Our Governing Body

Meet Our Governors.

Mrs Gowland

Mrs Rachel Taylor

Mrs Carol A Walklate

Mrs Nicola Bentham

MrGary N Duncan

Mr Gary Walklate

Jodie Graham

Erin Chapman

Mrs Kym Robson

Lindsay Wakefield

Mrs Jane Holland

Natalie Costello

Governor Committee Structure

Please click on the links below for further details of the Governors at Cestria.

Committee roles and responsibilities to be reviewed at Autumn Term Governing Body meeting.

NGA skills dashboard 2024

Cestria-Primary-Committees

Members-CestriaPrimary-2023-2024

Governor Attendance

Schools are required to display a record of Governor attendance at meetings for each school academic year. This information may be found in School Governors Information sheet. Link below.

Meetings-CestriaPrimary

KEY
Y – Attended meeting
A/A – Apologies sent and accepted by meeting
N – Did not attend
X – Not a member of the committee

Governor Declaration of Interests

Primary School adhere to the statutory guidance from the Department of Education. This means that governing bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools.

The Constitution of Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools

How To Become A School Governor

If you require further information on the roles and responsibilities of School Governors or you are interested in becoming one, visit the Durham County Council website School Governor section.

Committee Terms of Reference

Please click on the link below for more information.

Committee Terms of Reference

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Mrs Gowland

Hello, I’m Mrs Gowland and it is my absolute pleasure to be Head Teacher of this fantastic school. Before I was a teacher I was an ice skating instructor – so one of my favourite times is taking the Y6 children to Whitley Bay Ice Rink for their end of year treat. I am so proud when I watch our children grow and develop; it just seems to happen too quickly!

Mrs Taylor

Mrs Taylor has been a governor of Cestria Primary School since 28.10.2004, joining the Governing Body when both her children attended the school . Rachel was Vice Chair until 2019 when she was appointed as Chair. Rachel has held senior management roles within Education and the social housing sector since 1998 and has several professional qualifications including Chartered Public Finance Accountant.

Mrs Carole A Walklate

I have been involved with Cestria since 1983 when my own children were pupils at the school. I initially worked with a number of parent groups and then joined the parent teacher association before becoming a parent governor. I have remained on the governing body since and was chair until 2019, and am now vice chair. I now have grandchildren at Cestria and have seen many changes and improvements over the years as the school has continued to go from strength to strength.

Mrs Nicola Bentham

Hi, I’m Mrs Bentham and I have the honour to be Deputy Head Teacher at our super school. I love playing the cornet in a brass band and have enjoyed performing in lots of interesting places across the country, my favourite being the Royal Albert Hall.

Mr Gary N Duncan

I have a real passion for developing learning experiences for all children. Also as a governor I enjoy having the opportunity to further promote the ethos and values of the school throughout the wider community.

Mr Gary Walklate

I am a senior commercial solicitor working in the global power generation industry. As a former pupil of Cestria, I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to become a co-opted governor at the school a number of years ago. During my time as a governor, my own daughter has since become a pupil of Cestria. It is a pleasure to see first-hand how much the children love their school and I feel very privileged to be involved with the governing body.

Jodie Graham

I have worked in Chester-le-Street Schools since 2011, firstly as an Extended Services Co-ordinator across 17 schools and now as a Business Development Manager at Park View School. My job role allows me to work closely with Cestria Primary on transition, raising additional funding and developing enrichment projects. I have always admired Cestria Primary School and was lucky to secure a place for my child to attend in 2018. I am delighted to be a governor and I’m committed to supporting the governing body in ensuring the continued success of Cestria Primary.

Erin Chapman

I am Erin Chapman and newly appointed Parent Govenor at Cestria. I have three children at the school, aged between 7 and 10 and I am a former pupil of Cestria. I am delighted to have the opportunity to offer support to the school, parents and families. I am employed as a Public Health Nurse so ensuring all children have the best start in life with equal opportunities is important to me. At home, I enjoy a busy family life, which is very often on the side-lines of a football pitch!

