in childcare and in supporting children and young people in schools and colleges. She currently works at a nursery school, supporting children. This role provides her with the flexibility to be present and support her daughter, as she is her sole carer.

• Michael Olivari
  Community Governor
  Michael Olivari

  Michael has been a local community governor for Woodside since October 2024. In his day job, he works as a Policy & Projects Officer for the London & South East Education Group (LSEEG), covering the London South East Academies Trust (LSEAT) and London South East Colleges (LSEC). His role involves working on research and strategic projects. Michael's interests in governance include stakeholder engagement and policies and procedures.

• Kate Wade
  Parent Governor
  Kate Wade

  Kate became a Parent Governor at Woodside Academy because she is a parent of three children, two of whom have special educational needs (SEN). Her son has attended the school for four years and will be returning in September for his secondary placement.

  Kate is very passionate about Woodside Academy, particularly because the staff amaze her with their knowledge and all the children are extremely happy at the school. She wanted to be a part of this to support the staff and see the pupils learn and grow. Kate loves to join in on fundraising activities, especially cake baking, to help supply equipment for the children at the school.

• Corrinia Vincent
  Staff Governor
  Corrinia Vincent

  Corrinia joined Woodside six years ago, bringing with her a wealth of experience from various educational settings over many years. Throughout her career, she has developed a strong focus on supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and this has become a central part of her professional identity. Since arriving at Woodside, Corrinia has had the opportunity to grow within the school, progressing to the role of Deputy Head Teacher (DHT), where she continues to work closely with staff, families, and specialists to ensure the best outcomes for the pupils.

  Corrinia has a particular interest in sensory processing and the sensory world more broadly—especially how these factors influence the daily experiences of children with autism. She finds great satisfaction in collaborative problem-solving, especially when working alongside teachers and specialist occupational therapists to tailor strategies that support individual needs.

  Outside of work, Corrinia has a beautiful family and is proud to be a grandparent to two wonderful grandchildren. She is also a trained Dog Mentor and brings Mr Bramble, her loyal and calming canine companion, to school each day. Mr Bramble plays an important role in supporting the wellbeing of the pupils and staff and is a much-loved member of the school community.

• Dawn McLaughlin
  Community Governor
  Dawn McLaughlin

  Dawn has lived in Bexley for 46 years and has one child who is a student at Woodside Academy.

  She has worked in HR for over 20 years and has experience in resource planning, training and development, managing staff, and supporting organisational changes within the Civils Industry.

  Dawn believes every child deserves access to high-quality learning opportunities and is keen to work with the other governors to ensure that Woodside Academy continues to provide a supportive and enriching environment where all students can thrive and reach their individual goals.

• Gerry Smith
  Co chair & Community Governor
  Gerry Smith

  Gerry has a long association with Woodside School; his daughter attended Woodside from 1994 to 1998 and his son attended from 1998 to 2008. He was elected as a Parent Governor in 2007 and continued as a Community Governor when his son left Woodside in 2008. Gerry spent 18 months as Chair of Governors overseeing the transition of the school into a Federation with Belmont School and has remained a Community Governor following the incorporation into LSEAT.

  Gerry is a retired construction industry professional (MCIOB) having worked within the senior management team for a national contractor. He is experienced in commercial management, administration, and governance.

• Debbie Potts
  Co chair & Community Governor
  Debbie Potts

  Debbie Potts has been a local community governor at Woodside since 2021 and is also a member of the Trust's SEND provision board. She works in public sector policy and has a background in education policy through her former role at the Department for Education. Debbie has a keen interest in the arts and equality, diversity, and inclusion. Her favourite animals (in no particular order) are bees and Shetland ponies.