| Linda Templey (Chair) | |
 | I have lived and worked in the North East all my life, the last 17 years in the Morpeth area. Married to John, we have 3 children, 2 sons who both attended KEVI and a daughter who has just started year 12. I worked for 32 years in the NHS in a range of nursing and management positions including at Board level. I have wide experience in governance, human resources, safeguarding and quality. This experience has proved invaluable to me as an School Governing Bodylor for the last 3 years as I have learned about the many challenges facing the education sector I am delighted to have recently been appointed Chair of the School Governing Body and look forward to working pro-actively with my fellow councillors and staff to ensure every child continues to receive an excellent education and enrichment opportunities whilst at KEVI. In my spare time I also volunteer for Castle Morpeth Scouts, enjoy walking with our dogs, as well as trying to do yoga and learn French (both with varying success!) [email protected] |
| Adam Hall (Co Vice Chair) | |
 | I have worked for Northumberland County Council since 1997 in a social care role. During this time, I have held several roles including, Residential Child Care Officer in community and Secure residential homes, Residential Assistant/Homes Manager in community and Secure residential homes, Social Worker, Independent Reviewing Officer and Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) I have always endeavoured to ensure my work practice has promoted the best possible environment for children to live in. Developing services with the resilience that is required to guarantee all professionals are supported to create a culture and practice that engages with partner agencies and acknowledges the importance of the quality standards to achieve the best outcomes for all children and young people. As a school councillor I will work alongside the senior management team to support teachers to provide an excellent education to all children, ensuring that they achieve their maximum potential. In an environment that is inclusive and focused on preparing children to better understand the world and the people in it. |
| Lisa Ramshaw (Co Vice Chair) | |
 | As both an alumnus and an ex teacher of The King Edward VI School, I am delighted to be able to join the team as a School Governor. Having worked in education as a History Teacher, Senior Leader and for Local Authorities School Improvement teams, I bring with me my passion for learning and interest in young people achieving their best possible outcomes. I currently work for North Tyneside Council as Assistant Director Education and Inclusion working with all 78 of the schools in North Tyneside. I have been a Governor at The King Edward VI school for five years and thoroughly enjoy supporting the school community. |
| Michael Dennis (Staff) | |
 | I completed my training as a Science teacher at Newcastle University in 1993. Since then I have taught at five schools in West Yorkshire, Lancashire and more recently, the North East. I have had a number of roles including the running of a large Science department and I am currently the Subject Leader for Physics at KEVI. I live within the school catchment area in Rothbury and have three children. Two of them are currently students at KEVI and one is at Dr Thomlinson’s Middle School. I thoroughly enjoy the classroom environment and have always strived to make the experience of students stimulating and enjoyable. |
| Wendy Fail | |
 | I have worked in the environmental and waste management sector for over twenty years, specialising in waste awareness education. I currently work for Northumberland County Council as Senior Waste Management Officer, responsible for a range of projects within Local Services across the county. I have held various roles within the environmental and waste sector, including Keep Britain Tidy, Green Tourism and Groundwork North East and Cumbria. I took a short career break in 2012 to participate in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, racing over 4000 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean in a stripped-out racing yacht. As such, I have several Royal Yachting Association qualifications, including Ocean Master Theory. I am passionate about the outdoors and have a sense of adventure. I am a Chartered Resource and Waste Manager, and an Executive Member of the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) and the North East Recycling Forum (NERF). In 2021, I was awarded Outstanding Contribution to Recycling at the national LARAC conference and awards ceremony in recognition of my work in waste awareness education. I have recently completed a Professional Doctorate at the University of Sunderland entitled ‘Waste Awareness in Primary Schools; A Study of a Waste Awareness Education Centre Experience’, researching the impact of waste awareness education in primary schools. I completed my thesis while working full time, and my research was driven by my desire to make a difference and add a valuable contribution to my profession and the wider educational arena. I have a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Huddersfield and a First Class BSc (Hons) Environmental Management from the University of Dundee. Over the last eight years I have engaged with over 70,000 individuals on the waste awareness education programme, and I continue to be extremely enthusiastic and passionate about the wider climate change agenda. As an alumnus of both Chantry Middle School and The King Edward VI School, I believe I have a vested interest in the future development of the school. I have lived in Morpeth for much of my life, and I am an extremely proud Northumbrian. I believe this passion for my hometown and county, as well as my background in waste awareness education, provides me with the necessary skills to help direct the future of KEVI and I am extremely honoured to be Vice Chair. Outside of work I enjoy going to the gym, travelling, and playing golf. I am a member of Morpeth, Seahouses and Bamburgh golf clubs and frequently play in competitions with the ladies section. |
