Our Local Governing Board

At North Fawdon Primary School, our Governors work closely with the Headteacher. Their role is to make key decisions that affect the education well being of our pupils. They are vital to the successful running of the school.

Parent representatives form part of the Governing Body. They are an important link between parents and the school. You can elect parent representatives and express your views and suggestions about the school to them.

If you would like to help our school and share your expertise by becoming a Governor, please contact the Headteacher who can tell you more about what is involved. If you would like to find out further information about school governance please click here.

Our Governors are invited to all of our exciting events throughout the school year.

Our Chair of Governors is Jan Caisley who can be reached at North Fawdon Primary School, Brotherlee Road, Fawdon, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 2SL.

Mrs Jan Caisley

CHAIR Co-opted Governor

I am the Chair of the Local Governing Board at North Fawdon Primary.

I worked in education in Northumberland for 32 years before taking early retirement, working in a large first school which later became a very large primary.

I’ve had many roles over the years, including  Maths Co-ordinator, Literacy co-ordinator and Key Stage 2 lead. I was also seconded for a year to Northumberland working  as a Primary Consultant training teachers in initiatives such as Talk for Writing and the Primary Curriculum more generally. Most recently I was a Deputy Head with responsibility for Pupil Premium, Safeguarding, Attendance, Special Educational Needs and Child Protection and was Designated Safeguarding Lead for the school.

I am totally committed to ensuring the best outcomes for all pupils and have a good understanding of how hard teachers work to make this happen. After visiting North Fawdon Primary I was very impressed by the dedication, enthusiasm and hard work of all the staff and the ethos Mrs Elliott, Headteacher is creating.

I’m happy to be working as part of the team to help Mrs Elliott achieve her vision for North Fawdon.

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Mrs Emma Elliott

Headteacher

I am the Headteacher for North Fawdon Primary School.

I have worked in the North East in education for over fifteen years. I started my teaching career in Morpeth, Northumberland where I was the Computing and Assessment Lead. During my time there I was also a lead teacher in the Every Child a Writer project where I would work with other teachers in schools to improve the teaching and outcomes in writing for children. I love teaching writing and it is still the area I love the most!

I have always been interested in Special Educational Needs and during this time I also studied for a Masters in Autism.

In the Summer term of 2010 I moved to North Fawdon to take up a position as Assistant Head and in the Spring of 2012 I was appointed Deputy Head. During my time here I have been English Lead, the lead for Pupil Premium and for Assessment.

During the 2017-18 academic year North Fawdon became involved in supporting Kenton Bar Primary school and I became Acting Head of School. I took over as Headteacher during the 2019/20 Academic year.

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Ms Kirsty Bell

VICE CHAIR, Co-opted Governor

I have been a co-opted governor of North Fawdon Primary School since September 2023 and I am thoroughly enjoying my role in this nurturing, child-focused and forward-thinking school.

I am also a senior lecturer in primary education at the University of Sunderland specialising in maths and geography as well as leading the first year on our Primary Education with SEND programme. Before this, I was a primary teacher and middle leader myself working in schools and academies in Newcastle, Northumberland and London as well as teaching within EYFS up to year 6. I understand first hand the pressures and responsibilities of being a teacher and the importance of a well-run school. My aim is to educate and prepare our future teachers to ensure all children are able to achieve their potential and are well-cared for to allow them to progress into their adult lives with confidence.

North Fawdon Primary School epitomizes my ethos as an educator as the staff work tirelessly to ensure all children are valued and have the means to make excellent progress academically, socially and emotionally. It is an absolute pleasure to be part of the governing body and work with such dedicated and supportive staff.

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Dr Lucy Grimshaw

Co-opted Governor

I have been a co-opted governor at North Fawdon Primary School since November 2023 and it has been a pleasure to get to know and work with a dedicated team of educators in a school which is diverse, inclusive and nurturing.

I have lived in the local area for over twenty years and have two children. I am a member of a local community group Fawdon and Coxlodge Together which aims to bring together residents and local organisations to run community events and celebrate the past, present and future of our area. It is through this group and a project about coalmining history that I first worked with North Fawdon Primary School. 

I am also an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University, teaching childhood studies and social work students. I am very interested in how we tackle inequalities in education and support all children to thrive at school.  I am also interested in the benefits of teaching local history and heritage in primary schools to develop children’s sense of place and belonging. Learning about local areas can help children understand the wider world and I loved walking into North Fawdon Primary and seeing the maps of different countries.

