Meet the Governors

Responsibility of a School Governing Board

The governing board is the school’s legally accountable body and must operate in the best interests of the school. The task of the governing board is to lead the school strategically, focusing on the three core functions;

1. Ensuring clarity of the vision, ethos and strategic direction.

2. Holding the executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school(s) and its pupils and the effective and efficient performance management of staff.

3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school(s) and making sure that its money is well spent

Fox Hill School has a constitution of 14 governors, of which a minimum of 2 must be represented by the parent body and the term of office for each governor is usually held for 4 years.

Staff Governors and Parent Governors are elected by a ballot of the communities they represent;  LA (Local Authority) and Co-opted Governors are appointed by the Governing Board. Governors and the Clerk to the Governors may be contacted via the school address and phone number.

Miss K. Lane - Headteacher 

I am the proud Headteacher of Fox Hill Primary School. I joined Fox Hill in September 2021. I have worked in education for over 20 years, mainly as part of the Primary and Middle School phase. I work with and alongside our dedicated Governors to ensure the strategic planning of the school is well thought through, reviewed and positively impacts the school’s stakeholders. I sit on every committee panel and invite my senior leaders to support in giving evidence and providing information about their area of expertise. We work collaboratively to make a difference to the children we serve, ensuring that the children receive the very best education and experiences.

Dr Roy Bailey – Local Authority Governor (Co-Chair)

I am a former Thames Valley Police Superintendent, college/university lecturer and business consultant and also a professionally qualified teacher and criminologist. I have published several papers on policing and the wider criminal justice system. I have been a governor for over 30 years in schools across Bracknell Forest. Currently, I am Co-Chair at Fox Hill with Kathryn Evans, where I have served for over 10 years with three different headteachers. I am also a former Borough and Town councillor, with education being part of my remit. I am passionate about delivering the very best education for all pupils at Fox Hill, to enable them to reach their potential and to give them the confidence they need to succeed. I sit on the Resources Committee, the Pay Committee and the Headteacher's Performance Management Panel.

Kathryn Evans – Co-opted Governor (Co-Chair)

I am the Co-Chair of Governors alongside Dr Roy Bailey and Vice Chair of the Resources Committee. I also sit on the Headteacher's Performance Management Panel. Governors are volunteers, I volunteer because I care about education and the pupils of our community and want to be a part of that environment. I first became a governor back in 2009 at another Bracknell Forest School where my two children attended.  We had recently adopted our children and I wanted to be able to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds at a strategic level through the knowledge skills and experience I gained as an adoptive parent to ensure all children, irrespective of their starting points, could thrive in a stimulating and nurturing environment. I continued my governance journey by taking on a second governor role at Fox Hill Primary School in 2017.  I now devote my time to Fox Hill only, alongside working full time in an educational environment as an HR Manager in Surrey.

Peter Greenaway - Parent Governor (Vice Chair)

I am the Vice Chair of Governors and also a member of the Resources committee. In addition to this my governor role extends to Health & Safety, Sites and Buildings.  

I have worked in the Construction industry for almost 25 years as a Quantity Surveyor and more recently as a business owner/Director and my working life has always had a very strong link to projects within the Education sector. I joined as a Governor at Fox Hill in 2019 to give something back to a sector that had provided so many working opportunities for me over the years. I have lived in and around the local area for my entire life and I’m proud to be a volunteer at this school and the role it plays in supporting the wider community.  

Bellal Aziz - Parent Governor

I am in my first term as parent governor.  As well as being a local resident I have 2 young children, 1 of which is a student at Fox Hill. I am employed in the public sector in London, which has given me a variety of skills which I am keen to share with the school. I have a personal interest in the success of the school and its pupils, which motivates me to add the right value to the established governing board. My heritage is from a British Asian family which has allowed me to experience different cultures and speak a variety of languages. I am a keen Cricketer and enjoy travelling with my family.

Stephanie Wynter (She/her/hers) - Co-opted Governor 

I am a dedicated individual, who brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to my role as the Equalities Governor at Fox Hill Primary School. With a background in high level business administration, Digital Skills Training, Virtual Events, and lived life experiences amongst Black Asian Minority and Ethnics (BAME) groups, those with mental illness, learning disabilities, visual and audio impairments people, I bring a unique perspective to the school's governing board. In addition to my professional experience, I am deeply committed to giving back to my local community and also my peers as I also serve as an Advisory Board member at Microsoft (MCAB), the Executive Personal Assistant Association (EPAA) and I work for the NHS. I'm a great advocate for diversity and inclusion and have a passion for speaking up and providing support for marginalized communities. I am poised to make a significant strategic impact as a governor at the school, helping to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.

Gemma Donnelly – Co-opted Governor

I have worked in primary education for 20 years, moving from teacher to SENDCO, Senior Leader and have been a Head teacher for 9 years. I have sat on the governing body of other schools for 15 years and have been at Fox Hill since 2021. 

I am passionate about ensuring schools offer the best possible provision for the children they serve and value the opportunity to work strategically with schools to improve outcomes for children. I believe I can use my professional knowledge and skills to support school leadership teams in driving improvement through offering both support and challenge. 

