Governor Biographies

Mrs Naureen Khalid - Chair

Naureen is married with three daughters who are or have been Newstead students. Naureen’s background is in education. She was a university lecturer before giving up work to start her family. 

Naureen has been heavily involved with Newstead, first as a member of the PTA’s Social Committee and the cover staff team, and then as a governor. She joined the governing body as a parent governor and is currently an appointed governor. 

Naureen is also a trustee in a local multi-academy trust. She is the author of a widely-read blog (Governing Matters) and regularly speaks about school governance at conferences. 

Mr Steve Penny - Vice Chair

After leaving the Royal Air Force as a Wing Commander, Steve joined Lockheed Martin as a communications engineer and was subsequently seconded to the US and UK governments, working in both London and Washington. He is currently working in the area of Information Security. Steve was initially educated at Warwick University and subsequently studied at London, Loughborough and Oxford Brookes universities. He is a STEM UCAS tutor for the Social Mobility Foundation, having completed a further degree with the Open University which included experience of teaching in secondary schools. Steve's interests include music (playing and composition), skiing and he is a commissioned officer in the Air Training Corps. 

Mr Solomon Ako-Otchere

Sol has nearly 20 years’ experience in finance, risk and governance. 

After graduating from the London School of Economics, Sol joined Mercer Consulting in their Investment and Pensions consultancy and later trained as a Chartered Accountant with the Audit Commission. 

Sol is currently a Senior Finance Manager with Public Health England. Previous roles have included Head of Audit for the UK Health Research Authority (HRA) and also the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). 

Sol is married with two children. 

Ms Eileen Xiaoyu Zhang 

Eileen is married with three daughters, the oldest of which currently attends Newstead Wood. Eileen studied in China, the United States and the United Kingdom. Eileen is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has worked in the financial services sector for the past 18 years. She currently works as an Analytical Manager at S&P Global Ratings, covering credit analysis for the public sector in Europe. 

Mrs Kate Owbridge

Kate has been in primary teaching since 1993, and in leadership since 1997. She first became a head in 2004, and has since been head in three schools, an executive head in a fourth, and supported two others in an interim capacity, across four local authorities and three Dioceses over 21 years. She is also a governor at a primary school, having previously chaired the governing body at her local village school. Having taken early retirement from headship, Kate still inspects for Ofsted, sits as a council member for the Chartered College of Teaching, and is a practising Anglican. Kate is an alumna of Newstead Wood School, class of 1988.

She is keen to share this extensive experience with others,  support all those teaching and leading in schools, so that every student has the absolute best chances in life.