Governors
Who are the Ainslie Wood Governors?
The Ainslie Wood Governing Body is made up of 9 members. Included in this count, we have:
- The Headteacher
- 2 Parent Governors
- 1 Local Authority Governor
- 1 Staff Governor
- and the rest are made up by Co Opted governors who bring particular skills to our team.
Meet the Governors
Chair of Governors
Our Chair was co-opted onto our Governing Body, Jack Wicks. He can be contacted via the school office.
Jack says: I have been a co-opted governor at Ainslie Wood Primary School since October 2025. I am passionate about education and work as an Assistant Headteacher at a nearby school. My aim is to use my experience and knowledge of the field to support the school in a productive way that benefits the children, families and staff as best possible!
Local Authority Governor
Our Local Authority Governor is Sally Cooper. Sally is the Senior Philanthropy Manager at the Altzheimers Society. She has previously worked as an Account Executive at KPMG and as a caseworker and Researcher for the Shadow Minister for Children and Families.
Parent Governors
Isabel Brown is our parent governor.
I am delighted to have joined the Ainslie Wood Governing body as an elected parent governor at the end of 2025 and to have an opportunity to contribute to the community that has so warmly welcomed my family. I value the opportunity to support the school in nurturing confident, curious learners who are ready to shape their futures and contribute positively to the world.
As a Detective Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police with over 17 years’ experience, I bring strong skills in safeguarding, critical thinking, and collaboration. Most recently working with NHS mental health professionals to support vulnerable adults and young people, giving me insight into the challenges children face in today’s digital world. I have a particular interest in mental health and online safety, and I am committed to helping every child at Ainslie Wood thrive.
Alan Kelly is another parent governor. Alan Kelly joined the Ainslie Wood Governing Body as an elected Parent Governor in Autumn 2026. He is committed to supporting the school’s strategic direction, providing a strong, representative voice for the parent community, and ensuring Ainslie Wood remains a nurturing environment where every child can thrive.
Professionally, Alan is a Chartered and Certified Accountant with 20 years of experience in financial services and financial risk management. He brings deep analytical expertise to the board, enabling him to effectively scrutinise financial performance and offer constructive challenge.
Co-Opted Governors
Our co-opted governors are Edward Chilton and Céline Oghittu.
Ed is the Principal Educational Psychologist for the London Borough of Hackney, with over 20 years' experience across education, SEND, applied psychology and systems leadership.
Ed has served as a primary school governor before, an experience that taught him the value of engaged, collaborative governance in helping schools thrive. He is a strong believer in the power of play, relational approaches and strengths-based practice as foundations for effective education — principles he brings to his work and to his role as a co-opted governor.
He lives locally and has a daughter at the school, giving him a close and personal connection to the community as well as a professional one.
Celine says, "I am delighted to be part of the Ainslie Wood Governing Body. I am a Senior Sustainability Programme Manager at Amazon and an engineer by training, having started my career in renewable energy. Over the past ten years, I have led sustainability and transformation programmes across Europe, bringing an international, multilingual perspective shaped by living and working across France, Spain, Luxembourg, and the UK. I look forward to supporting the school and helping equip the next generation to shape a better future."
Staff Governor
The person representing our staff at the Governing Body meetings is Laura King.
And finally, our Headteacher. Ms Crouch sits on the Governing Body, reporting everything about the school, how we are doing and what our plans are and then answers lots of questions. She takes an automatic position on the board, but would have worked hard to be elected as she loves finding everything out about Ainslie Wood all the time.
Committees
Our full governing body meets every half term. The committees that we do have are:
Staff Pay, Finance and Headteacher Performance.