Anneken Priesack has been a governor since Spring 2015 and has the following responsibilities:     Co-chair of the governing board and a member of the Head Teacher’s Performance Management Committee.

Anneken’s profile and views on being a governor:  Having been a governor for the school since 2015, I am really proud to have been part of the school’s journey to “Good”. I am passionate about education and enabling children to thrive and learn in a safe and happy environment.

In my day job I am a change and project manager; challenging the status quo and wanting to improve things is therefore part of my nature and what I aim to bring to the board to continuously build on what we are working for at Sandy Lane to improve our children’s future.

 Having grown up in a very different education system (I am originally from Germany) I wanted to become a governor to learn more about how the British system is structured. I liked the idea of being able to use my skills and knowledge to support the local community in this unique way.

I love the work of a governor. People working in education are incredibly passionate and I have learnt a lot from the people I worked with over the years and enjoyed using my experience and skills to support the school. 

Jenny Sachar has been a governor since May 2018 and has the following responsibilities:   Co-chair of the governing board together with governor responsibility for development and equality and diversity. Jenny is also a member of the Pay Committee. 

Jenny’s profile and views on being a governor:  I have lived in Bracknell for over twenty years and both my children attended primary and secondary schools in the borough. I have a keen interest in literacy and volunteer as a reading mentor at Sandy Lane.

I became a governor to help promote a partnership between home, school and community to develop life-long learners. The work is challenging but rewarding.

Ruth Bovill OBE has been a governor at since July 2018 and has the following responsibilities:  Vice-chair of the governing board, together with governor responsibility for safeguarding and health and safety.

Ruth’s profile and views on being a governor:  Having wanted to fulfil a lifetime ambition to teach, I embarked on an Open University degree and became a teaching assistant in a local primary school.  I subsequently worked in a specialist school for children with autism. Over the years, I qualified as a primary teacher and worked my way up to becoming head of department, assistant head and spent my last 5 years as the head teacher.  The school achieved its best Ofsted rating of ‘good’ in January 2015. Having worked in education for some 20+ years I retired in September 2017 and was awarded an OBE for services to special educational needs and disability in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

 I firmly believe that if you really want to achieve something, you should never give up.

Andy Hawkins has been a parent governor since 2015 and has the following governor responsibilities: RAISE / Data and SATs. 

Andy’s profile and views on being a governor:  I am a tech enthusiast with a creative imagination that is often called upon for problem solving.  I’ve always been curious to explore how things work, and that includes an interest in education itself.  In a parallel universe I am a successful musician (less so in this one).

Teaching runs in my family, and while my career path is in IT and software product management, I felt a desire to lend a hand to Sandy Lane. It has been thrilling to see continuous improvement all the way, including the current OFSTED Good rating.

Caroline Kelly is a member of staff and co-opted governor who has just started her second term as a governor.  Caroline has previously acted as staff governor both at Sandy Lane as well as my previous school – St Michael’s Easthampstead.

Caroline’s profile and views on being a governor:  I am employed as the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) as Inclusion Lead.  I have 2 grown up children – a teacher and an architect, who both live in London and have recently become a granny to Arthur.

My role as governor involves responsibility for SEND as well as Pupil Premium.  I am also involved in the development of the new Special Resourced Provision Unit which we are hoping will open in September 2021.

I enjoy being a governor and contributing to a more strategic overview of the running of the school.  I feel that being a member of staff and a governor helps provide a vital link between the staff and governing body to ensure good communication. 

Claudia Da Silva has been a co-opted governor for 6 years and has the following governor responsibilities:  English (reading, writing, SPAG/Phonics), Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural (SMSC) and Wellbeing.   

Claudia’s profile and views on being a governor:  I live in Bracknell with my husband and 3 children.  2 of my children attended Sandy Lane throughout their primary school career and 1 child currently attends Sandy Lane.

I work for the British Dyslexia Association charity within their events department.

