Naomi Marshall – Chair of Governors

Carrie Barron – Vice Chair/ Parent Governor

Originally from Michigan, USA, I moved to Ashington 14 years ago and am proud to be a parent of two James Knott pupils. With a degree in Social Work, I have worked in Children’s Safeguarding Services in the UK for the past 20 years. It’s an honour to support the James Knott Governing Board and give back to a school that has been such an important part of my family’s life.

Gary Haikney – Parent Governor

I was born and raised in North Tyneside and have since settled our family in my wife’s hometown of Ashington. My son attends James Knott, and I’m confident my daughter will join soon. I’m really looking forward to contributing to the Ashington community through the
school.

As a serving soldier with multiple overseas deployments, I bring a strong background in leadership and team building. I am also an engineer with a keen interest in science, maths, and technology. I hope to use my experience to support the school’s decision-making,
helping to prepare our children for the challenges of the future.

I am passionate about advocating for inclusivity, ensuring every child has the opportunities they deserve. Equally important, I want to be a voice for my fellow parents, representing their perspectives and concerns within the school community.

Sharon Neal – Governor

I was born and brought up in a mining village in South Tyneside, and having spent all of my working life in the midlands and south east, retired and came home to the north east in 2022.

My career has taken me from management in local government, to the NHS, the Arts Council and latterly, HR in universities. I also taught Y5 for a year (in Birmingham) and have run my own business.

As an Organisational Development Director at Warwick, Oxford and then Sussex universities, my focus was on developing leaders and managers, achieving culture shift and embedding equality, diversity and inclusion. My longstanding professional interest is conflict resolution and I am a qualified mediator and coach.

I am passionate about every child having the access and support needed to reach opportunities for growth and learning.

I am so pleased to have this opportunity to work with NCEAT and look forward to doing the best I can to support our children, their community and our teaching staff in my role as governor.

Phoebe McSparron – Governor

I am delighted to be part of the governing body and to have the opportunity to give something back to a school and community that mean a great deal to me. Having attended the school myself, it feels particularly special to now be involved as a governor and to see the school from a completely different perspective.

I have a background in care and experience working with children, including children with additional needs. These experiences have developed my passion for safeguarding, inclusion and making sure that every child feels listened to, supported and valued for who they are.

As a parent myself, I understand how important it is for children to feel happy, safe and confident at school, and how important good communication and relationships between schools and families are. I want to use both my personal and professional experiences to help ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

I am approachable, passionate and always willing to listen. I hope to bring a strong child-centred perspective to my role as a governor and to work positively with staff, families and the wider school community to support the school and its pupils.

Ed Bookless – Governor

Amanda Hall – Staff Governor

I have been a part of the James Knott team for over 20 years now. This means that I have seen it develop over the years from Hawthorn County First School to Hawthorn CofE First school and its many other changes since our time within NCEA Academy Trust. It has been great to be a part of the journey and see continual growth, change and development of the school over the years while never losing its community links and heart.

I am lucky to be a part of the Ashington community which helps me understand the local issues our parents and pupils face. Every role I have ever worked in has been community based and customer led. I have two young children within the Trust which has brought a new perspective to my role. I became a governor to support the school and get a better overall understanding of the school and the Trust.

Jack Christophers – Headteacher

After graduating from Newcastle University, I completed my Primary PGCE and began my teaching career in 2012. My journey in education actually started here at NCEA James Knott C of E Primary School, where I trained as a student teacher, so I am incredibly proud to have returned to the school as Headteacher.

Throughout my career, I have been passionate about ensuring that every child has a happy, positive and nurturing experience of school. I firmly believe that every child should have the opportunity to thrive, feel successful and recognise their own unique strengths and talents.

As Headteacher, my ambition is for James Knott to be a school where children feel loved, valued and supported, while also being encouraged to aim high and achieve their full potential. By creating a culture of high expectations and kind hearts, I want every child to leave our school confident in who they are and excited about what they can achieve in the future.