500 school leaders come together to celebrate the “Pillars of Our Community”
500 CEOs, Head Teachers and senior leaders from our Partner Schools and Trusts gathered for the fifteenth annual Patron’s Dinner last night, an evening dedicated to celebrating the people who help hold the North East’s school communities together.
Held in honour of Schools North East Patron, Lord David Puttnam, the black-tie event has become one of the region’s most anticipated gatherings of education leaders. What began as a modest dinner has grown more than fivefold since its earliest years, reflecting both the strength of the network and the value of creating space for leaders to reconnect.
For professionals whose working days are defined by competing priorities, policy changes and ever-growing demands, the evening offered something rare: a moment to pause, reflect and celebrate the people behind the work.
And that sense of community was at the heart of this year’s theme.
Celebrating the “Pillars of Our Community”
This year’s Patron’s Dinner was built around a powerful theme: Pillars of Our Community.
Education doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Throughout the North East, schools play a vital role in community life, helping children find their passions, supporting families, and acting as gathering points when communities face challenges. In many ways, they provide the steady foundation people rely on when times are uncertain.
The role schools played during the pandemic remains a vivid example. When many services retreated, schools continued to support families, deliver meals, check on wellbeing and quietly safeguard entire communities.
The evening recognised that the strength of those institutions lies in the people who lead and sustain them, from the Head Teachers and CEOs to the teachers, support staff, administrators and site teams who guide communities through change, challenge and progress.
Throughout the room, tables were named not after individuals but after the values that underpin our region’s great schools: leadership, resilience, compassion, belonging, courage and hope. These values served as a reminder that the work of education leadership is built on principles that shape both schools and the communities around them.
A community that shows up for one another
One of the most moving moments of the evening came through our charity raffle, which raised funds for two deeply meaningful causes. The first was the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and the second was a project known as “Mrs Park’s Park.”
Claire Park, Head Teacher of Hartburn Primary School, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2025 and has since had to step away from the profession she loves. Before her diagnosis, she had begun plans to transform the school’s unsafe Key Stage 2 playground into a safe and inspiring space for pupils.
In a powerful reflection of the region’s school community, colleagues and supporters have rallied around that vision, determined to complete the project in her honour. Eager to assist, we organised a raffle with some fantastic prizes up for grabs, including a Fortnum & Mason Springtime Hamper and signed Sunderland Football Club shirt from 25/26 season.
A remarkable £3,511 was raised last night, which will help bring the playground project to life while also supporting the vital work of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The initiative captured something fundamental about the North East education community: when one member needs support, the entire network steps forward.
A sincere thank you to everyone who took part, and to all organisations that donated a prize. To learn more about the causes and to donate, click here.
Stories of resilience and inspiration
The keynote speaker for the evening was the brilliant former England international footballer, Jess Clarke.
In a deeply personal address, Jess reflected on the resilience that has shaped her life and career. She spoke candidly about overcoming a life-changing accident and the racial and gender barriers she encountered throughout her time in football.
Her journey — from debuting for Leeds United Women at just 16 to reaching three FA Women’s Cup finals — highlighted the role perseverance, belief and community support can play in helping people succeed.
We are hugely grateful to Jess for sharing her story with such honesty and generosity. Her reflections on resilience, perseverance and the importance of community support left a lasting impression on everyone in the room.
Showcasing the power of inclusive arts
Guests were also treated to a remarkable performance from True Colours Theatre, an award-winning inclusive theatre school based in Wallsend.
Founded in 2014, the charity supports children and young people of all abilities (including those with autism, ADHD and anxiety) helping them build confidence, creativity and life skills through the performing arts.
Their performance was not only uplifting but also interactive. Guests were invited to take part and learn how to sign the song True Colors in Makaton, guided by the young performers themselves. The room quickly joined in, discovering the power of Makaton as a communication tool that helps people express themselves and feel included.
Through singing, dancing, and signing, the performance was a joyful and moving reminder of the life-changing opportunities that schools and community organisations create for young people across the region.
A moment to reconnect
While the speeches, performances and fundraising made the evening memorable, the true purpose of the Patron’s Dinner lies in something simpler.
It creates space for school leaders — whose roles often involve managing significant challenges — to step back from the daily demands, spend time with fellow leaders and reconnect with the common purpose that unites their work.
As the evening drew to a close, one message was clear: the North East’s schools are not working in isolation. They are part of a powerful, downright wonderful community committed to supporting one another and championing the children and families they serve.
The Patron’s Dinner exists to recognise that community, and to say a simple (but important!) thank you to the people who keep it standing. So THANK YOU to all attendees and sponsors who helped make 2026 another memorable year, and a special thank you to main event sponsor NYES.
We already can’t wait for next year. For every child, for every school, for the future of our region.