As Headteacher of St Edward’s Catholic Primary School since Sep 2020, I am also a member of the Governing Body.  Previous to this, I was Headteacher and a Governor for 14 years at both St Winefride’s in Manor Park and St Mary’s in Hornchurch.   I became a teacher in Sep 1996, following a successful career in the City of London, working as an International Sugar Trader for Tate and Lyle Sugars.

I am delighted to work with our Governors, helping to shape the strategic vision of our school and ensure that we keep improving in every aspect.  We represent the community of staff, parents/ carers and parishioners to develop our pupils as confident, happy, secure young people, willing to engage in sharing their faith, culture and beliefs.  We work closely with our partners in the Multi Academy Trust and other local schools. 

We look to create our school as a happy, caring, spiritual, respectful and hardworking environment, with the Catholicity at the heart of everything we do.  We develop the staff so that they can utilise their skills to enable the children in their care to recognise their true potential and talents. As a Catholic community, we endeavour to celebrate the successes of our children in all areas of school life, with Jesus at our heart.

Our vision for the school is that we develop the ‘whole child’ to ensure that the needs of every one of our children are met and that each child is given a wealth of experience and opportunities across the whole curriculum.

My name is Mark O'Halloran and I have lived in Newham my whole life. Professionally, I'm employed as a ward manager in the NHS. I first became aware of St Edward’s school a number of years ago when my sons attended there. At St Edward’s the teaching staff played such a crucial role in my son’s upbringing and all round development, plus they enjoyed going to school so much. When my daughter was old enough to start nursery, there was clearly no choice, it had to be at St Edward’s. Watching how much care and respect the staff have for the children is incredible.

I volunteered at St Edward’s and was lucky enough to be appointed as a governor. I chose to be a governor because I wanted to play my part in the parish and I believe I have transferable skills from my nursing career that would support my role as a governor. So far, being a governor has been very rewarding with opportunities for supporting the senior leadership team and teaching teams.

St. Edward’s Catholic Primary School has always been at the heart of our community, closely connected to Our Lady of Compassion. Having lived and worked here all my life, I’m passionate about supporting the people and partnerships that make our community thrive.

With over 15 years’ experience in the local authority, working in strategy, employment and skills, I bring expertise in contract management, performance, and quality assurance. As Vice Chair Governor, I’m committed to using these skills to support the Headteacher, staff, and the senior leadership team, to deliver highest standards of teaching to our children. 

My goal is to see St. Edward’s continue to flourish as a place of faith, learning, and opportunity, where every child is supported to reach their full potential.

For me, being a governor is about helping schools to be more cost effective and giving children a better experience. Traditionally, I think it’s seen as an older person’s role. But being a younger governor brings with it different views and lots of energy is a key part of moving it all forward. Now that my own child attends St Edwards School, I want to make a positive difference to not just my child's future, but to other children too. I think I bring diversity to the governing board, which is important because the school is very diverse and encourages inclusion. That’s a big strength, and it’s one I want to see grow.

I have been a Foundation Governor for 4 years and I have a strong commitment to make sure that there are high aspirations for the children.

As an ex - St Edward's pupil, I am proud to say that the school provided me with a fantastic foundation. My background is in Banking and Finance and I have worked in various financial institutions for many years. I bring a range of skills to the role and my aim is to continue to ensure the clarity of vision , ethos and strategic direction of St Edwards.

I have been teaching for over 32 years, initially in London and for sixteen years in independent and international schools. I have been teaching at St. Edwards for the last eight years and I currently lead Writing across the school. Although I have a particular interest in E.A.L. and foreign languages, I have led most subjects over the years. I am ambitious for the children I teach and the school as a whole.