MC Link Member 

Position / Link Area

 Bio 

Julie Key 
Community Member

Management Committee Chair

Member of  both Finance, Premises & Personnel  and Education Sub-Committees

Julie was a forensic accounting partner in a large London accountancy firm. She is currently a magistrate, working in both the adult and youth courts; a trustee and treasurer on the Board of St Giles Trust, a national charity working with adults in vulnerable circumstances and young people who are at risk of or who are criminally exploited; and chair of governors of a three form entry primary school. Julie has two children: one doing her A levels and the other at university. She firmly believes that all children and young people should be offered access to high quality education that suits their needs. 

Term of office: 4 years from September 2026

Finance, Premises & Personnel Sub-Committee

Mike Gasgoine
Community Member

Business Services (Finance, premises, H&S) 

Finance Premises & Personnel (FPP)  Subcommittee Chair
 

Working for over 30 years in secondary schools, mostly in Kingston, Mike has a vast experience of education. For 20 years he was on the Senior Leadership Team of Tiffin School, which he led as Headteacher for the last 8 years, during a period of great change, retiring from this post in the summer of 2023. For many years Mike also served on the local Schools' Forum, chairing that body for 3 years, and working with AfC and other local stakeholders to help decide upon and manage the local education budget and funding formula. Outside of education, Mike has two grown up children, is a dedicated and passionate historian, and also has a close interest in the workings of the criminal justice system.

Term of office: 4 years from January 2024

Ciarán is a headteacher of a local Richmond primary school. He has a passion for education and literature. Holding a masters in Children's literature, he firmly believes in the transformative power of high-quality literature in shaping the lives of young people. With a wealth of experience in education, Ciarán has held various senior leadership positions, guiding schools to success and fostering a culture of excellence among children and staff.

Beyond his work in education, Ciarán has a keen interest in property development and design. This passion for creating spaces extends to his approach to education, where he strives to provide students with environments that are conducive to learning and growth.

Term of office: 4 years from February 2024

Kate Cockle

Ham (KS4 - DC)

Kate has worked as a Human Resources adviser to schools for over 35 years.   Most of that time she was working with RBK schools, but more recently she has worked for schools in Sutton and Richmond in addition to Kingston. 

Kate retired from this role in April 2025 but is keen to continue supporting schools in a governor role.  Over the years, she has advised on many aspects of the HR field, but she has particularly  specialised in Employee Relations and Organisational Development.

Kate has lived in Kingston for 40 years and has two adult children who attended local schools.  Prior to her HR career she worked in the pharmaceutical industry,  she has a background in the life sciences.  Kate enjoys singing and is a member and trustee of Kingston Choral Society, she also enjoys walking, cycling and exercising in the gym!

Term of office: 4 years from September 2025

Claude  has spent most of his working life at Reuters in a variety of financial and then general management positions both in the UK and Europe. After retiring, he went to film school where he learnt the art of fiction and documentary film making. Since then he has made a number of short films and is currently working on a new feature film script.

Term of office: 4 years from November 2024

Arbi is a finance professional with over 15 years experience working in the investment banking sector. He has held a number of roles across the sector including regulatory and capital management. Arbi is a graduate from the University of Warwick and outside of work he has a keen interest in travel. 

Term of office: 4 years from October 2025

Education Sub-Committee

Stuart Holmes has been a modern languages teacher since 2004 having graduated in German with French from Newcastle University. He has had a variety of both pastoral and curriculum roles within middle and senior leadership; he is currently Assistant Headteacher at a local secondary school, where he is the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead. 

Throughout his time in schools Stuart has been particularly interested in developing the work schools' work around equality and diversity and providing young people enrichment experiences outside of the classroom. 

Term of office: 4 years from February 2026

Jill, until her retirement, was an Access Arrangement Assessor for Malden Oaks and Chessington School. Prior to that she held various roles for Kingston Local Authority: SEN Advisory Teacher, Parent Partnership Officer and Educational Consultant. Jill has also been a Specialist SEN and Literacy Teacher.

Term of office: 4 years from September 2023

Samira Gani is the staff member on the Management Committee. She joined Malden Oaks in September 2025 and has a strong passion for teaching and learning, advocating for students and supporting them to achieve their potential. Prior to joining Malden Oaks, she worked in a specialist setting, teaching students with Severe Learning Difficulties, Autism and Complex Needs. With over 9 years’ experience in education, she has a strong interest in developing inclusive practice, supporting the individual needs of students and ensuring that their voices and experiences are valued. She is committed to continually developing her own practice and sharing knowledge with colleagues to support positive outcomes for students and the wider school community.

Term of office: 4 years from September 2026

Robert has been a member of the Management Committee since 2015. Previously a senior civil servant in the Department for Education, Cabinet Office and Ofsted, Robert was awarded the CBE in 2008. He has been governor of a comprehensive school, a special school and Kingston University, and a non-executive with a national children’s charity: he finds his involvement with Malden Oaks the most rewarding of all. Robert is married with three grown-up children, and lives within cycling distance of Malden Oaks.

Term of office : Associate member from Sept 2023

Liz is a senior civil servant and has held a number of roles in government, specialising in strategy and policy.  Having previously worked in social policy research at universities, Liz worked in education policy at the Department for Education for many years, before moving to the Department of Health. She is an experienced governor having supported two other local schools over recent years.

Term of office: 4 years from October 2025

Finbarr Leahy
Parent Member

Finbarr’s son is a Year 10 student at Malden Oaks. He is an assistant Cub Leader in New Malden and enjoys being outdoors and keeping fit. His other child is in Year 11 in another school in the borough.

Finbarr work as a legal professional in the public sector. He’s had a varied legal career, working in London, Germany and Cyprus. His experience has included work relating to the education and safeguarding of the children of Armed Forces personnel. He has also served on the Board of Governors of his children’s primary school.

Prior to joining the public sector, Finbarr worked in maritime law and before that, trained at sea in the maritime sector, gaining the MCA Class 1 Master Mariner Certificate of Competence. Finbarr’s early career included seagoing service with P&O, progressing from Deck Cadet to Second Officer.

Term of office: 1 year from March 2026