Meet the Governors
Natalie Wilson (Headteacher, Wheatley Nursery School – Governor ex-officio)
Natalie is a member of the Resources Committee, the Teaching, Learning, & Safeguarding Committee, the Pay
Committee and the Transition Working Party.
She is the headteacher of both Wheatley Nursery School and Headington Quarry Foundation Stage School. Prior to her appointment to Wheatley Nursery School in September 2022, Natalie provided support to the then leadership of the school as well as taking on the role of special educational needs coordinator. Before becoming the headteacher of Headington Quarry Foundation Stage School, she was the early years lead in an Oxfordshire Primary School and has worked with the Local Authority supporting early years.
Tom Pegler (Executive Headteacher, John Watson School)
Tom Pegler (Executive Headteacher, John Watson School – Governor Ex Officio)
Tom is a member of the Resources Committee, the Teaching, Learning & Safeguarding Committee, the Pay Committee and the Transition Working Party.
He has worked in in education for over 25 years and has been a senior leader in both mainstream and SEND sectors. He has been a successful Headteacher in two SEND provisions and Director of Education at a national SEND charity. In addition to his Interim Headteacher role at John Watson School, Tom is CEO of Propeller Academy Trust, which has three SEND schools in Oxfordshire.
Lynn Wong (Chair of Governors) (Co-Opted Governor)
Lynn is Chair of Governors, Chair of the Transition Working Party, Chair of the Headteacher Appraisal Sub-Committee, a member of the Resources Committee and the Pay Committee.
She is an experienced corporate adviser who has had an international career with a successful track record in both the legal and financial services industry. Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales and as an Attorney & Counselor at Law in New York, Lynn has practiced as a lawyer at a leading international law firm and worked in venture capital, private equity, hedge funds and investment banking. She co-founded a medical technology company and is a senior adviser to several financial services firms and early stage technology companies.
Lynn’s roles have ranged from group general counsel to chief operating officer, managing partner and board director, both executive and non-executive and she has extensive experience in advising on the development of good corporate governance practices and accountability. In these roles, Lynn has represented and advised high net worth individuals, early stage companies of all types, investment funds, asset managers, global investment banks and multinational corporations.
Her experience spans the breadth of regulation, risk, investments, financial markets trading, structured finance, corporate governance, corporate affairs and mergers and acquisitions. She has also served as a trustee of a philanthropic foundation, as a goodwill ambassador to Wellchild, the national charity for seriously ill children, and as an adviser to individuals in the entertainment and media industry, the third sector and a social enterprise.
Liz Elsom (Vice-Chair of Governors) (Co-Opted Governor)
Liz Elsom is the Vice-Chair of Governors, Chair of the Teaching, Learning & Safeguarding Committee, a member of the Headteacher Appraisal Sub-Committee, a member of the Transition Working Party, the Safeguarding Governor, Whistleblowing Governor and Attendance Governor.
She is an early years consultant who has a long history of supporting quality in the early years. Liz worked for Ofsted for fourteen years, in various roles including inspection framework development, training inspectors and latterly as head of early years policy. Since taking early retirement in 2013 Liz has worked as a consultant on various early years projects in England and internationally. She has a keen interest in building links in the local community and is currently a governor at Wheatley Primary School and a trustee of the Maple Tree children’s centre.
Clea Lees (Co-Opted Governor)
Clea is a member of the Resources Committee.
She has had a long connection with the school, with over 13 years teaching experience across the age range and has been on the governing body since 2015 as a co-opted governor. Clea is a part time teacher at the school, based on the primary site, with a particular interest in family and community engagement.
Lois ward (Staff Governor)
Lois is a member of the Teaching, Learning and Safeguarding Committee and the Equality Governor.
She joined John Watson School in September 2018 and is a Key Stage 1 teacher and part of the extended leadership team. Lois was initially a Teaching Assistant and progressed to the role of Higher Level Teaching Assistant in KS1. Lois completed a degree in Psychology in Barbados and, during this time, volunteered at a special school. She moved to the UK in 2016 and has worked in schools in Oxford.
