New Marske Primary School Local School Board
Welcome to the governors’ page at New Marske Primary School.
We would like to take this opportunity to answer some frequently asked questions and to introduce ourselves.
Who are the governors?
The Local School Board consists of 7 governors and the Head Teacher. There are two parent governors (elected by their peers), one staff and five co-opted governors (appointed by the Galileo Trust). The governors are dedicated volunteers who give their time, commitment and support to New Marske Primary School, its pupils and staff. The governors have varied skill sets which enable them to challenge the school, identify potential weaknesses and bring about necessary improvements.
What does the Local School Board do?
The Local School Board has three core functions, namely:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of New Marske Primary school and its pupils and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
- Overseeing the financial performance of New Marske Primary School and making sure the budget is balanced and well spent
How do we achieve this?
The full Local School Board meets three times a year, once each term. Additionally, there are four governor awareness sessions each academic year which allows governors to familiarise themselves with the operational running of the school. The role of the Local School Board is strictly strategic.
Early years (Nursery and Reception), Middle phase (Years 1-3), Later Phase (Years 4-6), Financial Monitoring, Safeguarding, Health; Safety & Wellbeing, SEND; PP & LAC as well as Community Engagement have dedicated link governors who visit the school once each term per responsibility during school hours.
The Local School Board is also assessed during an Ofsted inspection and its effectiveness has a big impact on the overall judgement of the school.
New Marske Primary has very committed governors who work as an effective team. We are supported by the Galileo Trust and Local Authorities Governor Support Service, which offers help, advice and training when it is needed.
If you are interested in becoming a governor, please contact the Chair of governors via the school office.
Please find below a brief introduction of our current Local School Board members:
Our School Governors
Chair of Governors
Philippa Cook
I am Philippa. I have lived in New Marske most of my life and I’m a former pupil of the school. In my day job I am a Lecturer at Middlesbrough College. I also currently volunteer at 1st Marske and New Marske Barn Owls (Beaver section), although I started my volunteering career at 5th Marske Brownies where I was a Unit Leader for ten years. I became a governor when my son started at Blossom Tree Nursery. I also wanted to bring my educational skill set to the governing body and help support the school community. My current priorities as a governor are to offer guidance with middle phase attainment (Year 1-3) and to support with SEND provision.
My name is Thomas and I have recently become a trust appointed governor at New Marske Primary as of 2023. During the day, I work at a partner practice of St. James’s Place as a Financial Administrator. Previously, I worked as an Economic Analyst at Tees Valley Combined Authority, helping to boost our local area and providing opportunities for future generations. With the skills developed through my own educational and professional journey, I am currently supporting the Financial Monitoring link governor.
I have always wanted to bring my transferable skills to help support the school community and further the opportunities for our pupils to reach their highest potential.
I’m Kim and I am a primary school teacher. I worked in mainstream education for 19 years and now I work in a specialist provision, supporting children with special educational needs. I have seen so many changes in education throughout my career but I love the ethos of New Marske Primary school, as I it puts children first. My daughter moved to this school when she was in year 5 and the impact this had on her was fantastic. I am a link governor for Safeguarding. In my previous role I was a designated safeguarding lead and was able to support families well through active involvement and working together.
I keep myself extra busy looking after my two children, by being a squirrel leader for 1st Marske and New Marske Barn Owls as well as helping to look after our animal family: three dogs, two rabbits and our loan pony. I enjoy reading, when I find spare time and exploring different landscapes with the three dogs in tow.
I’m Steve. I have lived in Redcar for 15 years. I’m a former Secondary Science (mainly Physics and Chemistry) and Maths teacher. I now work on chemical plants, around the North East, as a Technical Specialist for a water treatment company, looking after the chemical treatment and lab analysis for industrial boilers and cooling towers. I am also responsible for Legionella control within the domestic buildings on site. I joined the board as a Parent Governor after my daughter started at New Marske Nursery in 2022. I am the link governor for Health and Safety and support Later Phase in the school. My main priorities as a governor are; to ensure the children have a safe and secure environment to learn in, and to offer any help and support I can to school staff, to maintain the high quality of education for the pupils at New Marske Primary School.
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