Welcome to the Westburn Te Kura o Hereora School Board's webpage

School Boards were established with the introduction of Tomorrow’s Schools in 1989. They consist of elected, selected and/or co-opted members from the school community and their role is to govern the school. The Board is responsible for establishing goals and priorities and ensuring that the Principal has the necessary resources to manage the school day-to-day.

Board meeting minutes are available on request from admin@westburn.school.nz

2024 BOARD MEMBERS

Chair/Presiding Member 

Leith Skinner

Board Members

Tamsyn Isherwood

Ilda Nogueira

Stephen Spence 

Catherine Woodward

Staff Trustee

Lynne Shears

Principal-Tumuaki 

Susan Jennison

Board Secretary

Aleisha Seller

BOARD PROFILES

Leith Skinner - Presiding Member

Kia ora, Westburn Te Kura O Hereora

Ko Ruāwahia te maunga

Ko Te Awa o Te Atua te awa

Ko Te Arawa te waka

Ko Ngāti Rangitihi te iwi

Ko Leith Skinner tōku ingoa

I have been involved with the Westburn Board since 2020. Recently taking the role of Presiding Member has allowed me to embrace the leadership core I hold as a strong value. I enjoy being involved in the governance of Westburn; we have a strong team throughout the kura and this is a strength. Our vision of Todays’ Learners, Tomorrow's Leaders, together with our values, underpins our Westburn kura community, providing strength in leadership.

I am a Senior Quantity Surveyor for a Tier 1 main contractor and bring leadership, commercial acumen and governance experience to the Board table. I am committed to developing and strengthening our existing School Board, establishing and maintaining a strong link between the Board and operational staff, these being the leadership team, teachers, and support staff throughout the kura.

I have two sons at Westburn, one in Year 2 and my eldest in Year 4. I enjoy getting involved and seeing my sons grow throughout the years, seeing Westburn's values shine through strongly as the years progress. I have a passion for music and have played drums since the age of 10 years old. I also enjoy a healthy amount of time on walks throughout bush/hill tracks in my spare time.

I am excited about being involved in this journey and seeing Westburn grow and thrive as the years go on.

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui

Be strong, be brave, be steadfast

Nga mihi nui, kia koutou katoa

Leith

Tamsyn Isherwood

Kia ora e te whānau. Ko Tamsyn tōku ingoa. I am thrilled to be a part of Westburn’s Board. After spending three wonderful years living in Penang, Malaysia, where my husband taught at an International School, my family and I returned to Christchurch in mid-2021. Since then, my children have attended Westburn School and are thoroughly enjoying it. They both settled in so quickly and have formed solid friendships with their peers. I appreciate the welcoming feel of the school and community, which is why I wanted to be a part of Westburn School’s Board. I have a background in radio and currently work at Perennial, a local sport and turf equipment company. As a new member of the Board, I bring a fresh perspective and look forward to contributing positively to the strategic governance of Westburn School.

Ilda Nogueira 

My name is Ilda Nogueira and I am standing for the Board of Trustees for Westburn School. I am the mother of a boy attending Year Two at Westburn School. I have two older daughters - the younger one attending Year 10 at Burnside High School and the oldest one doing First Year at the University of Canterbury. I have a Degree in Economics (ISCED 7) and I have worked for the last 20 years in Accounting. In both overseas and in New Zealand, I worked for an array of small and medium companies, from several areas of businesses and services, working with people from many diverse backgrounds. My family and I are originally from Portugal and moved to Christchurch 6 years ago when my husband, a Geotechnical Engineer, was offered a job in the rebuild. Christchurch is now our home and none of us is planning to move anywhere else anytime soon - we are very aware of how lucky we are to live in this city. Westburn is a very diverse school. There are children from over 30 different countries; many of the parents have been born overseas and are learning about the education system in New Zealand at the same time that their children are learning how to read and write and to understand the school values. I know how a wonderful but scary experience it is, as I've been living it myself for the past 6 years. 

I believe I may bring into the BOT the perspective of a mother reconciling her own education experience with the education her children are having, grateful to be a part of such an inclusive community and wanting to help all and each one of the children to make the best of their time at Westburn.

Stephen Spence

I am a Christchurch local and have two children at Westburn School, a daughter in Year 6 and a son in Year 8. I am a Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Directors and I look forward to using my commercial and governance experience for the benefit of the school. In my spare time, my interests include spending time with family and friends, sports, the outdoors, and DIY projects.

Catherine Woodward

Kia ora e te whānau

Ko Rimutaka te Maunga e rū nei taku ngākau 

Rimutaka is the mountain that speaks to my heart

Ko Te Awa Kairangi te awa, e māhea nei ōku māharahara 

Te Awa Kairangi the Hutt River is the river that alleviates my worries

He Pākēha ahau 

I am Pakeha

Nō Ingarangi ahau 

I am from England

Ko Woodward me Mann ōku whānau 

My families are Woodward and Mann

E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o te mana whenua, e noho ne ahau 

I recognise the ancestral and spiritual landmarks of the people where I live

Ko Catherine tōku ingoa 

My name is Catherine

Tena koutou katoa

I am privileged to serve the Westburn Te Kura o Hereora community through my membership on your School Board. I have two children at Westburn, in Years 2 & 5 (2024).

I was born in Bristol, England, and after moving between England and Australia during my infancy, my parents settled our family in Lower Hutt. Following my school and undergraduate university years in Lower Hutt and Wellington, I headed to the UK for a few years, living and working in Brighton and London. On my return to New Zealand in the pursuit of postgraduate education, I promptly met my future husband, Mike, and made Ōtautahi Christchurch my home in early 2010. 

Mike and I are both keen runners, and we also enjoy the occasional scuba dive when possible. I have always had a fascination with people – what makes us tick, and especially how we work together, and this fascination led me to study psychology at university, first at Victoria University of Wellington as an undergraduate, and later specialising in Industrial/ Organisational Psychology for a Master's degree through Massey University (distance learning). I have put this learning to use by working in Human Resources in various organisations for the last 13 years, most recently at Christchurch Airport. 

I am honoured to apply my subject matter fascination to the work of Westburn Te Kura o Hereora Board of Trustees.

Please click here for the 2024 Westburn Te Kura o Hereora Strategic Plan and most recent Annual Report

Please click here for the most recent ERO Report.