Schools North East Logo

Governance

The Schools North East Governance team is made up of Trustees as well as an Advisory Board & School Business Management Council. Learn more here.

Trustees

The Board of Trustees provides guidance on the Charity’s activities and is responsible for its governance with overall legal responsibility for the Charity, its financial sustainability, and its strategic direction. Trustees are elected by Partner Schools, with further Trustees co-opted to add specific expertise where required. In a time when ever-increasing demands on our schools can be a barrier to collaboration, the role of the Trustee Board is to ensure that Schools North East meets and responds dynamically to the needs of North East schools and the children and young people they serve, now and in the future.

Colin Lofthouse - Chair of Trustees

Colin Lofthouse

Chair of Trustees

View Profile

Jo Heaton, OBE - Vice Chair

Jo Heaton, OBE

Vice Chair

View Profile

Kieran McGrane - Vice Chair

Kieran McGrane

Vice Chair

View Profile

John Hardy, OBE - Trustee

John Hardy, OBE

Trustee

View Profile

Dame Maura Regan - Trustee

Dame Maura Regan

Trustee

View Profile

Monica Shepherd - Trustee

Monica Shepherd

Trustee

View Profile

Kate Chisholm - Trustee

Kate Chisholm

Trustee

View Profile

Zoe Carr, OBE - Trustee

Zoe Carr, OBE

Trustee

View Profile

Pete King - Trustee

Pete King

Trustee

View Profile

Christina Jones - Trustee

Christina Jones

Trustee

View Profile

Mike Butler - Trustee

Mike Butler

Trustee

View Profile

Advisory Board & School Business Management Council

Advisory Board

A representative group of Head Teachers and CEOs from across the region providing guidance on the Charity’s activities, ensuring Schools North East meets and responds dynamically to the to the needs of the region’s schools and the children and young people they serve. 

The Board aims to:

  • Enable Head Teachers from across the North East to meet, share intelligence with each other, and create an accurate picture of the current regional situation
  • Help to develop the powerful voice of Schools North East by identifying likely future local and national trends, potential opportunities, responses to legislation, DfE, Government, and national initiatives
  • Inform the agenda for local and regional support activities to ensure that they accurately match the needs of North East schools, helping to facilitate area-bespoke support for each local area/ network

School Business Management Council

A representative group of School Business Professionals from across the region founded in 2013 to build upon the existing local SBM networks, and provide a platform in every type and phase of school in the region. 

The Council aims to: 

  • Enable colleagues from across the region to meet and share intelligence and Best Practice with each other and their local networks
  • Develop a powerful voice for the North East’s SBPs and raise their profile with Head Teachers to ensure they fully understand the contribution that SBPs make to North East schools
  • Provide local and regional support, bespoke to each local area/ network
Sunderland

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Claire SmithPrimaryHill View infant School
Ailsa TaylorPrimaryOak Learning Trust
Sarah Dixon-JonesNursery/Early YearsHoughton Community Nursery School & Mill Hill Nursery School
Joanne MawSecondary & Sixth FormSandhill View Academy
Paula HegartySecondaryExcelsior Academy
Cathy WestgatePrimaryHudson Road Primary School

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Sarah ChapmanPrimaryBalmoral Learning TrustDirector of Finance and Operations
Emma SwansburyPrimary & SecondaryLaidlaw Schools TrustFinance Business Partner
Hayley SwinhoePrimary & SecondaryNorthern Lights Learning TrustCFO
Stockton

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Julia ArmstrongPrimaryHartburn Primary School
Louise SpellmanSecondaryVision 1590 Trust
Darlington

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Stuart McGheePrimary & SecondaryBishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Angela TaylorPrimaryMowdenSchool Business Manager
Sarah JonesSecondaryInicio AcademiesBusiness Operations Manager
Lisa MarronSecondaryInicio AcademiesCOO
South Tyneside

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Brendan TappingPrimary & SecondaryBishop Chadwick CET

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Alexis ThurkettlePrimaryJarrow Cross CoESchool Business Manager
Redcar & Cleveland

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Carl FaulknerPrimaryNormanby Primary

School Business Management Council

Vacancy

Northumberland

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
John BarnesPrimary & SecondarySeaton Valley Federation
James Wilson
Alan Rogers
SecondaryDuchess’s High School

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Dominique FlintPrimary & SecondaryCheviot Learning TrustHR Manager
Jennifer MarshallPrimary & SecondaryCheviot Learning TrustHead of Business and Finance
North Tyneside

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Philip SandersonPrimary & SecondaryKing’s Priory School
Jill ShawPrimaryNew York Primary School

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Louise DoranSecondaryLord Lawson of BeamishSchool Business Manager
Middlesbrough

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Hugh HegartyPrimary & SecondaryNicholas Postgate Catholic Academy trust
Phil LathamSecondaryMacmillan Academy
Katrina MorleyPrimary & SpecialTees Valley Education

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Nikola FlintPrimary & SecondaryThe Legacy Learning TrustCFOO
Jackie LowePrimary and SecondaryThe Legacy Learning TrustEstates and Premises Manager
Maxine Bates Primary Whinney Banks Primary School School Business Manager
Susan RobinsonPrimary, Secondary & SpecialPrior WoodsSchool Business Manager
Hartlepool

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Mark TillingSecondaryHigh Tunstall College of Science

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Ryan PowerPrimaryPrince Regent Street TrustCFOO
Elliot StickPrimaryExtol TrustCFO
Sue ListerPrimaryAd Astra Academy TrustCOO
Sarah PrestedgeSecondaryHigh Tunstall College of ScienceOperations Manager
Durham

Advisory Board Members

NameTypeSchool
Graham StephensonPrimaryAim High Academy Trust

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Alison JeffersonPrimaryDurham Trinity School & Sports CollegeDirector of Resources
Gillian PigottPrimaryTudhoeDirector of Business, Finance and Development
Andy CollishawPrimary & SecondaryNCDATCOO
Gaynor CuthbertsonSecondarySt Bedes Catholic School & Sixth Form CollegeSchool Business Manager
Newcastle

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Claire McDonaldPrimarySimonside Primary School School Business Manager
Lee ComstockPrimaryThrockley Primary SchoolSchool Business Manager
Lisa BiltonPrimary & SecondaryNorth East Mixed AcademyDirector of Business Services
June RenwickPrimary, Secondary & SpecialTrinity AcademyHead of School Business
Gateshead

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Sarah JohnsonPrimary, SpecialGibside SchoolSchool Business Manager
Alison OrtonPrimaryFell Dyke Primary SchoolSchool Business Manager
Louise LevySecondaryBishop Wilkinson Catholic Education TrustCOO
Across Region

School Business Management Council

NameTypeSchoolRole
Jim FarquharPrimary & SecondaryNicholas Postgate Catholic Academy TrustCFO
Gareth EdmundsPrimary & SecondaryNorthern Education TrustCFO
Lisa CharltonPrimaryWise AcademiesHealth & Safety Estates Manager

Partner Schools