Meet the Governors

At Westerhope Primary School, our Governing Body plays a vital role in shaping the strategic direction of the school and ensuring that every child receives the very best education and care. Our governors come from a range of backgrounds and bring a wealth of professional expertise, personal experience and community insight.

Working in partnership with school leaders, they provide support, challenge and guidance across all areas of school life, from safeguarding and curriculum to inclusion and wellbeing. They are united by a shared commitment to helping every child thrive, feel valued and enjoy their time at Westerhope.

On this page, you can find out more about each of our governors, their areas of responsibility and the experience they bring to their role. Together, they help ensure that Westerhope Primary continues to be a warm, ambitious and inclusive school at the heart of its community.

Susan Hall – Chair of Governors

Susan joined the governing body in 2018 and has served as Chair since 2020. She qualified as a teacher at Newcastle Polytechnic and enjoyed a long and successful career in primary education across North Tyneside and Durham before becoming Headteacher of Lemington Riverside Primary School in 2001.

With extensive experience of working alongside her own governing body—who achieved the Governor Mark standard—Susan brings a deep understanding of effective governance. She is also the school’s safeguarding link governor, reflecting her long‑standing professional interest in this area.

Susan has been married for 44 years and has two daughters and four grandchildren. She enjoys walking and an active social life. Having played a key role in establishing the OWL Trust, she already had strong links with Westerhope Primary and chose to become a governor as she approached retirement so she could continue contributing her expertise to a school she knows well.

Jaclyn Carr – Vice Chair

Jaclyn has been a co‑opted governor at Westerhope Primary for five years and has served as Vice Chair throughout her tenure.

She brings significant professional expertise from over 14 years working in cyber security, governance and compliance within the financial services sector, following an earlier career in information technology sales. Jaclyn studied Business Studies in London and lived and worked there for 14 years before returning to the local area.

As a parent of two boys who have attended Westerhope—one of whom is still a pupil—she has a strong personal connection to the school community. As link governor for online safety, phonics and early reading, Jaclyn is committed to ensuring that all children access a broad, rich curriculum.

She is passionate about high‑quality education and is particularly focused on helping pupils develop a lifelong love of learning.

Laura Gray

Laura has served as a Parent Governor since 2019 and is now in her second term. She brings valuable experience from her work as a 1:1 and small‑group teaching assistant in Key Stage 1, where she supported pupils across a range of needs.

Laura has a long‑standing connection to the school as a parent, with her daughter attending Westerhope from Nursery through to Year 6. She is also well known in the community for running the school’s Pre‑Loved Boutique, which has grown significantly under her leadership and now operates year‑round, including the popular Christmas Jumper giveaway each December.

Laura first became a governor to play an active role in her daughter’s school. Over time, she has developed both personally and professionally and is committed to using her skills to support Westerhope Primary and the wider community. She is particularly proud of her involvement in the early OPAL project, which helped shape the school’s much‑loved WOW outdoor provision.

Carrie Marron

Carrie brings extensive experience from 27 years in primary education, including two decades in senior leadership as both Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher.

She has worked closely with governing bodies throughout her career and now contributes her expertise as an Assistant Professor (Practice) in Education at Northumbria University, where she teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate Initial Teacher Education programmes.

Carrie has served as a school governor for two years and is passionate about inclusive education, with a particular focus on pupil wellbeing and mental health. She is deeply committed to supporting local schools and their leaders and values the opportunity to contribute to the continued success of Westerhope Primary.

Sophie Pellegrino 

Sophie joined the governing body in 2024 as a SEND and Parent Governor. She is an experienced school leader and currently works as an Assistant Headteacher, SENDCo and Designated Teacher for Children in Care.

Since qualifying as a teacher in 2010, she has worked across mainstream and specialist settings and has completed a range of professional qualifications, including the NA SENDCo award, an MA in Education specialising in SEND, a PGC in teaching pupils with specific learning difficulties and the NPQSL.

Sophie brings strong governance experience through her SEND and CiC accountability work and her regular meetings with the Chair of Governors in her own school. She lives locally with her two children and enjoys travelling, cooking and reading. Sophie became a governor to deepen her understanding of the primary curriculum and to use her SEND expertise to support the school’s inclusive practice.

Joanne Lowes 

Jo has been a co‑opted governor since 2023 and brings a decade of experience in primary education alongside her work with Children North East as a Poverty Proofing Coordinator.

Her professional background gives her a deep understanding of the school day from a child’s perspective, and she is committed to ensuring that pupil voice remains central to decision‑making. Jo is the link governor for Early Years and Pupil Premium.

 She recognises the challenges faced by children, families and staff in an ever‑changing world and believes strongly in meeting people where they are, building trust and offering both support and constructive challenge.

Her aim is to help ensure that Westerhope Primary remains a place where every child can thrive, feel valued and truly belong.

Stephen Thoburn

Stephen has been a teacher since 2009 and has spent the last ten years as a class teacher at Westerhope Primary. He has also worked in three other schools within the ONE Trust, giving him a broad understanding of the local educational landscape. Stephen has previous governance experience from his time in other schools and currently serves as Chair of Trustees for the Prudhoe Youth Project.

He studied Primary Teaching with an ICT specialism at the University of Hull and has a long‑standing interest in technology, having set up a web design business at 14 and a music management company at 17.

At Westerhope, Stephen is the phase leader for Lower Key Stage 2 and leads computing, online safety and design technology. He also runs computing and online safety network meetings across the ONE Trust and the wider community.

Stephen became a governor because he is passionate about ensuring that teachers, leaders and pupils are well supported and able to flourish.

What does a school governor do?

Governors are responsible for overseeing the management of a school including strategy, budgeting, policy and staffing. They support school to run as effectively as possible, working with senior leaders and teachers to provide excellent education for the children. They are not responsible for the day to day running of the school which is the role of the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team.

Being a school governor requires a commitment to attending governing body meetings to consider issues such as setting the vision of the school, agreeing and monitoring the school budget and scrutinising educational outcomes.

Governors can bring a wide range of skills and expertise to the governing body and school can benefit greatly from this.

Core governor responsibilities

• Along with the Headteacher, it is the role of the Local Governing Body (LGB) to set the school’s aims and objectives to ensure development and improvement. They set policies, create plans and agree targets to enable school to meet their aims and objectives. They regularly monitor the progress towards the targets set.
• The LGB is there to both support and challenge the Senior Leadership Team. They play a crucial role in holding the Headteacher to account for achieving the highest outcomes possible for the children. Governors challenge key decisions and ask relevant questions about the school’s data aiming to guarantee high standards.

How does the LGB work?

Governors work together to provide an independent oversight of the management and operation of the school.

• Full LGB meetings are held once a term.
• Throughout the year, the governors attend other meetings to look at school priorities.
• Governors are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of a school and its curriculum. School visits help governors to understand more about the school and school life. Governor visits to classrooms are not an inspection but a form of monitoring the progress of the school. 
• Prior to all meetings governors receive an agenda, a copy of the minutes from the previous meeting and any other relevant papers to be discussed. Governors are encouraged to read these papers and formulate any questions they may wish to ask.

If you would like further information about becoming a school governor please do not hesitate to contact the school to discuss this.