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Read’s Governing Body is responsible for the overall governance of the School and works with the Head and her Senior Management Team to provide strategic leadership.

Governors provide guidance and expertise to ensure Read runs efficiently and effectively. The Governors meet every term and also sit on several committees including Health, Safety & Safeguarding, Finance & Property, Education, Teaching & Learning and Marketing & Communications. The Governors draw on a wealth of experience from a variety of sectors and several Governors have prior experience of the School either as a parent, or as a former pupil. Our Governors share the values and ethos of Read for its pupils and staff alike.

All our Governors serve voluntarily and receive no remuneration.

Read is a Registered Charity (No 529675). It is administered by The Read School Drax Trustee Limited (Company No 7236884); the Governors are the Directors of the Company.

Brian Watt - Chairman

Brian was a pupil at Read School, leaving in 1968 to complete a Cadetship at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell. He served for 22 years, retiring as a Wing Commander in 1990 to study for a Masters in Business Administration at Cranfield in 1991.  

For 25 years thereafter, he was responsible for supply chain and manufacturing operations in many different countries, with major projects in Europe, China and Poland. In recent years, he was an independent business consultant, with a focus on the management of change and continuous improvement.  

More recently, he has been Chair of the Board of Governors at Victoria College in Jersey and Chair of Wetwheels Jersey Limited, a charity which takes disabled and disadvantaged people to sea in a specially adapted motorboat. He is a keen sailor, loves skiing with his grandchildren and is an amateur astronomer.

David Pritchard - Vice Chairman 

David became a Governor in 2019 and is Vice Chair of the Board, a member of the Finance and Property Committee and Chair of the Read School Foundation.

He boarded at Read School for four years, becoming Head Boy. In 1966 he graduated in aeronautics and astronautics and joined the aircraft industry as an Executive Trainee, eventually becoming Commercial Manager for the HS125 executive jet.

He then switched into banking and spent about 10 years with each of Citicorp Investment Bank and Royal Bank of Canada. Then, shortly after joining Lloyds Bank, he was seconded for two years to head the UK’s regulation of securities markets, such as the Stock Exchange. On returning to the bank, he was appointed to the Board and ran the wholesale and international division. On retirement from full-time work, he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Lloyds Banking Group and chaired the Board’s Risk Committee.

More recently, he has chaired or served as a non-executive director of a number of companies, including Scottish Widows, Allied Irish Banks, Songbird Estates (owner of Canary Wharf), Morgan Stanley Card Services and Euromoney Institutional Investor.

He also serves on the Board of Cleveland Clinic Philanthropy, the investment committee of Motability and is an advisor to HighBrook Investment Management

Dr. Richard White

Following his A-levels, Richard left Read School in 1996 and enrolled as an undergraduate student at the University of Leicester. Here he received both B.A. (1999) and MSc (2001) degrees in Human Geography, before undertaking a PhD in Economic Geography. In 2005 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Following two years at The University of Warwick as a Research Associate, Richard was employed as a Lecturer in Human Geography by Sheffield Hallam University. His main teaching and research agenda explores a broad range of critical, ethical, environmental and activist geographies. His research findings have been published widely, and this led to him being promotion to Reader/ Associate Professor in 2015. He currently sits on a number of Editorial Boards, and is an active member of The Research Advisory Committee for the UK Vegan Society.

Any time outside of academia is spent enjoying the company of his family, or growing fruit and vegetables on his ‘no-dig’ allotment plot.

Chris Sunley

 

 

 

 

 

Chris joined the school as a pupil in 1961 and left in 1968. As well as academic study, Chris really enjoyed sport, especially swimming, athletics and rugby. On leaving the school after A levels Chris studied for a chemistry degree at Manchester University, before studying for a PGCE at Leicester University.

He started his teaching career in Norfolk at a state day/boarding school before teaching in Somerset and Suffolk, where he became a deputy head. He was then appointed by Suffolk LEA as Science Adviser to all primary and secondary schools before becoming Senior Curriculum Adviser with oversight over all subjects

During his teaching career he became a Chief Examiner for Co-ordinated Science at the Cambridge Examinations Board before being appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) of schools. He then worked at the DfE as Deputy Director of the Secondary National Strategies for school improvement. In this role he had responsibility for science, IT and behaviour and attendance. More recently Chris has worked as a self-employed Education Consultant, working with state, independent and overseas schools.  He has also been Chair of Governors for a primary school in Norwich.

Chris lives in Suffolk but has family still living in Selby.

Graeme Campbell

Graeme was appointed as a Governor in 2022 and is a member of the Finance and Property Committee.

He was a day pupil at Read School between 1986 and 1993.   Graeme qualified as a chartered accountant in 2000 and is currently Chief Financial Officer of Van Elle Holdings plc, a ground engineering company listed on AIM. He was previously the Group Financial Controller of Severfield plc, one of the largest structural steel companies in Europe, and has spent his career in finance positions across a range of industrial businesses, including latterly as Group CFO for ASX-listed international engineering services business Engenco Limited.

Kim O'Hara

Kim has had seventeen years of strategy development and process mapping in health and social care, ensuring safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

She worked as a consultant to over 100 councils and social care organisations in England and Wales to review service provision and quality.

Kim also spent six years working in Social Services Inspectorate (SSI, DoH) and Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) with responsibility for the transition of Children’s social care systems to Ofsted in 2006.

She was responsible for the Child Protection Database with SSI and CSCI, recording and monitoring serious case review progress.

Kim is the Child Welfare Officer for her local ski club.

She also has a son in Year 7 at Read School. 

Tracy Butler

Tracy became a Governor in 2023 and is Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee.

Tracy graduated from the University of Hull with an English and American History degree, before starting her career as part of the Asda graduate programme. During her time at Asda, Tracy held multiple roles in merchandising, retail and marketing operations and communications. In 2012, Tracy and her family moved to Arkansas, USA, to work for Wal-Mart. In this time, Tracy held the position of Academy Strategy and Communication Director, supporting Walmart to design and deliver in person associate training in every state. Having returned to the UK, Tracy now works for the Asda Foundation.

Tracy has two daughters who attend Read School.

Lisa Dukes

Lisa became a Governor in 2023 and is Chair of the Finance and Property Committee.

Lisa is a qualified accountant and treasurer with c.20 years of experience focusing on risk management and governance whilst working in complex corporates innovating within corporate finance, treasury, and derivatives. In 2022, she co-founded Dukes & King, a firm focusing on corporate finance and risk management, where Lisa uses her experience to help more corporates achieve their strategic objectives. In 2020, she was invited to join the FX Joint Standing Committee chaired by the Bank of England and in 2022 was also appointed as the UK private sector representative to the Global FX committee.

Lisa has a daughter and a son who both attend Read School.

Jane Breach

Jane became a Governor in 2024.

Jane's career has been based in the engineering and energy sector.  For the last 11 years she has worked at Drax Power Station in corporate social responsibility.  Her role as UK Community and Education Manager covers charitable giving, community outreach and educational strategy across all sites and offices.

Alongside Jane's main role she has volunteered or worked part time as a youth worker, Duke of Edinburgh Leader, and currently volunteers as Chair of Governors at a local primary school and parish councillor.

In her spare time Jane likes to play the alto saxophone and enjoys sailing.