Rockcliffe First School

Our Governors

 Judy Williams

Judy Williams

Chair

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.
 Paul Marr

Paul Marr

Co-Vice Chair

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.
 Michael Smith

Michael Smith

Co-Vice Chair

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.
 Mary Evans

Mary Evans

Local Authority Governor

 Natasha Coleman-Ware

Natasha Coleman-Ware

Foundation Governor

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.

Lindsay Ford

Co-opted Governor

Amy Webster

Co-opted Governor

 Cathy Hogan

Cathy Hogan

Associate Governor

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.
 Janine Ardnt

Janine Ardnt

Parent Governor

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.
 Karen Hall

Karen Hall

Parent Governor

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.
 Peter Hubbard

Peter Hubbard

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.

Sophie Manning

Parent Governor

 Karen Robinson

Karen Robinson

Co-opted Governor & Deputy Headteacher

 Daniela Bottjer-Wilson

Daniela Bottjer-Wilson

Staff Governor

 Tom  Jones

Tom Jones

Headteacher

As governors, we are all fully committed to working as part of the Rockcliffe First School family. Through informed and critical challenge we support staff and pupils, encouraging and enabling everyone to fulfil their potential and to maintain the school’s outstanding success. We bring a wealth of expertise from education, retail, community arts, health and safety, SEND, research psychology, university student support, Historic England and the Crown Prosecution Service. As Governors we take part in training to further develop our understanding and ability to fulfil our role. We are often in and around school as parents, visiting, attending meetings or helping out with classroom and extra-curricular activities and we can always be contacted through school.