Who are our Governors?

Chris Pine - Co-opted Governor, Chair of Governors

I recently moved to Bracknell Forest having lived in the area previously for 10 years. I am an experienced governor and worked with Central Bedfordshire council as a Governor with three local schools. I work in IT as a Project Manager and have been contracting for the past 12 years after having run and sold a successful software business. I am also a Non-Executive Director for a start-up business. 

Gill Birch - LA Governor, Vice Chair of Governors

I have lived in Bracknell Forest for 38 years and have been proud to be one the governors of The Pines for over 10 years. I am a local councillor representing Hanworth for the Borough Council, a Birch Hill Bracknell Town Councillor and a retired teacher. On the borough council I am the Scrutiny Chair for Children, Education and Growth so I bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to The Pines.

Currently I am Vice-Chair of the governors and Chair of the Curriculum, Children and Learning committee.

However, my favourite role is being a grandparent to a grandson of 8 years, twins of 5 years and a toddler of 15 months and they keep me grounded and in touch with the aspirations and innovations of young people today.

Paul Jordan - Parent Governor

I am in my second 4 year term as a governor. I have 3 children - 2 currently at The Pines in Years 2 and 4 and my eldest daughter left last year and is currently in Year 7. I am the Director of my own Training Consultancy business and have lived locally all my life and attended school in Bracknell.  I joined The Pines as a governor as I was keen to offer my help and support the school and children.  I am bringing my experiences from a business perspective rather than an educational background and am driven by being able to support the school through the challenging times we have found ourselves in and to try and make a difference. I am a member of the Children, Curriculum & Learning Committee, the Pay & Personnel Committee and I sit on the Head Teacher Performance Management Panel. I am also the PE/Sports premium governor as I have a keen interest in all sports, especially football and golf.

Philip Cereda – Parent Governor

I have been a Parent Governor at The Pines school since July 2019, I have 4 children at the school currently in years ranging from Nursery through to Year 4. I saw joining the governing body as fantastic opportunity to support the leadership of the school to achieve its aim of ‘be your BEST’ and ensure the very best education for the pupils of the school. I joined at a time of a change with a new Head Teacher recently appointed and a number of new Governors, but this has meant we have all been able to grow together and support each other. I sit on Finance & Resources, Pay & Personnel and also chair the Head Teachers Performance Management. I have been in the Water Industry for approximately 15 years managing teams, budgets and most recently dealing with contract governance and use this experience within the governing body.

Kate Davies – Ex Officio Governor, Headteacher 

I have been the Headteacher at The Pines since September 2019 and am an ex-officio member of the governing body. I have worked in Bracknell Forest for the last 10 years in primary schools covering all age ranges. I have been a parent governor at my children’s school and an associate member at my previous school. I am passionate about education and ensuring that all children have access to a high quality, engaging curriculum. I am thrilled to be the Headteacher of this wonderful school and am determined to make the school even better.

I have two children of my own, one in primary and one in secondary. I enjoy spending quality time with my family at the weekends and walking my dog. I feel it is important to have this time to rejuvenate. I look forward to continuing to   serve our community, working alongside our governors. I sit on all of the committees and attend all meetings.

Katy Drury (Mrs Drury) – Staff Governor

I qualified as a primary teacher in July 2008 and excitedly started my first year teaching at The Pines School in September. I have not left. I am committed to our school and wish for all our pupils to feel valued and see their potential whilst immersing themselves in an engaging curriculum that provides them with aspirations and life-long learning skills. Having been a staff governor for just over a year now, I am continuing to learn new things, be inspired and look forward to being able to keep strengthening our school community. 

Sharon Elliott-Walker – Co-opted Governor

I have been a teacher for the past 17 years, prior to that I worked supporting children with hearing and visual impairments. As a qualified teacher, with a Masters in Education, I feel that I can bring a wealth of experience regarding both teaching pedagogy and meeting the learning needs of the pupils at our school. As a SENco and SLE (Specialist Leader in Education) I have been seconded into several schools in Bracknell, so I have a good knowledge of the different schools in the area. I was seconded into The Pines to support the SENCo in 2017. I was part of the new leadership team, and I can see the school’s potential. Along with the other governors I am committed to ensure that our school continues to offer all pupils the very best start in life ensuring they reach their full potential. I am looking forward to working as a governor and I hope that my contribution will help the school as it moves onwards and upwards. 

Anna Kempster - Co-opted Governor                                                                                                                 Co-opted to The Pines School Governing Board in February 2019, I have two children who have attended The Pines School, the youngest is still there and loves it. I work at another school, leading IT strategy and providing IT systems for parents, staff and pupils, which intensified during the challenging remote learning requirements of the pandemic. My experience within the education system is nearly 15 years long and I am proud to provide any help and support I can to both my wonderful schools. 

Jane Gow - Co-opted Governor                                                                                                               I have lived and worked in the Bracknell area since 1997. I have over thirty years of experience as a primary school teacher including extensive experience in school leadership as a serving Head Teacher. As a result I have been involved in school governance for fifteen years and I am now very proud to be a Governor at The Pines.  

Currently I sit on the Curriculum, Children and Learning committee and I am the Safeguarding Governor for The Pines.

Lee Allen - Co-opted Governor                                                                                                                                   I joined The Pines governors as a Co-opted Governor in January 2022. I have lived in Bracknell for over 40 years and was a pupil at The Pines in the 1980's. The education I received at the The Pines was a critical first step in achieving my goal of becoming a scientist. I am a molecular biologist by training and have worked in the biotechnology industry for nearly 20 years. I want every child that attends the school to have the same opportunities that I did. My two nieces attend The Pines in Reception and Year 4. Although I am relatively new to being a school governor, I am passionate about every child having a school environment which helps them learn the behaviours, skills and knowledge they will need to achieve their own hopes and goals.

Emily Hicks – Associate Member, Deputy Headteacher

I am the Deputy Head at The Pines and am an Associate Member of the Governing Body. I joined the school in September 2019 and have particular responsibility for Teaching and Learning. I am passionate about the curriculum and about ensuring that our children receive the best and most relevant learning opportunities to enable them to be successful in the future. I also have a keen interest in improving Quality First Teaching and am privileged to be in the position to be able to support the development of our staff in this area. I attend all Full Governing Body meetings and am also on the Curriculum, Children and Learning committee.

Declaration of Interests of the Governing Board of The Pines School 2021-2022

As from September 2015, governing bodies are under a legal duty to publish the register of interest for Governor and Associate members.  The following interests have been declared;

 Date amended 21/2/2022

Register of Attendance for the last academic year 2020 - 2021

We currently have 1 vacancy for a Co-opted Governor