Governors

I have worked in education for more years than I would like to admit as a teacher and Headteacher in Sussex and in Africa! Then after 12 years with the LA in Greenwich as a schools adviser, I moved to Chichester Diocese in 2016 where I worked as a schools effectiveness adviser. I support two Diocesan Academy Trusts as a governance consultant. I first became a governor for East Hoathly in 2014 and have loved it so much that I have stayed on through the exciting growth of Pioneer to the great group of schools it is today.

I love books, so I am particularly pleased with our libraries and success in encouraging reading in all the schools . I also like long walks in the countryside and by the sea and continue my travels in Africa each year.

I have always lived locally in East Sussex, growing up in Shinewater in Eastbourne; I attended St Thomas a Beckett, St Richard’s, and Park College. I then moved to Brighton and studied law at Sussex University. I now work as a court clerk at Lewes Crown court, which is fascinating and varied!

I really really (really!) like walking. My husband and I chose to walk from Land’s End to John O’groats for our honeymoon (1200 miles in 3 months!) and I have walked 100k in 23 hours. I also run and go to the local book club. I live in Upper Dicker with my husband and three young children, the eldest has just started in reception at Park Mead. I really love being part of village life, mucking about with the kids, and contributing to our community.

I have been part of the governing board since before Park Mead joined the Pioneer Federation. As Alan says, as governors, we must be responsible for strategic direction but avoid involvement with day-to-day management. We also want to support our teachers as much as possible but provide critique and ask challenging questions to ensure our children’s education is the best it can possibly be. I am specifically linked to Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing alongside Ms West, which is challenging but thought-provoking, as is scrutinising the implementation of strategies to encourage our children’s confidence and resilience.

Having lived in numerous areas around the UK and the World I am now settled in Hartfield with my wife and two young children. I have always had a fascination with science and after studying for a degree in Chemistry at Nottingham University I started my working career at Royal Ordnance,Westcott. After six fabulous years with Royal Ordnance I was then fortunate enough to achieve my childhood dreams by gaining a sponsorship to become an airline pilot. Outside of my work, I love spending time with my family, hiking, gardening and general household DIY.

I was brought up in Kent and my family moved to Yorkshire when I left school. I have lived all over the UK during the last 35 years, but currently live in Lower Dicker, as my husband, Jeremy, is the local vicar. During the last 22 years, I have taught Latin to children in Years 5-8, and have loved it, but have just retired. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running and seeing friends and family and I am looking forward to spending more time doing these things, as well as helping with the governance in these schools.

I was born and brought up in the Village of Westham, and attended Pevensey & Westham Primary School, Willingdon Secondary school and Eastbourne Sixth form College I began a nursing career in Hastings in 1985, qualifying as a Registered General Nurse in the May of 1988, working initially in paediatrics, then moving on to Adult Cardiac Care. During my nursing Career I completed a BSc. (Hons) degree course with Brighton University. I responded to a call to Ordained ministry towards the end of the 1990’s, attended theological college at St. Stephen’s House Oxford, obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Ministry and was ordained in the summer of 2000. Having served my Curacy at Eastbourne Parish Church, I have been Vicar of Saint Luke’s Stone Cross with North Langney since 2003 and Priest in Charge of Pevensey Parish since September 2021. I graduated with honours with an MA in Christian Spirituality from Winchester University in the autumn of 2017. I will be licenced as Priest in Charge of Chiddingly, East Hoathly and Framfield on Thursday the 8th of June I am married to Clare and we have two grown up children; Chloe who is a Piano Teacher and lives with her husband in Rye, and Sebastian who lives with his Fiancé in Bournemouth and manages a large Wetherspoons in the town centre.

I’m really looking forward to playing my part in the governance of the schools.

