Governors

Governor Bios (Under Construction)

Chair of Governors - Joanne Lockey

Joanne Lockey - Chair of Governors

I became a parent governor when my daughter was in WDPS the school and enjoyed it so much, I stayed after she had moved on.

I was asked to be Chair of Governors and have been in that role for XXX years. I find it enjoyable and rewarding to be part of such a wonderful school that supports the local community.

Living locally, my aim is to be a critical friend to the school, offering support and direction, helping to hold the senior leadership team to account. I believe my background in budget and project management, recruitment and resourcing is beneficial in achieving this.

Vice-Chair of Governors - Mark Wright

I began my journey as a Governor while my son was at school at West Denton Primary. Many years later I now serve as Deputy Chair of Governors.

As a hospitality professional for over two decades and a business owner, I look to share my experience in operations management with the Governors group, as well as being a member of the Finance, Staffing and Premises committee, and as the school’s Link Governor for Marketing.

Having become interested in governance as my son progressed through the school, the opportunity to be able to support the teaching team as they influence the future and wellbeing of our children is one that I find immensely rewarding.

Emma Thompson

My background is in teaching at Secondary School level and I have held various leadership roles during my 17 years, most notably Assistant Head Teacher. In 2020 I moved to part-time to focus on my family and explore a new business venture of wraparound care for a Newcastle Primary School. Being a Governor at West Denton enables me to feel part of the community to support childrens' education at all levels. The school culture resonates strongly with me and I am an advocate for inspiring children to learn in a fun and nurturing environment. I also believe that the ethos of the school plays an important role in the childrens’ personal development and this is driving school improvement.

Alison Sutcliffe

Hello, my name is Alison Sutcliffe and I have worked at West Denton Primary School for 20 years. My role has changed and grown over the years, I am currently a Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Team Leader and SENDCo Assistant. I have been a school governor for 4 years. I love my roles, the skills and experience that I have ensure that I am best placed to support our school ethos. I feel very proud and fortunate to work in such a welcoming community, I will always strive to do my best as a member of staff and a governor.

Pauline Richmond

I became a parent Governor for WDPS as I am passionate about giving our children the best chances in life. I feel from the first interaction that I had with the school to now my children have been supported, challenged , cared for and included in a positive way.. One thing that really stood out was the amount of well being activities such as the bush craft and l the expansions to the well being facilities in the current times I feel is what really makes our school special.

Due to my previous roles within the Government I feel I really have the skills, knowledge and understanding on the challenges that face our families on a day to day basis and after living in the area all my life I have a good understanding of the community around the school and I’m passionate about changing and improving for the benefit of everyone .

Head Teacher - Mick MingStones

mick-mingstones-cv-05-07-24.pdf (primarysite-prod-sorted.s3.amazonaws.com)

Deputyhead - Rachael Croll

rachael-croll-deputyhead-bio-16-03-21.pdf (primarysite-prod-sorted.s3.amazonaws.com

WDPS Governing Body Information and Attendance- 2023-2024

wdps-local-governing-body-information-duties-attendance-2023-2024-01-02-2024.pdf (primarysite-prod-sorted.s3.amazonaws.com)

WDPS Governing Body Information and Duties- 2022-2023

wdps-gb-record-attendance-2022-23-17-02-23.pdf (primarysite-prod-sorted.s3.amazonaws.com)

WDPS Governing Body - Financial Information - 2022-2023

There are no members of staff who earns in excess of £100,000.00

Schools Financial Benchmarking Link: https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/School/Detail?urn=108449

WDPS Governing Body Attendance - 2022-2023