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Governance
BackSouth Hylton Primary Academy is overseen by a Local Governing Body responsible for ensuring the highest standards of teaching and wellbeing. The Local Governing Board is a ‘critical friend’ to the Academy as well as a champion of pupils, teachers and the wider community.
As the Academy is part of the Laidlaw Schools Trust, there is a board of trustees who are responsible for the work of the Trust, including the running of the academies. Further information is available on the Governance section of the Trust’s website. To support the effective operation of the Trust and the academies, the board has established Local Governing Bodies for each Academy in the Trust.
Diversity is important to our governing boards and we strive to be reflective of the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for school governors from all areas of our school community. If you are interested in becoming a school governor or finding out more, please contact the Clerk to Governors.
The Governance Administrator can be contacted at rebecca.mayo@laidlawschoolstrust.com, Laidlaw Schools Trust, Suite 2, 3rd Floor, St Nicholas Building, St Nicholas’ Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1RF or 0191 662 2416.
Details of the Governors at South Hylton can be found below:
Peregrine Solly
Chair of Governors
Prior to his involvement with the Laidlaw Schools Trust and The Children’s Foundation, Peregrine worked for two of the North East’s leading Companies: Vickers plc (later BAE Systems plc) and Scottish and Newcastle plc. His role for both companies took him all over the world and gave him a fascinating and unrivalled experience working across different cultures and different organisations. Peregrine still consults for a number of start-up companies, helping them to develop their businesses internationally. Although he had not been directly involved in education before joining the Trust, Peregrine grew up in a school, his brothers both teach, and he is married to a teacher. He fully supports the Trust’s aim of improving the opportunities and life chances of some of the most disadvantaged children and young people in the North East of England.
Patricia Bateley
Local Governor
Patricia has a background in Education spanning over 40 years. She taught in schools across Durham and Sunderland for 20 years and was Head Teacher for the remaining 20 years, retiring from Academy 360 in 2011.
Patricia had previously been Head Teacher at Quarry View Primary, and thus she knows the community of schools in the area and understands both the advantages and challenges facing staff, students and parents today. She has the welfare of staff very much at heart as they are at the centre of enthusing and encouraging students to learn and achieve.
Since retiring, Patricia is an independent volunteer panel member for admission and exclusion appeals. This role gives back help and support to Sunderland LA, parents and students.
Patricia is proud to say that she loved her career and, in becoming a Governor, will continue to share her enthusiasm at South Hylton Academy.
Thomas Eastick
Local Governor
Thomas was born in Hylton Road, Sunderland and attended local schools until he left to follow an electrical apprenticeship at Wearmouth Colliery. Over 25 years he worked in various collieries, ending this career at Easington Colliery.
Following the closure of Easington Colliery, Tom was employed by Rolls Royce as a Commissioning Engineer. This work required him to work at power stations, naval ships, shore installations and other engineering projects. This led to his current role working for VMS on motorway installations and communications.
Tom was aware that Governors had a role to play in supporting schools. Over the years, meeting other serving governors, he wanted to use his experiences in life and work to benefit and support the activities of a school community.
Natalie Robinson
Parent Governor
Natalie is local to the area and has two children at school, one in year 2 and the other in Nursery. Their school life and passion for learning are what drove me to apply for Parent Governor.
Natalie volunteers as a mentor for a charity whose mission is to inspire and empower young girls. She believes it is vital that children understand the opportunities available to them and for them to feel empowered and embrace those possibilities, no matter their gender, ethnicity or background.
She has spent the last 7 years working in Risk Management, internal controls and compliance. Natalie’s role is to implement and embed risk policy and processes which increase performance and growth. She is hoping that, given her past experience, Natalie can support the school with its strategic goals and contribute to the education and well-being of our children.