I have worked in Primary Schools in both Lincolnshire and East Sussex and have taught all year groups. I have been a Leading County Teacher, Senior Teacher, Deputy Headteacher, Head of School and now Executive Headteacher. I love seeing the amazing children in our Federation finding their learning irresistible, particularly where the children actively explore concepts, apply skills, ask questions and are motivated by independent discovery. I enjoy working alongside the great staff team and supportive parents and governors. My vision and values for ­­The Pioneer Federation: An outstanding federation with a central focus on creative, innovative and engaging teaching that develops a love and interest in learning. My vision is for our children to value learning as a creative endeavour that underpins their aspirations for great futures and to ensure that we are all focused on seeing opportunities and believing that anything is possible. We craft meaningful contexts for learning and tasks that develop key skills for independence, confidence and resilience, which actively engage children. The federation will have outstanding schools where every child is provided with a toolkit for life-long learning through the highest quality teaching. I am a very active person who enjoys challenges. I run regularly and have fundraised for developments in all the schools I have worked in, taking part in half marathons and more recently, the Brighton marathon. I also enjoy socialising with friends and family, surfing, snowboarding, gardening and am hoping to take up kite surfing in the near future. I have a young family and I enjoy going away on adventures with them!

For those of you that do not know me I live in Hailsham. I am married (to a teacher) and have one child. I am a Civil Servant and have recently taken partial retirement. I relax by playing, umpiring, and coaching hockey for Hailsham. I also have an allotment, though I am struggling to find enough day light hours to do it justice. I also seem to get roped into running for good causes – even though I really am not that keen on running! I think if someone highlights a good cause, I appear to be easily persuaded! I have now completed the London Marathon and the Brighton and Eastbourne half marathons over the last few years. Not to mention the Mince pie run in December that Mr Procter has successfully convinced me to run several times. I mistakenly thought I would get a mince pie at each water stop……apparently, they expect you to finish before they give you a mince pie!! I started as a Governor of Chiddingly School over 20 years ago when my child was a pupil. During that time, I have served as Chair at Chiddingly for approximately 11 years, Vice Chair of the Federation and now Chair. I have also recently been selected as a Local Support Governor (LSG) lending support to other Governing bodies.

Being a Governor is an extremely rewarding role while at the same time being sometimes quite challenging. As a Governor, you are responsible for influencing the strategic direction of the schools but also must avoid the temptation to get involved in the day-to-day management of the schools. We are responsible with the senior leadership team for the individual schools and Federation’s performance and direction but as Governors we must get the balance right so that we allow the senior leadership team to manage on a day-to-day basis without interfering. We must learn to fulfil the “critical friend” role. I have seen many ups and downs over the years but the most exciting was the move to the Federation. I have been amazed by the progress each school has made over the period it has been in the partnership or federation. The results and the Ofsted judgements have been so good to see. The benefits of schools and professionals working together cannot be underestimated and I think the evidence speaks for itself. There is, of course, still work to be done and areas where we can improve, but I think the foundations have been laid and we have a good team of professionals in the Pioneer Federation who will drive us all forward for the most important aspect, which is of course the children. Why have I stayed around for so long? Well, there is no substitute for seeing the excitement on the children’s faces and hearing their chatter as they grow and develop. They are always so willing to share what is important to them. Seeing the schools move forward and develop is just so rewarding. I try to get into school either on formal visits for meetings and interviews or more informally just to look round the classrooms and chat with the staff and children. It just puts the day job into perspective! The Governors normally have their badges on when they are in school so if you see any of us, then by all means stop us, introduce yourselves and have a chat.

I was born in Wiltshire before moving to Lincolnshire as a child where I grew up and went to primary school, before moving to East London to study art at Goldsmiths College in my late teens. I subsequently studied art at postgraduate level and completed a second postgraduate degree in Asian Art and Architecture at SOAS, also in London. I am now self-employed and operate a small online business that promotes Asian art, as well as teaching yoga to children and adults in the local area. More recently I have set up an after-school yoga club at St Mary’s in Hartfield, where my daughter is a pupil. I am passionate about the value of education and strongly believe that good quality education should be accessible and equally available to all. After recently returning from living overseas for many years it is an exciting time for me to be able to deepen my commitment to our wonderful local community. If you can’t find me in either the yoga or ceramics studio, I am likely to be out hiking in nature, mowing the lawn or experimenting in the kitchen – with some expert help from my daughter!

