I am delighted to welcome you to the Academy Councilor’s section of our website.
The West Tyne Church Schools is a federation of two schools – Henshaw Church of England Primary School and Greenhead Church of England Primary and Nursery School - with a single Academy Council and Executive Headteacher.
At Greenhead and Henshaw Primary Schools, we are at the heart of our communities, and as councilors of Church of England schools, the principles of Christian values and community are at the heart of everything we do.
Most importantly, in our role as academy councilors, we ensure that the children in our schools love coming to school, that the staff inspire a love of learning in them; support them to the best of their ability through their learning journey and teach them to believe in themselves and others, so that ultimately they have the resources to achieve great things.
As an academy council, our role is to work closely with the Executive Headteacher, the staff and parents within the Federation to achieve this by carrying out the key Roles of:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction for the Federation;
- Holding executive leaders to account (and also support) for the educational performance of the schools in the Federation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the Federation, making sure its money is well spent.
We are not involved in the day-to-day operational running of the schools but are strategic custodians.
The Academy Council has a maximum of 12 governors appointed as follows:-
- 2 parent governors, 1 for each school, elected by the parents;
- 2 staff governors, 1 elected by the staff from each school;
- 1 governor nominated by the Local Authority;
- 1 ex-officio governor, being the vicar of the local Churches;
- 2 foundation governors appointed from the local community by the Newcastle Diocesan Education Board; and
- 4 foundation governors, nominated from the local community by each of the two Parochial Church Councils.
There are sometimes vacancies on the Academy Council and so we always welcome enquiries from anyone who would be interested in becoming a governor. We need people with a broad range of skills and knowledge to form an effective Academy Council. All we ask is that councilors share a passion to do the best for the children in our schools and a desire to be involved in the provision of that education. You do not need to have any previous experience in education or be a parent of a child in school.
Mrs Sarah Smith
Co-Chair of Academy Council
Hi I’m Sarah,
Mother of two children who currently attend Henshaw Primary School.
I was born in Haltwhistle and grew up in Bardon Mill, having left the area for 11 years. I moved back to the area and have reconnected with friends and family and had the privilege to have made new friends in the 10 years that I have been back in Melkridge.
My family is a big part of my life, as well as running my own photography business. I believe that I have a wealth of knowledge which will assist me in my role as school governor.
Rev Canon Steve Wright
Co-Chair of Academy Council
I am the parish priest and ex-officio governor of Henshaw and Greenhead Schools, arriving in the parish in March 2022. I enjoy telling bible stories with the children when I come and for assemblies or give them tours of the church building next door. My wife and I spent 22 years working abroad in Nigeria, Kuwait and Dubai and now live in Haltwhistle.
Mr Mike Glenton
Executive Head Teacher
I have been in teaching for over 18 years and have been working in school leadership for 12 years. I enjoy spending time with my family (my two young daughters keep me busy!), gardening and visiting new and different places.
Within education, I have a passion for environmental awareness and celebrating diversity and inclusion. I aim to work with the governing body and our community to give our children the best possible start to life through collaboration and hard work within our Federation.
Mrs Jenna Moore
Parent Academy Councilor
My children, Fraser and Phoebe attend Greenhead Primary. We live on a busy sheep and beef farm where I love to walk my dogs, work on the farm and spend as much time as possible outdoors. Three days a week I am an Early years teacher in a first school in Hexham and I am also a director for Greenhead Nursery and Preschool. I love gardening and find it a very relaxing place to spend time with my family and our Labradors Monty and Fearne.
Mr Alan Sharp
Academy Councilor
I am also the County Councillor for Greenhead and Henshaw and I am very actively involved in many organisations in the communities which I represent. I am very keen to support the education and the retention of the small schools in our area.
I am also Chairman of Greenhead Pre-School and Nursery which is a registered charity. I have been the District Councillor for Greenhead since 1987 and the County Councillor since 2008. I am an associate with Land Factor and I manage the Haltwhistle Office and manage local estates. I am particularly keen to get the best education for all of the children and to get good facilities and I have been involved in many projects on behalf of the school and local community over the years.
Mrs Jill Olsson
Staff Academy Councilor
I have worked in education for 16 years and 8 of those have been at Henshaw Primary School. When I am not at school I enjoy spending time with my family and enjoying walks in our beautiful countryside with my dog Monty. I also enjoy reading and love reading stories to the children in school.
Mrs Sherry Makepeace
Staff Academy Councilor
Mrs Christina Broadbent
Parent Academy Councilor
My two children, Eva and Arthur, attend Henshaw primary. I have lived in the community for eighteen years and there is no place finer in my opinion!
I enjoy reading (you can usually find me hiding somewhere with a book) and cycling. I have worked in education since 2017 and specialise in assisting students with special educational needs access education and believe everyone should have a fair chance to enjoy their time in school.
Mrs Rachel Halbert
Parochial Church Academy Councilor
I work for a local NHS Trust as a Health Visitor and truly believe that every single child deserves the best start in life and this is what motivates me as a parent governor.
I am Mum to Ellie and Dougie. Ellie attends Henshaw School and Dougie will soon follow suit by beginning his journey at Henshaw Nursery. I am passionate about maintaining a healthy body and mind and enjoy strength training at the gym and have recently become a keen gardener.
Free time centres mainly around exploring the beautiful Northumberland countryside and our family sheep farm which is a stone's throw away from Hadrian's Wall.
Mrs Hannah Di Lullo
Academy Councilor