Governance

The Chair of Governors can be contacted via Rebecca Tills, the Clerk to Governors at rebecca.tills@laidlawschoolstrust.com, Laidlaw Schools Trust, Suite 2, 3rd Floor, St Nicholas Building, St Nicholas’ Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1RF or 0191 6622 416.

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 has 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.

David Pringle

Vice Chair of Governors

Dawn Henderson

Parent Governor

Dawn is an elected parent Governor. Her eldest child has just left year 6 at South Hylton and her youngest is going into year 4.

She has worked with children and their families for the last 20 years, initially as staff nurse within a national adolescent forensic secure mental health hospital, then as a mental health specialist for Community CAMHS and Sunderland Youth Offending Service and, for the last 8 years as Specialist Nurse/Clinical Lead within a specialist mental health service.

Dawn is passionate about ensuring that the school environment encourages and promotes a child’s emotional growth as a child needs to feel safe, secure and happy in order to reach their full potential.

Thomas Eastick

Local Governors

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 and over the years, meeting other serving governors, wanted to use his experiences in life and work to benefit and support the activities of a school community

Patricia Bateley

Local Governors

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.