At Fox Hill I support particularly with Maths, Pupil Premium and behaviour. 

Susan Cahill - Co-opted Governor

I am Chair of the Resources Committee and governor with responsibility for SEN. I am also on the Headteacher’s Performance Management Panel. Many years ago, I started my working life as a primary school teacher in a deprived area of east London. The Education system was different then in many ways (it’s much better now) but the importance of primary education in giving children the best possible start in life, was the same. I didn’t stay in teaching and spent the rest of my career in IT the greater part of it in Senior Management. I worked mainly in the private sector, but also for the Civil Service and a local authority. On retiring from full time work I became a consultant and took part in a government review of local authority operations and consulted on the implementation of a management system for Children’s Services, which opened my eyes to issues around child protection. When I retired from paid work, I became a magistrate for 12 years sitting in both Adult and Youth courts which gave me an insight into the circumstances and influences that can lead young people to appear in court. I became a governor at Fox Hill in 2018 and I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to the school achieving its goals.

Paul Bidwell - Co-opted Governor

I joined Fox Hill as a Governor at the end of 2021. I have three children, three step-children, twin grandchildren and two more expected this year. There are three dogs in the immediate family including my gorgeous white retriever. I’m a Borough Councillor for Easthampstead (Old Bracknell) and a Town Councillor for Priestwood. I’m also Chair of Age Concern Bracknell. My day job is as a Project Manager for Pinkertons. I have been waiting to be a School Governor for a few years now as I feel I can bring many years of business experience (I have my own consultancy) to the role. However, my recent experience has instilled a real interest in how Fox Hill children develop, having attended reading sessions and more recently the School Council. It never ceases to amaze me the common sense that is spoken by children, even at this age. As I have got to grips with the Education “lingo” I will now sit on the Pay Committee and Governors Disciplinary Committee as well being the Science Governor. I look forward to meeting more children and engaging with the PTA.

Cherise Welch – Co-opted Governor 

I started as a Governor at Fox Hill in December 2021 and I am also a member of the Resources committee. I moved to Bracknell over 5 years ago with my partner and I wanted to find opportunities to give back to the community I live in which is I volunteered as a Governor.  

I work for a medium sized pharmaceutical company within a business operations role which involves handling a lot of issues and tight budgets which are skills I can offer as a Governor.  

I care very much about seeing the best in our schools and offering my knowledge and skills to help the staff and children at Fox Hill.  

Guy Williams - Co-opted Governor

I am the Safeguarding Governor at Fox Hill and have been a co-opted Governor since 2018; I am also Chair of the Pay Committee. Outside of Fox Hill, I am the Deputy Head Pastoral and Designated Safeguarding Lead at Reading Blue Coat School, an independent senior school just outside Reading. I have previously worked at Wellington College as Head of Sixth Form and Head of Philosophy and Religion. I have also worked in examining, curriculum design, and educational publishing. When I’m not teaching or being a Governor, I like to spend time with my family, cook, and practice karate.

Julie Goodchild - Co-opted Governor

I joined Fox Hill as a governor in March 2022 and I sit on the Resources Committee. I have lived in the local area for a very long time.  I am a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, qualified back in 1994 in practice and gained a wealth of experience on audits including local schools. Since then I have worked in commerce and predominately in the software sector for the last 20 years.  I work cross functionally across different teams and have had a responsibility for nurturing, mentoring and developing teams and colleagues to attend their accountancy qualifications. I am passionate about developing others to obtain their goals and dreams.

Hannah Prior - Staff Governor

I have been a member of staff at Fox Hill School since February 2018 where I currently work as an HLTA across the 7 year groups. My role involves covering Teachers planning and preparation time, as well as providing speech and language interventions, working with children from reception to year 6. I am fully supportive of the long-term plans for Fox Hill and through my current role, can offer the governing body the staffs’ perspective of the practical outworking of these plans. I have 4 children, all of whom have attended Fox Hill, with my youngest currently in year 6. I am studying for a BA (hons) in Children’s Learning and Development at University of Reading where I am in my final year. My dissertation focuses on the wellbeing of staff which I hope will actively support teaching staff within the school and help inform strategic planning for Governors.

Francesca Ellison - Associate Member

I have been Deputy Headteacher at Fox Hill since September 2019 and an Associate Member since November 2019. Following a Year 10 work experience placement in my old Primary School, I knew that I wanted to teach and have been privileged to since qualifying in 2008. I am passionate about leading whole school changes and ensuring that all children succeed, both academically and holistically. Fortunately, my role allows me to teach and spend time with children across every year group at Fox Hill in a wide variety of capacities: helping at break or lunchtime duties; running clubs or interventions; organising and attending sporting events and other trips or visits; covering classes or as a Class Teacher. The children, parents / carers, staff and governors quickly became my Fox Hill Family, and I am dedicated to ensuring that Fox Hill enables children to embody our values of Kindness, Self-Belief, Curiosity and Pride as well as ensuring that they have a rich, positive education and memorable experience during their time at Fox Hill. I sit on the Resources Committee as well as attending Full Governors meetings.

Vacancies

We have a vacancy for a Co-opted Governor. If you are interested in any vacancies, please contact the Clerk on clerk@foxhillschool.co.uk