I am at present Chair of Governors at Rockcliffe First School. I have been a Headteacher of an outstanding first school, a trained Ofsted Inspector and a School Improvement Partner. I have been on three Governing bodies but Rockcliffe is the only one I volunteered for. I am proud of the school’s ethos. I feel it values all who are involved with it and recognises we are all different and all bring something to the feast of life. I try and be available to parents and will always talk things through and endeavour to deal with any issues. I can be contacted through the school office.
I am also a granny of children at the school.

I first became a Parent Governor over 20 years ago. As my two daughters progressed through the education system, I became first a Community Governor before finally becoming a Co-Opted Governor and Co-Vice Chair. I have been heavily involved with the Friends of Rockcliffe helping to raise much needed funds for the school over many years. I am employed as a Safety Officer for Marks & Spencer based at Silverlink Shopping Park. I am exceedingly grateful to Rockcliffe First School for the exceptional start in education it gave both my daughters and I am delighted to be able to contribute and support the school's continuing progress and successes.

I joined the Board of Governors at Rockcliffe in 2021 as a parent governor, when my daughter was in Year 3. Although she has since moved on to Marden Bridge Middle School, I’m not quite ready to leave this wonderful community, and I continue to serve as one of the Vice-Chairs. I am an academic psychologist at Northumbria University, where I undertake research on wellbeing and behaviour change. My role is also focused on teaching and curriculum development (although my students are slightly older than the Rockcliffe pupils!). My wife co-owns Little Acorns Childcare in Whitley Bay, and being involved with the nursery has given me valuable insight into early years education, which I bring to my role as governor. It’s a real privilege to support such a fantastic school, and I’m proud to continue contributing to its ongoing success.

I have been a governor at Rockcliffe First School for over 40 years now, initially as a parent governor and then as a Local Authority governor. During this time I have seen many changes in the role of school governors and have always taken the responsibly as a privilege, offering continuity, support and challenge while ensuring I keep up to date through training and involvement in the school community. I am now retired after teaching in Newcastle and North Tyneside schools, working mostly in Key Stage 1 but as Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Literacy and assessment I also worked in Early Years and Key Stage 2 and had much experience of implementing change and staff management. While teaching I was also a local officer for the NEU (then NUT) and a staff governor at a North Tyneside faith school. For many years I was Chair of Governors at Rockcliffe and have been part of several successful Ofsted panels, as well as seeing the school through the COVID interventions and legislation and I have been part of many appointment panels. My children, and more recently, my grandchildren attended Rockcliffe and the school continues to be a part of the whole family’s life.

I joined the Rockcliffe family as a Foundation Governor in 2023 to offer support the teachers, parents and young people within my area and contribute to our wonderful community, yet with every visit I learn something new, and I feel privileged to be part of such a welcoming and inclusive team of education champions. As a Carbon and Sustainability Advisor for Historic England, I contribute to the development and implementation of our net zero and sustainability strategy, including government policy advice, as well as give advice to the heritage sector. I am incredibly proud of Rockcliffe’s Green Flag Award status and offer my knowledge of adopting sustainable environmental, social, and financial practices as Rockcliffe continues to thrive. Prior to this I worked as a Project Administrator for both the Great North Maths Hub and Northumberland Tyne and Wear Science Learning Partnership, supporting North East teachers in accessing quality STEM CPD and teaching materials. With an academic background in History and Museum/Heritage Studies, these may seem like unusual career choices, which is why I’m incredibly keen to engage young people to explore transferable skills and weird and wonderful jobs from an early age. I have also recently completed my term as Co-Chair of the Historic England Race Equality Network and continue to remain an active member, for Rockcliffe I offer my experiences of creating and advocating for safe, inclusive, and diverse spaces to staff and our wonderful Inclusion Officers and Wellness Gurus.

I have been a governor at Rockcliffe First School for over 14 years, having joined when my eldest child started in the nursery. Although my children are now teenagers, I have been proud to continue serving on the Governing Body and work with this fantastic school which is such an important part of our local community. In my career I have worked across various sectors within education, including as a university lecturer, as an adult education tutor teaching refugees and asylum seekers, as the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Co-ordinator at a Further Education college and currently as a local primary school teacher. This experience, I believe, helps me to be able to support and contribute to the continued success of Rockcliffe.

I joined the Governing Body in 2020 as a Parent Governor when I had three children at Rockcliffe. They have all now moved on, but I am pleased to be able to continue to support such an exceptional school. I have many years of experience working in education, and I am now a SEND Consultant for a nearby Local Authority. This role involves supporting schools to develop and improve their practise for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and as link governor for SEND, I am able to utilise my knowledge and experience while working with the leadership team at Rockcliffe.

I have two children at Rockliffe First school and it holds a special place for us as family. We value its supportive and nurturing culture and I am very glad for the opportunity to support the school as Parent Governor. My background is a mix of sustainability engagement as well as human resources with a focus on culture, values and behaviours. I currently work on a community engagement project for a local charity.

I am an educational psychologist based in a nearby authority. I work with children, their families and school teams to support children's learning and social and emotional development, with a particular focus on social, emotional and mental health. Rockcliffe holds a unique and important part in our family, and wider community life, and I am grateful to be able to contribute to this as a Parent Governor.

I run a small outdoor education business, working with schools and young people in the North East. At work I love watching children discover places and wildlife, and it’s great helping them go on adventures. I especially care about environmental issues and nature conservation. I hope my experiences and skills can be useful in this role and I’m keen to support the school. I have two marvellous boys and, as a family, we all love living by the coast.

I have taught at Rockcliffe First School for over 20 years, predominantly in Key Stage 2 and have been Deputy Headteacher since 2015. Prior to joining Rockcliffe, I taught in three other schools across South and North Tyneside. In my role as Deputy Headteacher, I lead on English, Teaching and Learning, and Assessment across the school. I feel very fortunate to work alongside such a dedicated staff team and Governing Body, all of whom are committed to providing the very best opportunities for our children.
I am passionate about enriching children’s learning journeys by broadening their experiences and developing their cultural capital, ensuring that every child is inspired and equipped to succeed. Over the years, I have shared our creative practice with other schools across the region through programmes such as Artsmark and Heritage Schools. I am particularly committed to using Rockcliffe’s unique heritage and location to shape an engaging, meaningful and creative curriculum and value the opportunity to collaborate with a range of partner organisations to bring learning to life.

I became part of the Rockcliffe family as a parent in 2021 but it was not long after, that I joined the exceptional staff team. Prior to joining Rockcliffe, I worked for 15 years at higher education institutions around the world; I carried out climate change research, taught Earth Science classes, delivered Science outreach programs to schools and worked closely with many faculty on improving and developing their teaching and learning strategies and practices. As Staff Governor, I'm excited to share unique perspectives gained from working within the school to help the Governing Board better understand day-to-day school operations and dynamics within our school community.

I have been Headteacher of Rockcliffe First School since January 2025. I feel very privileged to work alongside a dedicated, enthusiastic, supportive and experienced Governing Body who understand our school so well. Prior to working at Rockcliffe I have worked in schools in Newcastle Authority. As a Specialist leader of Education and working in a former National Teaching School I have also supported and worked with a number of schools in different authorities and delivered on Initial Teaching Training programmes across the North East. My passion is teaching and learning and making the best possible opportunities for the children of Rockcliffe.