Mrs Kym Robson

I am part of the Senior Leadership Team, as well as teaching across the school, I also lead Early Years. I love walking my dog Penny, and spending time with my little boy, out in the countryside. I also enjoy watching films and reading, my favourite author is Roald Dahl.

Lindsay Wakefield

I am a busy working Mum of two children, one in senior school and one in primary. Having attended Cestria Primary School myself as a child and having had two children attend Cestria I am passionate to represent on behalf of the parents and of course the children, who are the ethos behind everything Cestria aims to achieve. I know from both personal experience and from being part of the governing committee that Cestria is an amazing school at the heart of a very special community here in Chester-Le-Street, which strives to provide an enriched learning experience for all children who attend.

Mrs Holland

I have been employed at Cestria since 2006. In my spare time I enjoy baking, gardening and going on lovely walks with my dog.

Natalie Costello

I am Natalie Costello and I am delighted to join the Board of Governors at Ceatria Primary School as Parent Governor. I am married with two children, both of whom attend the school. I have worked at Durham University for over 16 years, primarily as an Accountant, and for the last six years as a Senior Manager of Administration and Finance having that broader more strategic focus. Outside of work I enjoy lots of family activities, holidays and running – I’ll be running my third GNR this year. Cestria Primary has been extremely welcoming, even before my son attended, fondly remembering the pre-application visit with Mrs Gowland and the interaction she had with my son then. Ever since my children have attended, I am blown away by the breadth and depth of activities they do, always encouraging learning but using enjoyable means. I hope to bring challenge and new ideas to the board in order to help to maintain the extremely high standards already in place. I am keen to ensure the head teacher and all staff members feel fully supported so they can maintain their hard work and commitment to the school and children.

Miss Hutton

Hello, my name is Miss Hutton. I’m pastoral lead at Cestria and I am based in the main school office. In my spare time I enjoy watching my children play football, going to the cinema and catching up with friends.

Mrs Smith

Hello my name is Mrs Smith and I work in the main office, I have worked here since 2008. I love my job and enjoy watching the children starting school in Reception, then cry every year when they are all grown up and leave us in year 6. When I am not at work I enjoy watching football and spending time with my family.

Mrs Gibson

Hello my name is Mrs Gibson. I started working at Cestria as a Dinner Lady when my daughter was in Reception. Now I work within the School Office and I look forward to greeting the children into school on a morning which I love. My hobbies include reading, cooking (and eating), knitting and visiting places.

Miss Behenna

Hello I am Miss Behenna. I have been a teacher at Cestria for quite a long time now. I have a great passion for observing wildlife in their natural habitat and I enjoy bringing my sense of adventure to my classroom to ensure the children are actively involved in the learning journey. My favourite children’s author is Roger Hargreaves who wrote the Mr Men series. One or two may be found in my room !

Mrs Francis

I’m Mrs Francis. I’ve joined the team of Lunchtime Supervisors at Cestria Primary School after working as a qualified Nursery Nurse Practioner and Afterschool Assistant for many years. I really enjoy encouraging all children to have fun and help them to achieve their goals. I like going away in my caravan and on holidays with my family and I have a passion for anything to do with cats.

Mrs Johnson

Hi my name is Mrs Johnson. I’m passionate about supporting all children and helping them succeed. I’m currently based in Key Stage 1. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and camping in the Lake District.

Mrs Ashford

Hi I’m Mrs Ashford and I am a Lunchtime Supervisor. I’m previously from a finance background but have plenty experience working with children, having four grown up children of my own. I am really enjoying this new role. In my spare time you can see me around a football field supporting my youngest son and walking my little Scottie dog Rosie.

