Chair of Trustees: John Hardy, OBE

St John Vianney Primary School

John is Head Teacher of St John Vianney Primary School in Hartlepool.

Vice Chair of Trustees: Dame Nicola Stephenson

Valour Multi Academy Trust

Dame Nicola’s current role is CEO and Executive Head Teacher of two National Support Schools in Newcastle. She has been in a leadership role for over 20 years and a National leader of education for over 10. Her strengths lie in rapid school improvement, national policy influencing, developing leaders and strategic planning. In her spare time she is a keen trekker and takes on a range of challenges from trekking the Himalayas to cycling across Madagascar for charity.

She believes it takes a whole community to raise a child, and childhood should be a collection of adventures and happy memories.

Dame Maura Regan

Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust

Maura began her teaching career in London teaching History and RE, she returned to the North East to take a pastoral role before becoming Deputy Head Pastoral and subsequently Principal of Carmel College.

Maura, as the architect of Carmel Education Trust, became its founding CEO having led the successful transformation of Carmel College from a single outstanding College to the lead school in a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).  The Trust is recognised as a leading organisation nationally.  The Trust is now known as Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust comprising 26 schools both primary and secondary.  It will become a Trust of 35 schools by 2022.  All schools in the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust have been rated as good or better on inspection after joining the Trust.

In her role as an NLE, Maura and her Leadership Team have supported schools across the region from all phases.

She is a Trustee of Schools North East, Director of Emmanuel Trust and a Governor of Durham School.

Maura is regularly invited to address national audiences on the benefits and complexities of establishing and leading a Multi-Academy Trust in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity and support for the common good.  She is passionate about making a difference and believes that ‘every child should be given every opportunity to succeed’.

Maura is a member of the National Advisory Group with reference to the published Recruitment & Retention Strategy document.

She is a member of the sub-group working with the DfE on the Opportunity North East Programme established by the Secretary of State.

Colin Lofthouse

Smart Multi-Academy Trust Newcastle

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 8 primary schools in the North West of Newcastle.

He has special interest in leadership support, looked after children, has been a SIP for many years and is a lead Ofsted Inspector. 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).

Monica Shepherd

St. Anthony Girl’s Catholic Academy

Monica spent her first years at St. Leonard’s School Durham teaching History, Geography and Government and Politics and completing her M.A. at Durham University.   Monica moved to St. Anthony’s Girls’ School Sunderland as Head of Department (1987-1997), Senior Teacher (1997-2000), Deputy Head (2000-2005) and Head Teacher (2005 to the present).

Monica has served as a parish councillor, staff governor (secondary) and foundation governor (primary). St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy is a member of St. Bede’s Deanery Alliance (nine primary and two secondary schools) and Hexham and Newcastle Catholic Partnership (twelve secondary schools).

Kieran McGrane

Pele Trust

Kieran trained as a PE teacher at Loughborough University before starting his first teaching post in Northumberland. After a period of time studying in the USA, Kieran returned to England teaching in Durham before being appointed as Head of PE at Ashington High.

Over a period of 6 years Kieran moved from middle leadership to Deputy Headteacher before being appointed as Principal of Bedlingtonshire Community High School for the 2006-07 academic year. In September 2012 he moved to take up his second headship at Ponteland High School. In February 2019, Kieran was appointed CEO of Pele Trust; a Multi Academy Trust comprising six schools in the Ponteland area (five primary and one secondary school).

Kieran McLaughlin

Durham School

Kieran joined Durham School in 2014 and has previously been a Deputy Head (Academic) at Rugby School, as well as Head of Physics at London Girl's School, and Head of Science and Technology at Sevenoaks School.  He has been involved in a number of national curriculum initiatives, as well as delivering INSET on behalf of HMC and the National College of School Leadership. 

Kate Chisholm

Oakfield Infant & Junior School

Kate has been Head Teacher of Skerne Park for 10 years.  Working in one of the most disadvantaged wards in the country Kate's work is passionately focussed on closing the attainment gap but ensuring SEND is catered for at the most personal level.  Kate brings her experience of working in some of the most challenging situations and her real-time knowledge of the current educational landscape to the trust board. 

Kate has been the Chair of the Primary Head Teacher forum in Darlington and has sat on panels such as the SEND steering group, Educational strategy group, YOS board, DfE panels and OFSTED reference group and believes in collaboration to forge solutions to challenges. 

Kate is a great advocate for Schools North East and truly believes in its efficacy and ability to ensure the North East Educational agenda is not generalised, distorted or forgotten and that the reality of living in one of the best places in the world is realised.

Zoe Carr, OBE

WISE Academies

Zoe has been CEO of WISE Academies since 2013. She comes from a primary background going on to be an Advanced Skills Teacher before moving into school leadership sixteen years ago.   Zoe sits on the Regional School Commissioner's Head Teacher Board and is an Ofsted inspector. 