I am passionate about the educational standards of children.  I feel that a good education is something that no-one can take away from you.  It gives our children the right skills and confidence to meet life’s challenges. I welcomed the opportunity to contribute and participate in the Sandy Lane governing body. All schools are facing challenging times to ensure they provide the best education and opportunities for our children and I want to use my experience in business/work and in life to support and contribute to Sandy Lane's success both now and into the future.

Ian’s profile and views on being a governor:  I have been successful in building strong professional relationships and have excellent communication and analytical skills. I retired and returned to the UK in 2019 and having spent over forty years as CEO of a turnkey supply company operating across the Middle East & North Africa.

As a Governor at Sandy Lane Primary School, I wanted to put to worthwhile use the considerable experience I have gained in the business world both in the UK (7 years) and Middle East (40 years).

Although I have much to learn about being a Governor, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity afforded by the role to help Sandy Lane’s children in their exciting journey of self-improvement.

Katie Wade was appointed as staff governor in the summer of 2021.  This role brings a ‘staff viewpoint’ to the governing board. 

Katie’s profile and views on being a governor:  I have worked at Sandy Lane Primary School in both KS2 and KS1 and I am currently a part-time year 1 teacher. I have been a teacher now for over 10 years, working at two other Bracknell Forest Primary schools.  I am a driven, passionate and nurturing teacher who works hard to facilitate the best possible experiences for the children in our community. Importantly, I am also committed to my family and I have a little boy, George. I am blessed to be from a large family so I spend my time at home with loved ones young and old! We have recently moved into a new home, so I am busy renovating the house and garden.

Lisa Cunningham has been a co-opted governor since September 2019 and has the following responsibilities:  Local Authority governor, link governor for pupil premium and is deputy English governor.  Lisa is also a member of the Head Teacher’s Performance Management Committee.

Lisa’s profile and views on being a governor:  I have two children and live with them and my husband in Windsor, although I was born and raised in Edinburgh.  I have a professional background in strategic communications and influencing and I am currently Head of Strategy at the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.  I enjoy a good book and make a mean lasagne! 

I believe education is both a gift and a privilege. It acts as a platform for success throughout a child’s life. I am lucky to have benefited from an excellent state education and I wanted to use my time, energy and skills to work to ensure every child has the chance to access an excellent education.

Shraddha’s profile and views on being a governor:  I have more than six years of experience in the higher education sector abroad (India). I am highly passionate and dedicated to work for the Sandy Lane Primary school, where my knowledge would be utilised for the betterment of the school and the community.  I aim to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our staff and cherished pupils to enjoy and achieve high.

 Having previous experience in the education sector, I was keen to get into educational settings and was interested in understanding the education system in the UK. While searching for voluntary work for the community on the Bracknell Forest Council website, I got to know about this opportunity and I am now a proud member of the governing body of Sandy Lane Primary School.

 I am looking into the role of the safeguarding link governor for the school, with a keen interest in supporting and protecting our students, including our most vulnerable. Through my trusteeship, I hope to have a positive impact on the work the school does to allow young people to thrive and grow, both academically and personally.

Tim Robb has been a parent governor since November 2020 and has the following governor responsibilities:  Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including the Specially Resourced Provision (SRP) at Sandy Lane.  Tim is also deputy link governor for maths and finance and a member of the Pay Committee.

Tim’s profile and views on being a governor:  I have two sons, Henry and Avery). Henry started at Sandy Lane in September 2020 in reception. I have lived in Bracknell since 2014 but my wife was born in Bracknell and she attended Sandy Lane a few (undisclosed) years ago.

In professional life, I work as an analyst in the Civil Service and have spent 2020/2021 working on the response to COVID-19.

With two sons, either at the school or joining soon, I have a clear interest in how the school goes forward and how it delivers for the children. I was keen to look at how I could help the school and saw the governor vacancy as a way I could use my skills and experience to help support the school to delivering for the community.

Other members of the governing board are Headteacher, Neil Davies, and Clerk to the Governors, Susan Barrett.