Mrs Bowery

Hello I’m Mrs Bowery and I’m the Year 4 Apollo class teacher. I like my classroom to be a fun and friendly place where children can learn and grow. I am a passionate Sunderland fan and love going to the games! In my spare time I like to travel and explore with my family.

Miss Rogers

Hello, I’m Miss Rogers! I’m truly passionate about working with children and I am committed to helping every child thrive and flourish in our school. I’m also an avid traveller, exploring new places and soaking up diverse cultures and ways of life is my absolute favourite thing to do.

Mrs McGee

Mrs McGee. I have been teaching at Cestria since 1997. I have taught every year group. I am the person who is predominately responsible for the assessment and teaching of Maths in year 6. Cestria was my primary school many years ago and olive green walls were the main characteristic that I can remember. Fortunately that is not the case today as I work in bright and attractive surroundings.

Mr Walker

My name is Mr Walker. I moved up to County Durham from Yorkshire and joined Cestria in 2013. I love interacting with the children and always try to make school fun as well as educational. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family as well as any type of physical activity such as going to the gym or going for a swim.

Mrs Devlin

I thoroughly enjoy working with the children in KS2 and KS1. When I am not at work I like reading, going to the gym and spending time with friends and family.

Miss Robson

Hi my name is Miss Robson. I have worked at Cestria since 2010. I love teaching as no two days are the same and every day offers new opportunities to inspire young children. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my two children and running.

Mr Wilkinson

Hi I’m Mr Wilkinson. I’m a year 6 teacher here at Cestria. My classroom is built around mutual respect between pupils and teachers and I love seeing how much progress children can make in both the long-term and short-term. Many moons ago, I was a professional footballer and recently had the chance to fulfil a life-long ambition of playing at Wembley (I don’t like to talk about the result). As well as coaching the football teams here at Cestria, I also look after the Chester-Le-Street Schools District and watch every Sunderland game I can ⚽️

Mrs Wright

Mrs Wright . I have been a teacher for many years. I have taught in Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. I love working with the children and then watching them grow and flourish as they continue their journey through school. At the weekend I enjoy getting out and about exploring the countryside with my family – often on 2 wheels!!!

Mrs Taylor

Hello! My name is Mrs Taylor. I love working with all ages and particularly enjoying teaching English and P.E. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family being outdoors whenever we can. Equally I can also waste a whole day shopping at the Metro Centre.

Mrs Ward

Hi, my name is Mrs Ward and I am a class teacher and SENDCo at our wonderful school. In my spare time I love spending time with my little boy and going on lots of new adventures.

Mr Gowland

Hi, I’m Mr Gowland and I have worked in year 3 since joining Cestria in 2020. I aim for my classroom to be a safe place where the children (and myself) can have lots of fun while learning. In my spare time I am often with friends, visiting new places and adventuring, or having endless conversations about football or darts. I also spend a lot of time at St James’ Park watching the mags!

Mrs Leitch

Hello I’m Mrs Leitch. I have been a teaching assistant at Cestria since 2008 and worked across both KS1 and KS2 as well as EYFS. My favourite thing about my job is seeing the children grow and develop as they progress through school. I have two children and in my spare time I enjoy cooking, Zumba and days out with my family.

Mrs Ingham

Hello my name is Mrs Ingham. I am a teaching assistant at Cestria Primary School, I am currently in Key Stage 2 and love working outdoors with the children. I have 2 lovely children and a dog that we love to take on family walks.

Mrs Ainsley

Hello, my name is Mrs Ainsley. I have worked at Cestria since 2005. I have worked in KS1 and KS2 supporting small groups and individual children. I love to see them flourish and reach their full potential. I am currently teaching Art in KS1 which I really enjoy. My spare time is spent with family and my Godchildren. I also love being outside and spend a lot of time walking.

