Governors

Huw has been a member of the governing body at The Willows since May 2018 and is our Chair of Governors. In his previous job, Huw worked for West Berkshire council and was responsible, amongst other things, for collecting and analysing end of key stage results for primary schools. Previously he worked in the financial IT industry for a number of banks and data providers, and he also ran his own company for 15 years. He has many years’ experience in software development and data analysis.

Huw has two grown-up children who both attended Streatley School and The Downs. He was a parent governor then LA governor at Streatley. He has lived in Newbury for a number of years and he became a governor at The Willows to support his local school in providing the best possible educational opportunities for all children. In his spare time he “enjoys” running marathons and can be seen regularly pounding the local streets on his training runs.

Steve is a co-opted governor at the Willows School and is currently Vice-Chair of the Governing Board as well as the Finance Governor. Steve works in a Newbury based IT Company in a senior management role and is responsible for a number of functions including Account Management and IT Technical Support. He is involved in forecasting and budget management and enjoys the financial aspects of his job, which links nicely into overseeing the good financial management of The Willows School as a governor. Steve hopes that he can bring some of his business experiences to the Board of Governors and likewise learn something in return. Previous to becoming a school governor Steve was a Parish Councillor for many years and is also an active member of various clubs and volunteering groups in West berks.

In his spare time Steve is a self-confessed car fanatic and enjoys watching motor racing and supporting events such as the Newbury car show and organising events for a national car club.

Jo joined the Willows as Headteacher in September 2018, having worked with the school on a number of occasions in one of her previous roles as a School Improvement consultant for West Berkshire Local  Authority, responsible for Literacy, Assessment, Phonics and Gifted and Talented provision. Prior to her headship at the Willows, Jo was Headteacher at another West Berkshire school for 8 years.

Jo is dedicated to securing a high quality education and good outcomes for all children at The Willows. She strives to ensure that The Willows becomes a good school at its next Ofsted inspection as she believes this is what the children, parents and community of the school deserve.

Nikki is a co-opted governor and has a daughter who has attended The Willows, and after school club, since Nursery. She has an older son who attends St Barts School.

Nikki has nearly 20 years of experience in education and became a governor as she wanted to contribute to the life of her local school.  She trained as a secondary school teacher and has been Head of Department and Head of Inclusion / Special Needs Co-ordinator.  She managed a Pupil Referral Unit for children who were excluded, or at risk of exclusion, in West Berkshire for five years. She now works for Reading Borough Council in the Special Educational Needs and Disabled Children’s Team. She has a particular interest in supporting the education of learners with Autism and ADHD and those at risk of exclusion.  

In her spare time Nikki enjoys cooking, reading, music, comedy and yoga.

Chris is a newly elected parent governor and has a son who attends The Willows.  He was keen to contribute to the community and his local school so when an opportunity opened up to join the Willows governor’s he signed up!

 He has worked in Newbury for over 16 years, after graduating he settled in Newbury and has worked in I.T ever since. After several years in a role solving technical problems he then progressed onto managing several teams responsible for delivering technical services and end user support.

Chris enjoys getting out and about with the family, exploring new places and making memories. He is a keen runner, cyclist and swimmer and (prior to Covid) regularly attends triathlons around the country.

Sarah is a parent governor with two daughters at The Willows; as education is such an important aspect of their lives, she wants to play a part in making the school the best possible place for all pupils to learn. She has lived in Newbury for twenty years, and has had a varied career creating content and designing user interfaces for a number of software companies before becoming a full-time parent and freelance writer.

Spare time activities include reading, baking, long walks, and building Lego (with or without the children's help).

Mike is the Deputy Head of the Willows and he is also the staff governor. Prior to appointment at The Willows, he worked in 2 other West Berkshire schools gaining valuable experience across KS1 and the Early Years. He completed an MA in Education at Reading University in 2016 and has previously worked as a Local Authority EYFS moderator.

In his spare time, Mike enjoys travelling, cooking and participating in a wide variety of sports!