The staff at North Fawdon work hard to ensure that diversity is celebrated, children are encouraged to learn about different cultures and histories and this supported by an inclusive approach to education is central to the school’s ethos.

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Mrs Lorna Adams

Co-opted Governor

I have been a co-opted governor at North Fawdon Primary School since September 2024. I have enjoyed starting to learn about North Fawdon Primary and the commitment of the school to continue to make North Fawdon a school where children can ‘Be Brave, Dream Big, Inspire Others’ in a safe and encouraging environment. 

I have worked in HR and Development for over 16 years, across a range of industries (policing, engineering, housing regeneration, financial services, outsourcing and higher education) within both the public and private sector. I am currently a HR Manager at Northumbria University partnering with a number of business areas to provide HR consultancy and support.

I am looking forward to supporting North Fawdon to provide objective and constructive feedback as someone who is removed from the school education setting. I’m passionate about being able to make a positive difference to education in the North East. As a parent to two young children, I am committed to helping to ensure local schools provide children of the future with the optimum student experience and provide them with opportunities and skills which will enable them to do their best.

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Reverend Malcolm Hall

Co-opted Governor

I have been a Governor at North Fawdon only from October 2024.  I am the Priest In Charge of St Mary's in Fawdon and Church of the Ascension in Kenton.  I have links to all schools in the parishes and as a Governor I can bring my enthusiasm and passion about using my faith to help others find peace and understanding in their lives.

During training and my placement in a Church School I developed and understanding of the RE curriculum, traditions and practices which I am sure will be useful in my role as Governor. 

I am married with two grown up children and 3 grandchildren aged between 8 months and 9 years.

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Ms Georgina Burt

Co-opted Governor

I became a Governor at North Fawdon Primary in November 2024 but have been a governor in a Northumberland school since 2017. 

I am a qualified primary school teacher and have previously taught both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. I was also Maths Lead.

I now work for Child Poverty Action Group as a Senior Education and Policy Officer. In this role I work with schools across the UK to understand what barriers children from lower income households face in education and what can practically be done by individual schools, councils, trusts and government to ensure that all children have an equitable experience while at school. In this role I am responsible for delivering training to staff and school leaders, undertaking research with pupils and parents and undertaking advocacy and campaign work with local and national decisionmakers. I have an in-depth knowledge of the school system in England, practical experience working as a teacher and work in education policy.

I am looking forward to working with my local school and contributing to my local community.

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Mr Umer Adil

Parent Governor

I have been a Parent Governor at North Fawdon since September 2024. 

I am honored to serve as a Parent Governor at North Fawdon Primary School. I am currently working as a Solutions Architect in an IT firm, I bring over a decade of experience as an IT consultant across the UAE, US, and UK. Having recently moved to the UK from Dubai, I hold a master’s degree in Telecommunications from Sunderland and have worked extensively with schools in the UAE, focusing on IT solutions and consultancy.

As a parent of a boy in year 3, I am passionate about contributing to the school’s development and ensuring it remains a supportive and inspiring environment for all students. I look forward to bringing my skills and international perspective to the Governing Board and supporting North Fawdon Primary’s ongoing success.

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Mr Chris Lynch

Parent Governor

I was elected as a Parent Governor at North Fawdon in October 2024.  I have daughters in Year 2 and 6 and a son in Year 3.  I also have a daughter who has just started at Kenton High.

I am a former mortgage broker with 15 years of experience specializing in vulnerable customers before taking leave from work to be a dedicated carer to my four children.  I moved to Newcastle from Manchester 18 months ago. 

I am excited to embrace my new role as a parent governor for North Fawdon, where I aim to contribute positively to my community.

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Mr Stephen Davies

Trust Governance Officer / LGB Clerk

Stephen joined Smart in August 2022 having worked in the education sector in the northeast for over 20 years.  He is passionate about history and taught it at secondary level before moving into a variety of management roles in schools and multi-academy trusts. 

He sees good governance as integral to the health of the education sector and is pleased to be working with the dedicated Members, Trustees and Local Governors at Smart. All of our governance volunteers know that their respective roles require strategic thinking, intelligent scrutiny and community engagement to be combined with a determination to see children's life chances transformed.  If you share that vision, do find out more about volunteering on the Vacancies section of our website HERE.