Patron’s Dinner 2025
Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park
Join us for the fourteenth annual Patron’s Dinner, an evening dedicated to honoring the dedication and achievements of our region’s school community. Held in recognition of our Patron, Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, this exclusive event brings together over 400 CEOs, Head Teachers, and Senior Leaders from Schools North East’s Partner Schools and Trusts for an evening of networking, celebration, and inspiration.
The theme for our 2025 Patrons Dinner is ‘Champions of the North East’. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Dan Jackson, author of The Northumbrians, as our special guest speaker.
Invitations have now been sent to all Schools North East Partner School and Partner Trust representatives. If you have not received your invitation, please email the events team at events@schoolsnortheast.com
We look forward to celebrating with you!
For more information about becoming a Partner School and other benefits, please click here to view our 24/25 brochure.
Contact us
Event Overview
Dr Dan Jackson
Author & Director of Policy and Stakeholder Affairs for NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
Dan is the author of The Northumbrians: North East England and its People, A New History, which was a Sunday Times 'Book of the Year' in 2019.
He was educated at Astley High School in Seaton Delaval and holds a PhD in history from Northumbria University. He has written for the New Statesman, History Today and Unherd, and has appeared as an expert guest on the BBC’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, Radio 4’s ‘Start the Week’ and 'The Rest is History' podcast.
After an 18-year career in local public services he is now a director in the North East regional NHS and was recently appointed as a trustee and vice-chair of Beamish Museum. He tweets as @northumbriana and is currently writing a social history of Newcastle United FC for Little, Brown.
Colin Lofthouse
CEO, SMART Multi Academy Trust
Following a career in archaeology after graduating from Sheffield University Colin trained as a primary teacher in 1997 at Newcastle University.
He began teaching at Chopwell Primary School, Gateshead before moving to be DHT and then AHT of Prudhoe West First School in Northumberland.
In 2008 he became headteacher at Throckley Primary School, Newcastle and led the school from special measures to outstanding status. After 6 years as Headteacher at Rickleton Primary School in Sunderland he is now the Chief Executive Officer for the Smart Multi Academy Trust, a group of 11 primary schools in the North West of Newcastle.
He has special interest in leadership support, looked after children and has been a SIP for many years. His research areas are coaching, lesson study and curriculum design on which he has co-authored books, papers and presented at conferences.
In his spare time he rock climbs, plays the piano and rides bikes (both with and without engines).
Chris Zarraga
Director, Schools North East
Chris has been part of the Schools North East team since its inception in 2007 and in 2019 he was appointed Director.
Chris works with other leaders across the North East, the education sector and charity sector to represent the voice of North East schools, and lobby policy makers to ensure that the North East is not left behind when it comes to education policy. Chris has overseen the launch of the Ednorth evidence-based excellence programme, as well as the partnership with SHINE bringing over £500,000 worth of funding to North East schools.
Under Chris, Schools North East has moved to a greater focus on lobbying around education policy, with the launch of the Manifesto for North East Education in December 2019. As well as being a trustee of a local MAT, Chris sits on various boards including the board for Opportunity North East. Prior to joining Schools North East, Chris worked with over 165 schools in the North East and various education organisations including local authorities, Excellence Partnerships, 14-19 Groups, the Specialist Schools & Academies Trust, and School Improvement Officers. He led a large scale culture change project in education across the North East and was the development consultant for the LEGI funded Wansbeck Enterprise Education Network.
