Meet the Governors

I am an experienced primary school leader with over 30 years in education and a passion for helping every child flourish both academically and personally. Having served as a Headteacher for over many years and led several schools through periods of transition and improvement, I am committed to creating a positive, nurturing environment where children, staff and families work together to achieve the very best outcomes. I believe in leading with integrity, compassion and high expectations, always keeping children's needs at the heart of every decision.

Samantha Ruddell- Headteacher (maternity leave)

I graduated from Reading University with a joint honours BAEd degree in Education Studies (Primary) and Music in 2013. I am in my 11th year of teaching and currently the Headteacher at Thomas Harding Junior School. I am passionate about the need to expose children to a wealth of knowledge and experiences through a thoughtful and well-designed curriculum, believing that every child should have an equal opportunity to a great education and support network. As a headteacher I am responsible for the overall management of a school and it is my responsibility to facilitate collaboration between the school and the governing body. I implement the strategic priorities of the governing board through the day-to-day management of the school and report back the strategic information that the board requires to ensure the school is doing its very best for every child. 

I graduated from Huddersfield University with a degree in Advertising, Media and Design Management. I soon realised that my passion was in teaching and for the world of education. Therefore, I then gained my Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from Leeds University. 

I only want the best for our future generations and love Thomas Harding's vision- 'Achievement through Aspiration.' Every child deserves to succeed and be aspirational. As the Deputy Headteacher and a staff governor of Thomas Harding, I know that I have an important role in supporting and shaping the strategic direction and priorities for the school. 

I'm a qualified solicitor, and a director at a large professional services firm. My career has spanned corporate, commercial, privacy and public sector legal practice, both in client-facing and internal teams. In a previous role I set up a charity and spent a few years running its legal function. I now lead a large team of lawyers and have a range of legal, regulatory and compliance responsibilities.

I was born and raised in Chesham, and have lived locally to Thomas Harding with my family for more than a decade. My two young kids have benefited immeasurably from their time at the school and I’m delighted to be able to contribute in a small way to its success and that of the children it nurtures.

I am delighted to be joining the team as a new parent governor for Thomas Harding. I have a daughter in Year 3 and have spent most of my career working in higher education and non-governmental organisations, with a focus on executive operations, project management and events.  Following ten years working in, and back packing through, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia I worked at SOAS, University of London, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the College of Law, and most recently in the portfolio office at the Royal College of Art.

My reason for wanting to become a Governor is because I am passionate about creating positive environments where children can learn, develop and belong. Having recently moved to Chesham I hope the skills and experiences I have can help to drive and shape the future of the school going forward.

For the past 10 years plus, Chris has worked for the John Lewis Partnership in a number of roles including sales, logistics and shrinkage, primarily at their flagship branch in central London. 

Since moving to Chesham he has stayed within the Partnership, but taking a role in compliance nearer to home. 

With nothing being more important than family and with two daughters, one of whom attends Thomas Harding, Chris answered the call to become a parent governor in order to support the school and the Trust, ensuring that his children, and all others that attend Thomas Harding, have the best experience possible.

I am a Secondary school teacher specialising in MFL with 15 years experience, currently teaching at a girls’ secondary school in Rickmansworth, following a PGCE at the Institute of Education and BA (Hons) degree in French and Italian from the University of Bristol. Prior to that, I worked at the British Council in London as the francophone lead on their Languages Assistants programme and in their think tank. I relocated to London following several years working in feature length film production in Paris.

More locally, I am on the committee of the Chiltern Film Society and complement secondary teaching with French sessions at nurseries in Chesham and in a bilingual school in Amersham.

My son is currently thriving in Year 5 at Thomas Harding school and my daughter will soon join from Elmtree school. It is a pleasure to be able to contribute in some way to nurturing this wonderful school community which has the best interests of its pupils at heart, academically, personally and socially.