Samuel Gormley (Parent Governor)
Samuel is Chair of the Resources Committee and is a member of the Pay Committee and the Pupil Premium Governor.
He joined the governing body as a parent governor in October 2021. Samuel is a qualified account with more than 20 years working experience. He has always been passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, joining Leo’s and Lions International in his teens and volunteering with Rotary international for a short while.
Samuel grew up in South Africa and prior to moving to the UK 7 years ago, worked for TAFTA (The Association For The Aged) as Divisional Manager of Finance and Divisional Manager of Admin and Income Development. Samuel also holds a fractional appointment with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he works as the Director of Operations for the Health Economics and HIV/Aids Research Division, working on strategic projects and partnerships and overseeing the finance department.
In the UK, Samuel is employed as finance manager of two companies based in Oxford. He previously served on a school board in South Africa at the Browns School and also served as a board member for the African Capacity Alliance based in Nairobi, Kenya.
James Keeley (Parent Governor)
James is the SEND governor, he is also a member of the Teaching, Learning and Safeguarding Committee the Resources Committee and the Pay Committee.
He joined the governing body as a parent governor in October 2021. James has had a career as a researcher, consultant and project manager, focusing on agriculture in Africa, and China and international development. After graduating, he spent four years as a VSO language teacher in China, before returning to the UK to undertake postgraduate study, and then to work as a researcher at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. He recently relocated to the UK with his family after ten years in Ethiopia and China, where he managed a collaboration between the UK and Chinese governments supporting agricultural development in Africa. He was previously a Senior Researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development. He speaks Mandarin.
James has two daughters, one in the senior school at John Watson. He likes gardening, swimming in the local river and playing guitar, which his family tolerate.
Emily Thumbadoo (Parent Governor) 
Emily joined the governing body as a parent governor in October 2024. She is a doctor working in Obstetrics and Gynaecology locally. Growing up in Wheatley she has a long history with the nursery, and after moving to London to train and start her career as a doctor she returned to the village 2019 where her oldest daughter now attends the nursery.
Sara Atkins (Parent Governor)
Sara was elected as a parent governor in October 2024.
She has been a Consultant Plastic Surgeon at the Oxford University Hospitals
NHS Trust since 2014. She has significant experience in trauma and childrens
reconstructive surgery, both from time in Oxford, Yorkshire and internationally.
She has more recently co-founded a scar and laser skin company situated in Wheatley.
Sara’s roles have ranged from governance, to leadership and operational
management. She is an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons helping
maintain standards for future surgeons and is currently the lead for Plastic
Surgery Trauma at the Oxford Major Trauma Centre at the John Radcliffe.
Many of the skills and experience from her surgical work and her passion for
improving complex health systems are translatable to the school setting.
Jemima Coleman (Co-opted governor)
Jemima is a member of the Teaching and Learning Committee 
Jemima is a Partnerships Coordinator and Teacher of English at Magdalen College School and developed a relationship with John Watson in 2021 when she delivered drama workshops at the primary school. Jemima completed a degree in English and Education Studies at Durham University, and went on to complete a Diploma in Education at Northumbria University. She taught Maths in Stockton-on-Tees for two years before moving to Oxford in 2020 to work at MCS. Jemima is particularly passionate about sustainability and environmental education, as well as broadening access to drama and the arts.
Frances Burnett (Teaching, Learning & Safeguarding Committee and Joint Well Being Governor)
Frances is a Public Health Registrar working in the Thames Valley, who has previously worked in healthcare commissioning and as a manager and clinical audiologist in the NHS. She has a focus on health equity and the relationship between health and education.
Shah Chaudhry – Co-Opted Governor – Appointed 27th September 2021 – resigned 14th November 2023
Elena Hesse – Local Authority Governor – Appointed 7th July 2020 – resigned 15th December 2022
Stephen Passey – John Watson Headteacher – Appointed 1st September 2013 – resigned 31st December 2023