Governors

Kate has been elected as our Chair of Governors. Kate is a School Improvement Adviser in West Berkshire having been a teacher and then Headteacher in Reading for many years. She has 28 years of experience in the education sector. 

Kate has a grown-up son and two very grown-up stepsons and has lived in West Berkshire for 22 years. As someone who works within the local authority and lives in West Berkshire, Kate wants to see that the children within the authority are well supported and thrive and feels that one way to do this is through school governorship.

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 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).

Steve is a Teaching Assistant at the Willows and he is also the staff governor. Steve has worked at the school for over 10 years and enjoys his varied roles working alongside teachers to ensure that he supports children in their learning.

In his spare time, Steve enjoys watching sport, spending time with his family and listening to music. He has a very impressive collection of vinyl records!

We are looking for a Clerk to the Governors to support our Governing Board, to commence as soon as possible.

This is a part-time, permanent contract position with approximately 100 – 110 hours per annum. Salary Grade E, Point 7-12 (£24,294 - £26,421 per annum, pro-rata – equivalent to £12.59- £13.69 per hour) depending on experience and length of service within the local authority.

This is a key role providing administrative support to the governing board of The Willows Primary School, reporting to the Chair of Governors. This vital position ensures the effectiveness of the governing board by meeting the administrative and procedural requirements and enabling the board to fulfil its statutory responsibilities.

Principally, the Clerk is responsible for preparing agendas in consultation with the Chair of Governors and Headteacher; taking and writing up the minutes at governors’ meetings and distributing documentation and other information to the governing board. The Clerk will also need to become familiar with the DfE’s Clerking Competency Framework, the Governance Handbook and provide accurate advice to governors as necessary.

Currently, meetings are held once a month, after school hours meaning that willingness to attend evening meetings is essential. However, most of the administrative duties can be undertaken in the successful candidate’s own home.

The successful candidate will also be expected to attend induction training and some training sessions, provided by the Local Authority, which are held during the working day.

We require someone with good listening skills, together with an ability to successfully work independently and as part of a team. Good English, Maths and IT/Microsoft Office skills are also essential required attributes.

This role has been identified as public facing in accordance with part 7 of the Immigration Act 1977; the requirement to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English applies.

For an informal chat, please contact the Chair of Governors – Kate Parietti via email address kparietti@willows.w-berks.sch.uk with your telephone number and preferred time to call. An application form and job description can be sought via finance@willows.w-berks.sch.uk