Mrs Morrish

Mrs Morrish. I am a teaching assistant and I have worked with children for many years. I have worked in Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in different settings, counties and countries! I love working with children and bringing out the best in each and every one of them

Mrs Scott

I am currently working with the children in Key Stage 2 and I love sharing the children’s achievements and development through this important stage in their life. In my spare time I enjoy running and keeping fit.

Miss Shaw

Miss Shaw. I have worked at Cestria for a number of years and have worked in all areas of the school. I enjoy helping children in all year groups to do their best and enjoy their time at school.

Mrs Egglestone

Hi, I am Mrs Egglestone, a HLTA. I have been supporting in Cestria for number of years, working in both Key stages. I am very passionate about helping children to learn and grow. I love my job. I work in the class and support In small groups. Outside of work I have 2 children and 2 grandchildren who I spend as much time as possible with.

Miss Gowland

Hello my name is Miss Gowland. I support groups of children and classes in KS1. I love bringing subjects to life using ICT. In my spare time I enjoy going to the match to watch Newcastle United.

Mrs Leask

My name is Mrs. Leask and I’ve worked at Cestria since 2005. I am an HLTA and my role involves supporting children, helping them to access all areas of the curriculum, so that they can reach their full potential. I really enjoy seeing the children grow and flourish. In my spare time, I love going out for meals, doing word puzzles and spending time with my gorgeous grandchildren.

Mrs Brennan

Hello I’m Mrs Brennan, I’ve worked with children for over twenty years in the Education sector in various roles but mainly in intervention. I am thoroughly enjoy working here supporting small groups and individuals in Y5. My hobbies are reading, music, sketching, walking and socialising with family and friends.

Mr Wilson

Hi, I am Mr Wilson and I am a teacher here at Cestria. I love working with children throughout the school and have done so for a number of years now. In my spare time, I enjoy playing and watching football.

Mr Smith

I’m Mr Smith, a former pupil of Cestria Primary School. I currently teach in Key Stage 1. My favourite subjects with school are Maths and PE. In my spare time I love coaching football and playing the piano.

Miss Starke

Hello, I’m Miss Stark and I am a teaching assistant at Cestria. I have worked across both key stages and I am very passionate about the growth and learning of the pupils. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my family and crafting.

Mrs Brewis

Hi my name is Mrs Brewis I have worked at Cestria Primary School for many years in different roles. I am currently working in Key stage 2 as a Teaching Assistant. I love my job and find it very rewarding. In my spare time I enjoy being with my family and dog.

Mrs Scott

I have worked at Cestria for a number of years now and I love being with the children during their lunch time break. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, keeping fit and socialising with friends and family.

Mrs Brown

Hi, I am Mrs Brown. I have four boys of my own and a grandson. I love to watch my youngest son play football.

Miss Cooke

I have worked at Cestria Primary for many years now and love my job. It is a pleasure to come to work each day and spend time with the children.

Mrs Stubbs

I am enjoying working as a Lunch time Supervisor at Cestria. My hobbies outside of school are spending time with family and friends.

Mrs Rogers

I have worked as a lunchtime supervisor at Cestria since 2003. I love spending lunchtimes with the children, they really cheer me up. Most of my holidays are spent in the lake district walking. I also enjoy going on shopping trips with mother and three sisters.

Miss Ludlow

Hi I’m Miss Ludlow. I’ve been at Cestria as a dinner nanny since both my children were here – a long time ago!! I love going for walks and doing quizzes!

Miss Allan

Hi my name is Miss Allan. I can be found working in a few different areas around the school. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, family and my little dog Fudge.

Miss Holland

Hi my name is Miss Holland. I’m a lunchtime supervisor and a play worker for Cestria Extra after school club. Outside of work I love spending time with my family and my cat Cheeto!

Miss Gibbons

Hello, I’m Miss Gibbons. I love to create an environment where children can be as creative as possible and their successes can be celebrated! When I’m not teaching, I like to keep myself busy and active by seeing friends, travelling to new places, trying new food, or spending quality time with my Springer Spaniel Chester!