Zoe places great value on the strength and influence of the powerful partnership between SNE and the entire school system in our region and promotes the meaningful collaboration to deliver postive change in our area. 

She is committed to being part of shaping the future vision in the interests of professionals working in the education sector. 

Pete King

Federation of Mowden Schools

Pete has been a North East Head Teacher for twenty years. He has also served as NAHT branch secretary, chair and vice of the local school forum and a school improvement partner.

Pete is a stong advocate for Schools North East and values the collaborative work done between the chairty and the schools in the region. He brings his knowledge and experience to the role of trustee after sitting on the advisory board for a number of years. 

Jo Heaton, OBE

Northern Lights Learning Trust

Jo is CEO of Northern Lights Multi Academy Trust & Executive HT of 2 primary schools in Hartlepool. She is also the strategic Lead for Northern Lights Teaching School Hub for Sunderland, South Tyneside & Gateshead.  Jo chairs the DfE Primary Headteacher Reference Group and is a member of various DfE advisory groups, including the Expert Advisory Group for Recruitment & Retention and a member of a number of local groups such as School’s Forum, Children’s Services Committee, Durham Diocese Board of Education, CEO networks and co-chairs the Hartlepool Headteacher network. She has a history of supporting schools with school improvement support and is a National Leader of Education. 

Jo is passionate about both education and the North East and proud of our region and of the impact and influence we can have when we work collaboratively together.  Jo was involved in the writing of the SNE Manifesto for North East Education and believes that through building on these key areas we can make a difference as a schools-led organisation.  She is committed to collaborative working to tackle issues and strengthen education in the North East. 

Christina Jones

River Tees Multi Academy Trust

Christina is the CEO of River Tees Multi-Academy Trust. She has a background in school improvement, focussing on disadvantaged and vulnerable learners. A qualified SENCO, specialist teacher and SEND Reviewer, she has many years’ experience working with learners with mental health needs in mainstream and specialist settings. As CEO of an Alternative Provision Multi-Academy Trust she sees the impact challenging behaviour and mental health needs have on educational opportunities.

Mike Butler

The Education Village Academy Trust

Mike is Chief Executive of the Education Village Academy Trust in Darlington, a family of schools encompassing mainstream and specialist provision for children and young people aged 2 to 19, with an ethos that is inclusive and child-centred. Mike have held a wide range of leadership roles in schools, trusts and national organisations during a career in the education sector spanning more than three decades.

Earlier in his career, Mike led the transformation of two very different inner-city secondary schools, via the takeover of a failing school, into one of the first ever academies, which opened in 2003, when he became the Principal. The academy’s success was recognised by numerous national awards.

Mike then led the creation of a multi-academy trust (MAT), incorporating primary, secondary and post-16 provision. He was Chief Executive of the MAT, which co-sponsored and established a technical academy, and grew their primary provision. Mike has also been a consultant, and course facilitator for national leadership programmes, and has held a number of board positions over the years, including having been: a member of a special schools trust; a trustee of the National e-Learning Foundation (which works to overcome the digital divide and improve access); and a Director and Chair of the Independent Academies Association (the original sector body for academy leaders). Mike is also currently a member of the Education Strategy Group in Darlington.

Mark Hall

Grace College

Originally from Johannesburg, Mark Hall has worked in schools in Norwich and on Tyneside since September 2001. With family from Edinburgh the draw to understand his roots was always an interest so while South Africa was home for 35 years the opportunity to work in the UK fuelled his interest to understand how different education systems support change in society and the upliftment of communities.  This interest and a desire to see the world drew him to take on roles in England. He took a science teaching role position in Norwich but was quickly promoted to Head of Key Stage 3 as the school, in Special Measures, drew on his prior experience and skills as Head of Science in Johannesburg. After 6 ½ years in Norwich, Mark was appointed as Vice Principal (Academic Standards) at Emmanuel College in 2008.

He held this post until April 2019 when the Emmanuel Schools Foundation asked him to spearhead their work in adopting Joseph Swan Academy into ESF under the new name of Grace College. The school has made significant advancements over the four years under his leadership developing a robustness and agility to educate and inspire all students from all backgrounds.

Big questions have always featured in his thinking. As a young teenager he was gripped by nature conservation asking, “How do we save the white rhino and why are we so greedy?” Living in S.A. meant weekends camping in the bush which fuelled a passion to study biology at Wits University.  However, university was much more than just reading, studying, and experimenting it was also intensely political. Most students in the early 1980s wondered “what life ought to be like and what should it look like for all South Africans? And how considering the inequalities of Apartheid should the next generation of educators enable a fair and more just society?” He sees his contribution to schools over the past thirty-two years as an outworking out of a larger calling – a vocation to educate the next generation to be people of wisdom and future leaders of a fairer society. With experience in a broad range of contexts and across two national systems he is well placed to support the work of Schools North East and is committed to striving for an equality of opportunity and has a passion for a society based on deeper values and a greater commitment to seeking the good of others.