I have lived and worked in Hartfield for over 25 years. I’m married to Christina and have three lovely children, two of whom have already passed through St Mary’s school in Hartfield and my youngest hopefully due to attend in the next couple of years.

I run my own graphic design business, am on the board at East Grinstead Rugby Football Club (my playing days are fast running out) and am currently St Mary’s Church youth leader and Church Warden. The strong links between Hartfield church and school mean I am privileged to help with assemblies twice a week and really feel a part of the St Mary’s school family.

I am an experienced leader in education having spent a varied career supporting and developing schools in a range of situations, many challenging ones.. I have been a headteacher, School Improvement Partner, Adviser, Diocesan Effectiveness Partner and Ofsted Additional Inspector. I have been a governor for over 25 years. Currently I work as an independent consultant for the Local Authority and work closely with the Leadership and Governor Services teams.

Personally, I have two grown up daughters, six grandchildren and am a very hands on Nanny.  I read, cook, love walking, travelling and spending time with my family and friends. I am lucky to live close to the sea and enjoy time on the beach. I remain passionate about providing the very best opportunities for children so that they can grow and flourish in all areas of life.

I enjoy being involved in various community groups including Groombridge Scout Group and Jarvis Brook Football Club.  I was Chair of Groombridge PTA for three years to Oct 2024 and lead co-ordinator for the Groombridge May Fair for three years, bowing out after this year’s event.  It’s a great time to be involved with the Pioneer Federation as it grows and evolves and I look forward to contributing meaningfully where I can.

With a long-standing commitment to education, my career has been defined by a strong track record of achievement. Under my leadership as Head of Department, for example, languages at one of the country’s top ten universities rose to third place in the UK national league tables. After retiring, I relocated to Nutley seven years ago to be closer to family. That said, higher education remains an integral part of who I am – I still work as an Associate Lecturer at the Open University teaching German and Translation Studies.

The move to East Sussex provided an opportunity to become actively involved in the local community. Since 2018 I have been a Parish Councillor and since 2020, I have served as a governor at Nutley Primary School. From 2022, I led the school as Chair of Governors through the process of joining the Pioneer Federation. The experience has deepened my belief that Nutley is more than just a school—it is a central part of a supportive and inclusive community.

As part of the governing body, the role involves setting the school’s strategic direction, defining its aims and objectives, and monitoring progress across a broad range of indicators—not only academic performance in reading, writing, and mathematics, but also attendance, wellbeing, and overall school health. These areas are deeply important to me, and I am passionate about contributing meaningfully to their continued improvement.

My professional background has equipped me with the ability to clarify complex issues, advocate for informed viewpoints, and facilitate constructive solutions. These are skills I bring to governance, and I would be proud to support the Pioneer Federation in maintaining and enhancing its high standards. Through dedicated and thoughtful service, I hope to continue making a positive contribution to our schools and community.

My background is as a Secondary School teacher in Religious Studies with History with Special Educational Needs. Juggling work around my 3 active children (8-16 years) means that I have done tutoring in GCSE English, History and Religious Studies, Primary school Literacy and A-Level History and Philosophy. I mark GCSE papers in Religious Studies and currently do supply work in local secondary schools and Nutley Pre-school. I was managing Chair of Nutley Pre-school and am currently Safeguarding Officer at St Mary’s Church, East Grinstead. I have lived in Nutley for around 13 years and help run a toddler cafe on a Friday morning at in the Church hall of St James the Less Nutley and often help with other events too. I like walking on the Ashdown Forest, baking and love the Theatre.

My name is William Neil Lovett (Neil) and I have been married for over 40 years we have 2 children and 4 grandchildren and enjoy family time together. I am a retired chartered accountant with significant financial experience including being employed as European finance director for a USA fortune 500 company.

I was a governor for Nutley primary school for nearly 10 years before it joined the pioneer federation, I am also the treasurer for friends of Ashdown forest which is a charity raising funds to support conservation of the forest.