Ciaran Diver - Chair of Governors

I was appointed Foundation Governor at St Mary’s in September 2021.  I have 40 years’ experience of working within the IT industry across all market sectors which has given me a great appreciation of the skills required by many of today’s employers.  I have been involved in recruitment, apprenticeship and graduate training schemes as well as personal development programmes to help people achieve to their full potential.

I have four children, two of whom are now teachers and one still in secondary education, which has given me a good insight into the current challenges of the education system.

I am an active church member where I have taken on many roles including Churchwarden, member of the Parochial Church Council, Magazine Editor, Children’s Church, Youth Group and Messy Church Leader.

I am proud to be able to contribute to St Mary’s School where I hope to share my skills and experience to help further the children’s development from both a religious and educational context.

Rev Ruth Barr Ex officio Governor

I was appointed as an Ex Officio governor in September 2019 when I came to St Mary’s Church to be their new team vicar, as a member of the Bishop’s Hatfield Team Ministry.

Before I was ordained in 2016, I worked in education in various roles. I was a sign language communicator at West Herts College supporting Deaf students for five years. Then I changed to supporting children on a 1:1 basis at 3 different mainstream Primary Schools, pupils who had diverse medical needs, ranging from hypermobility, autism, profound deafness, Perthes disease and Transverse Myelitis.

I like to ‘think outside the box’ and am passionate about what needs to be done to facilitate full inclusion for everyone. I was responsible for setting up social groups for children isolated due to their circumstances, within the school environment.

I hope that I will bring a wealth of experience of understanding the needs of those who maybe do not fit the norm, those with challenging needs and behaviours, to see what St Mary’s school can do to best support them.

I enjoy visiting the school every Tuesday to lead the Collective worship Assembly and then stay for break time to get to know the children better on the playground.

Helen Lee - Foundation Governor

I joined the Governing Body of St Mary’s school in September 2022. Since then, I have seen the school really begin to flourish. I am hugely impressed by the resilience and dedication of all the staff as they work hard to improve education standards and to maintain the supportive, inclusive and caring ethos of the school.

I have been an active member of St Mary’s church for over 25 years and my husband, Rupert is one of the church wardens. We have three children, all grown up now and living away from home.

My background is in Science and Primary school teaching. More recently, I was a Forest School teacher, delivering sessions to Primary-aged children and I now work part-time as a School Visit Leader at Capel Manor College. I am a keen gardener. It is very satisfying to be able to use my skills to both brighten up the outside school environment at St Mary’s and to encourage the children to grow flowers and vegetables themselves.

Music is very important in my life; I play the cello in the Finchley Symphony Orchestra, and I sing with the Potters Bar Choral Society. I love the process of learning to play or sing a piece of music to the best of my ability and I enjoy working with a group of people who all have the same goals.

Gabi Jones - Foundation Governor

I joined the Governing Board in 2024 as an opportunity to learn more about the running of a school from a Governors' perspective. I was blown away by the commitment and dedication all the staff show at St Mary's to make the school a success. It is a great privilege to support the work they do as a Governor. 

I have worked in education for 11 years and have been privileged to teach and support from Pre-School through to Secondary education. My career started by teaching English in Hong Kong and, since completing my primary PGCE in 2014, I am now the UKS2 phase leader of a three-form entry school in Harpenden. Within my role, I am the full-time teacher for a Year 6 class, head of the English curriculum and I sit on the Senior Leadership Team. Outside of this role, I am a moderator for HfL writing and spend the summer term visiting schools across Hertfordshire to assess their Year 6s. 

Before joining my current school, I was an English advisor to a large trust. Within my role, I would provide action plans and training, as well as personalised coaching to teachers and TAs. I have been involved in creating schools policies around trauma informed behaviour approaches, dyslexia-friendly environments, as well as supporting curriculum development across all foundation subjects. 

Joshua Barden - Parent Governor

I joined the Governing Body as a Parent Governor in 2025. As a parent of a child at St Mary's, I see first-hand the positive impact the school has on its pupils and families, and I am proud to have the opportunity to support its continued development. 

I work as an IT Manager and have spent many years working in technology, cyber security and digital transformation. My role involves helping organisations use technology effectively whilst keeping people and information safe. I have a particular interest in emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, and how they can be used responsibly to create positive outcomes.

Outside of work, I have volunteered with local youth groups for many years. Supporting young people as they build confidence, develop new skills and form lasting friendships has been incredibly rewarding and has given me a real appreciation of the importance of creating opportunities for every child to succeed.

As a Governor, I support the school in the areas of Online Safety, AI and Cyber Security. I hope to use my professional experience to help prepare children for an increasingly digital world whilst ensuring they can use technology safely and confidently.

What I value most about St Mary's is its strong sense of community, its caring Christian ethos and the dedication of the staff who work tirelessly to help every child thrive. I am delighted to be part of the Governing Body and look forward to supporting the school as it continues to grow and flourish.