Patron’s Dinner 2026 – Pillars of Our Community
Grand Hotel, Gosforth
Join us for the fifteenth annual Patron’s Dinner, an evening dedicated to celebrating the dedication, strength and impact of our region’s school community. Held in honour of our Patron, Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, this exclusive black-tie event brings together 500 CEOs, Head Teachers, and Senior Leaders from Schools North East Partner Schools and Trusts for a night of connection, recognition and inspiration.
Pillars of Our Community, pays tribute to the Head Teachers, senior leaders, and school staff of all types, whose contributions shape the daily lives of young people and anchors our communities through times of change, challenge and progress. Just as strong foundations support and steady the structures around them, our school leaders provide the stability, guidance and resolve that enable children and families across the North East to thrive.
From safeguarding the wellbeing of pupils to driving whole-community initiatives, from leading through financial pressures to nurturing the next generation of teachers, these leaders play a vital role that often goes unseen. Yet their impact is profound. They are mentors, protectors, champions and advocates – foundations upon which brighter futures are built.
This event is a celebration of the people who support our communities, who respond first in moments of crisis, and who remain committed to every child’s potential.
Throughout the evening we will reflect on the indispensable role of educational leadership, hear insights from our guest speaker, and shine a light on the individuals who support and sustain our region’s school communities. As we honour the pillars of today, we also look forward with optimism to the foundations they are laying for tomorrow.
Let us come together to celebrate the leaders who are the foundations of our community – and whose strength, vision and dedication continue to shape the future of the North East.
Invitations are sent to all Schools North East Partner School and Partner Trust representatives. If you believe you should have received and invitation, please email events@schoolsnortheast.com.
For more information about becoming a Partner School and other benefits, click here.
Sponsorship opportunities are open! For further info, please email events@schoolsnortheast.com.
Get in Touch!
Event Overview
Chris Zarraga
Director, Schools North East
Chris is the Director of School North East. He has been part of the Schools North East team since its operational inception in 2008 and in 2019 he was appointed Director. Chris works with senior leaders across the North East and nationally in the education and charity sectors, to represent the voice of North East schools. A central part of his work is to lobby politicians, policy makers, and the media to put a strong ‘regional accent’ on the education debate, so that North East schools are not left behind when it comes to education policy.
Under Chris, Schools North East launched the ‘Manifesto for North East Education’. The manifesto sets out the perennial challenges that impact educational opportunities in the North East and the principles needed to inform any educational policy wanting to address them.
Chris works with hundreds of schools across the North East and various organisations including Ofsted, the DfE, the North East’s universities, Local Authorities and various regional/ national businesses. Prior to joining Schools North East, he led a £1.4 million culture change project in education across the North East for the Treasury and DfE and was responsible for setting up a multi-million pound Enterprise Education Network.
Chris sits on various advisory boards including the NHS Integrated Care Boards, various Combined Authority advisory boards, and was a member of the DfE’s Opportunity North East strategic board. He has also sat on various boards for North East Universities. As well as being a Director of two North East multi academy trusts, Chris has been Chair of a 3 school Trust, Vice Chair of a large maintained secondary school and Vice Chair of a primary foundation school.
In a variety of roles from Regional Manager to Chief Executive to Board member, Chris has led large scale change management projects in education and has over 20 years’ experience of strategic management, consultancy, and client development experience at a ‘Big Four’ firm and various financial institutions.
Chris holds an MBA with distinction from Durham University Business School.