| Jonathan Hughes | |
 | As an alumnus of The King Edward VI School, I am privileged to now be able to serve the school as an School Governing Bodylor. After KEVI, I studied at Newcastle University, graduating with a Masters of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. I am now employed as the Validation Manager at the Offshore Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, where I have worked for over 10 years. Through this time, I have been able to continue providing voluntary support to various engineering and performing arts initiatives in school, and am a true believer in the benefits of wider community engagement to reinforce students' core interpersonal skills. |
| Jill Woolley | |
 | I joined The Three Rivers as Subject Leader for the Creative Arts in 2011 across Newminster and Chantry and am now Deputy Headteacher of Newminster Middle School. I have previously worked in several schools and have taught from Pre-Reception age to Year 13. I am very interested in how pupils prepare and are prepared for the next stage in their journey through school life. My main roles at Newminster are Art Teacher, Pastoral Care, Health and Wellbeing, Pupil Premium, Teaching and Learning and CPD. My main focus is to ensure that every child reaches their potential by feeling happy and secure at school and having access to a wide range of engaging learning and enrichment opportunities. Both of my daughters attended Morpeth Schools and benefited from the fantastic location and experiences that The Three Rivers has to offer. The sporting and creative opportunities helped them to enjoy school life and prepared them for their future careers. |
| Sam Spoors | |
 | I am an entrepreneurial, proactive, and professional business leader with a rich background in people development, talent acquisition, business strategy and growth; and a passion for fostering valuable community connections and driving change. I am proud to be Founder and Managing Director of Talentheads, Morpeth, and I have experience of building high performing teams both within my own multi-site business, and the local businesses that we are in partnership with. I strive to be a thought leader within the talent sector, and I am driven by a passion for our local community and participate in and lead local business networking opportunities. I believe in creating a legacy for local people, Talentheads channel this through our industry disrupting business model, where people are “More Than A Number” and the right values fit is paramount. I was hugely honoured to be named the North East Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 and I am also a Global 100 2024 Women in Leadership Winner. On the home front, I am hugely passionate about my family, and I’m a proud role model to four beautiful children, two of which are current, or soon to be current, pupils at KEVI. Our family also includes two gorgeous dogs. I have an enormous amount of love for my home town of Morpeth and the beautiful North East of England. |
| Jodie Mercel | |
 | I live in Morpeth and my two children attend The King Edward VI School. I have always had a passion towards education. I am a Registered Nurse and I have worked within Acute medicine for 18 years. I am now in an education role within a large healthcare foundation trust. My role is to provide senior leadership in the delivery of high quality NMAHP (Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health Professions) education and development across the trust. I manage the pre-registration team, leading them to deliver outstanding service. I manage and develop a large portfolio of academic learning, practice placements and trust delivered programmes in order to meet future workforce needs. I also work alongside external networks, both regional and national, to share good practice and innovation. My professional experience working in education, gives me an insight of the importance of how every individual should have the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential. I value the opportunity to be part of the School Governing Board, to be part of shaping future vision, ethos, and strategic direction. |
| Nick Sandeman | |
 | I am delighted to be a member of The King Edward VI School Governing body. I have lived in Morpeth for over 15 years, and both my children are current students at the school. I have been involved in education for nearly 30 years, having previously worked as a teacher at The King Edward VI School and other schools in the county, and also as part of the Northumberland School Improvement team. I currently work for AQA, supporting schools and colleges across the region in their ambitions to improve outcomes for their students. I have visited hundreds of schools in this role, and I know that The King Edward VI School stands alongside the very best schools in the region. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking and exploring the glorious Northumberland countryside. I am looking forward to supporting KEVI's continued work in providing our students with the experiences and opportunities to develop and succeed. |
