Blue Coat C of E (Aided) Junior School - Governing Body

The Governing Body

Mrs H Donkin

Position: Chair of Governors, LA Governor

Committees: Behaviour and Attitudes/Personal Development, Headteachers Performance, Leadership and Management (Chair), Quality of Education, First/Pay Review

Term of Office: 22.06.2021 to 21.06.2025

Business, Personal and Pecuniary Interests: None Declared

Meetings attended: 2021/22: 100% 2022/23: 100%

I work for Durham County Council as a Special Educational Needs Support Worker with a lead in Autism and Social communication difficulties.  I am a past pupil of Blue Coat School and currently have a son who attends the school as well as a daughter who has recently left.  I live in Sacriston with my children and husband and our array of family pets.

Revd Canon Caroline Dick

Position: Foundation DBE Governor 

Committees: Behaviour and Attitudes/Personal Development, Appeals

Term of Office: Ex-officio

Business, Personal and Pecuniary Interests: None Declared

Meetings attended: 2021/22: 100% 2022/23: 66.7%

I am the Team Rector of Durham North Team (6 churches, 7 communities) and have a ministerial focus at All Saints Newton Hall. I am a foundation governor and see my primary role within the school as being to support the staff in the delivery of the RE curriculum and to develop the worshipping life of the school.

I take assemblies on a regular basis, lead the school services in Church and help to prepare the children for confirmation.

I have been a governor at Sacriston Primary School and have two adult children.

Before joining Durham North Team, I worked for the Diocese of Durham as their Social Responsibility Officer and in that capacity helped to develop a number of church based community development projects in deprived communities.

Mr D Jackson

Position: Foundation DBE Governor 

Committees: Leadership and Management, First/Pay Review (Chair)

Term of Office: 23.03.2021 to 22.03.2025

Business, Personal and Pecuniary Interests: Personal or close family relationship

Meetings attended: 2021/22: 14% 2022/23: 28.6%

I am a Chartered Surveyor with 20 years experience of dealing with commercial properties and developments and a Director at GVA, an international property consultancy where I am asset manager for a range of property companies and developers. I oversee the property management of a number of UK wide commercial portfolios and lead the management teams in the northern regional offices of Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.

In my spare time, I run the Framwellgate Moor unit of the The Church Lads’ & Church Girls Brigade which is a youth organisation with around 4,000 members nationally. I lead the Durham Diocesan area and hold the position of Regimental Commander and serve as a Trustee on the national board. Through the CL&CGB, I organise North Eastern Camp, which is an outdoor pursuits holiday for children which takes place over a week in the Lake District each August.

I have fundraised for several local and national charities and sat on the organising committee for the St Oswald’s Hospice (of Gosforth, Newcastle) Charity Ball and have raised over £27,000 through sponsored events and challenges including treks to the top of Kilimanjaro and along sections of the Great Wall of China.

Mr D Knapton

Position: Foundation PCC Governor

Committees: Behaviour and Attitudes/Personal Development (Chair)

Term of Office: 19.06.2023 - 19.06.2027

Business, Personal and Pecuniary  Interests : None declared

Meetings attended: 2021/22: 100% 2022/23: 83.3%

As an active member of All Saints Church, I have been appointed as foundation governor. Being involved with some of the varied activities the church offers children and young people, I’m looking forward to maintaining and further strengthening the excellent links between Blue Coat and the church.

I have worked as a Design Engineer in the automotive industry and as such have a keen interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and making these accessible to young people. I’m Principal Lecturer for Engineering at the University of Sunderland where I carry out both teaching and management responsibilities. I’m also undertaking a PhD study to investigate how higher education can more effectively bridge the gap between school and working careers.

I live in Framwellgate Moor with my wife and two children, our Son is a pupil of Blue Coat as a family we thoroughly enjoy being part of the school community and all that it offers its pupils.

Ms L Ingleby

Position: Co-opted Governor, Vice Chair of Governors

Committees: Leadership and Management, Quality of Education (Chair), Headteachers Performance, First/Pay Reivew

Term of Office: 21.03.2022 - 20.03.2026

Business, Personal and Pecuniary Interests: Durham CC - Inclusive Provision and Pastoral Support, Other governance role

Meetings attended: 2021/22: 100% 2022/23: 90%

I am currently a Co-opted Governor and Interim Vice Chair of Governors having recently being appointed to the Governing Body. I work as part of the Education Durham Team within Children and Young People’s Services at Durham County Council as Lead for Inclusive Provision & Pastoral Support. A key area of my role is school improvement working directly alongside senior leaders within schools. I have extensive experience of leading senior teams within schools and of developing pastoral provision practices across other local authorities.

Councillor M Simmons

Position: Foundation DBE Governor

Committees: Behaviour and Attitudes/Personal Development, Appeals

Term of Office: 04.10.2021 to 03.10.2025

Business, Personal and Pecuniary  Interests: Governor at Newton Hall Infants, Trinity Sports College, Framwellgate Moor Primary

Meetings attended: 2021/22: 80% 2022/23: 50%

 I live in Newton Hall so I am familiar with the school and the surrounding area, and I also attend All Saints Church.        

 I have worked for Durham County Council for thirty-five years as a teacher/headteacher.   I am a Durham County Councillor and at present I am Chairperson of the Corporate Parenting Panel and also show an interest in all areas of children’s services within the County. I am a governor at three other schools in the area showing my committed interest in Education.

I grew up in a large family having both older and younger brothers and sisters. I have therefore had in my heart the welfare and happiness of children all my life. I am the mother of one son.

I promise all parents I will work for the good of all children attending Durham Blue Coat Junior School.

Mrs E Royle

Position: Foundation Governor

Committees: Quality of Education, Appeals

Term of Office: 07.06.2023 to 06.06.2027

Business, Personal and Pecuniary  Interests: None declared

Meetings attended: 2022/23:

I am a Deputy Head teacher with 27 years of experience working in schools. I have worked in mainstream primary and currently work in a special school for pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties from age 2 to 19. I have taken the lead for a range of subjects before joining the SLT. I have also been a governor in my own school for over 15 years and have first hand experience of the leadership and management of education, I feel my experience enables me to have a positive and supportive impact on the work of the school. 

I strongly believe in providing children with a varied and rich education that develops them as a whole person, I feel all children should have the opportunity to be happy and successful and that we all have a role in supporting them to be the best that they can be.

I live locally and have two children who attended Bluecoat and have many happy memories of their primary school experience and have moved successfully into secondary education

Ms K Watson

Position: Parent Governor

Committees: Behaviour and Attitudes/Personal Development

Term of Office: 19.12.2022 to 18.12.2026

Business, Personal and Pecuniary Interests: Children in the school

Meetings attended: 2021/22: NA 2022/23: 100%

I have worked in regeneration roles for over 15 years, the last 10 of which I have been a Project Manager in Regeneration and Development for Durham County Council.  I work in and amongst the community of South Durham helping businesses to grow and thrive, with a particular focus on town centre vibrancy and viability.

We moved to Newton Hall from Chester-le-Street in 2020 and both of our children now attend the school.

I play for Durham Roller Derby and roller skating is my passion.   We are an active family that enjoys long walks with our German Shepherd, Charlie.  Charlie and I also do canicross together.

I hope in my role as Parent Governor I can provide both strategic and objective advice to the Governing Board to ensure the best success of the school whilst helping to maintain the high standards of education and extra-curricular activities that we know and expect.