I moved from London to Whitley Bay in 2019 when my wife and I started our family. I have a son who started Reception in 2023, having attended Marine Park Nursery previously and he continues to love his time at school. I believe that school is much more than an education; it is about preparing our young people for the rest of their lives and I’m hoping my contribution as part of the governing body will continue to drive the success of MPFS.

I work as a senior leader in the Banking sector, where I sit on various governance committees challenging myself and others to achieve the best possible outcomes for all stakeholders.

 In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit, spending quality time outdoors with my family and volunteering at Rockliff Rugby Club.

I moved to the North East in 2006 and have loved living at the coast since joining the Whitley Bay community in 2016. I have three Marine Park children and have been so impressed with the warmth and organisation of the school. I work in education, but with much older students, so am looking forward to getting involved with the school in a different capacity. In my spare time I enjoy running, seeing friends and drinking lots of coffee.

I moved to Newcastle in 2001 to study Psychology at Newcastle University and the North East has been my home since then. I live in Whitley Bay with my husband and our two daughters. My eldest daughter started at Marine Park First School in 2021 and I have been really impressed by how welcoming, caring and inspiring the school staff at Marine Park First School have been. Mental health is something that I am really passionate about and I hope that I can use my knowledge and skills from working in a Children’s Mental Health Service in my role as a Parent Governor. In my spare time I love to travel and spend time with family and friends.

I grew up in Whitley Bay and moved back to the town in 2015. I have a daughter who started in Reception in 2021.

Professionally, I am a primary school teacher at another school in North Tyneside where I lead on P.E. and Science; these are areas I am very passionate about. I also have a keen interest in outdoor learning and hope to use my experience to support Marine Park.

In my spare time you'll find me walking our dog along the sea front, taking part in the Park Run or falling off my paddleboard. 

I am a mum of four children, all of whom are currently or have attended MPFS. Their positive experience at the school has been a key motivator for me to volunteer as School Governor.

I am an academic pharmacist, which means I have always worked in the education and training of undergraduate healthcare students at various universities. I have an appreciation of the need to create and facilitate environments and learning communities which support the development of healthy values of young people within an educational setting. I have leadership, governance and management roles within various levels of the School of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University that are essentially dedicated to this.

As a family, we are really active in various sports and exercise clubs and enjoy taking advantage of being by the seaside all year round. I am an avid crossfitter, very amateur netballer and coach kids’ Olympic lifting and Karate classes. I otherwise love cooking Lebanese food for family, friends and sometimes cater for the odd
event.

I share a mixed ethnic and cultural background with my children. This has been interesting to explain and contextualise to our children as they grow up. I think this has helped our children understand diversity, appreciate and respect differences and
also be proud of their own growing identities.

Aidan Phillips- Parent Governor

I have lived in Whitley Bay since 2017 and have settled into the community with the family.

I have two children at the school; Laura and Beatrice.

In my spare time, I love being by the beach and going for walks. I enjoy reading or listening to music. You may also see me cycling the roads with the North Tyneside Riders club.

My day job is in social work and I work with adults. I have a strong commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion. I am also passionate about education and seeing children realise their potential. I hope to transfer my values and experiences into the role and help shape and mould the future success of the school.

I worked at Marine Park First School for many years before retiring in August 2014. I wanted to continue my association with the school and so joined the Governing Body as a Local Authority governor. I have seen many changes at Marine Park over the years, not least a school site move, however it has always been a successful, warm and friendly school that has kept children at the heart of everything it does. I look forward to contributing to the school in my new role. I am married to a local GP and have 2 (very grown up) children both of whom have continued into postgraduate education having started at Marine Park. I enjoy swimming, Pilates, reading and tea!

I was lucky enough to grow up in Whitley Bay and after leaving for University, I just couldn’t stay away - returning home in my twenties. I now live in the heart of Whitley Bay with my husband and two children. My son is loving the warm, challenging and supportive environment at Marine Park and I am so happy to be able to play a tiny part as a Parent Governor for a school which provides the best possible start for local children.

I am a commercial litigation lawyer helping a wide range of clients solve a variety of problems and issues working alongside their legal, financial and HR functions. I am also a Trustee and Company Secretary for a national charity which works home and abroad supporting disempowered girls and women to challenge the injustice of inequality linked to poverty, violence and education. Known for my energy and enthusiasm,  I hope to bring these traits to my role. Outside work and my role as Trustee, I love spending quality time with my children, family and friends, especially outdoors. My other interests are my book and film club, travel and keeping fit, together with a new love of Lego!

I have been a staff governor since 2008. I am employed as an HLTA which involves me teaching in class while teachers have time out for planning, preparation, assessment and management duties. I work from Reception right up to Year 4. I also run a Nurture Group and assist with Eco Club. I am married with 3 children (one girl and 2 boys) and a dog! In fact my history with Marine Park began in 1997 when my eldest daughter started in Nursery. I began working here in 2001 so I have experience as both a parent and a member of staff. Outside of school, I enjoy walking my dog, running, going to gym classes and socialising! I love Marine Park. My children had a fantastic, fun education here and I want to help make sure all other children do too.

I’ve lived in Whitley Bay since 2015 and feel very lucky to live in such a vibrant area, where I get to see my son Alex grow and thrive as part of the Marine Park community. Having being a governor at a primary school for 3 years previously, I am delighted to now be a parent governor at Marine Park. I have twin passions for education and for the arts, having formerly worked in the museum sector and as a teacher. I now combine these by working for an organisation whose role is to connect arts organisations with schools. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring, crafting and café sampling, especially cake testing!

I have always lived in the North East and I joined Marine Park in 2014, after completing my NQT year at a first school in Northumberland. It is so nice to drive along the coast to get to work each morning! I am currently teaching in Year 4 East and co-ordinating science across the school. I feel very lucky to have the pleasure of working in such a nurturing, happy school, teaching fantastic children and having fun each day! I am proud to be part of such a supportive, encouraging staff at Marine Park and I hope that being a governor will allow me to contribute further, whilst seeing school life from a different perspective. Outside of work, I spend my time walking my beloved dog, trying to keep up with my fitness and most importantly, spending time with family and friends. 

I grew up in Whitley Bay and returned to live here in 2010 after 10 years in the Midlands and have two daughters at Marine Park First School, with the eldest starting in 2020. In my professional role I work as Head of HR for North East Ambulance Service and have a particular interest in inclusion, diversity and engagement, which I hope continue to be useful as a governor.

I have been a science teacher at Whitley Bay High School since 2005, holding a number of positions in that time including Head of Science, Head of Year and, most recently, whole school IT system coordinator. It has been a pleasure over that time to have imparted my interest and love for Science to a generation of students from the local community some of whom are now teaching colleagues! 

 With both of my own daughters now at Marine Park First School it's a pleasure to be part of the governing body and to be able to give further to the community by supporting the school through my passion for education as well as the insight and perspective I have gained from working in the secondary sector.

I joined the school in September 2011, working previously as Headteacher at Grange First School in Gosforth and before that at Ravenswood Primary and Walkergate Primary in Newcastle. I feel very fortunate and am very proud to be the Headteacher at Marine Park First School. The school has an excellent reputation as a successful, large, friendly place to learn and work. I am committed to working collaboratively with a positive staff team, supportive governors, parents/carers and, above all, engaging children. I aim to promote achievement and the development of all our pupils whilst maintaining and building on the successes of the school.

Outside of my employment, I have lived in the North East since 1993 and enjoy spending most of my time with my family. I have a very patient and supportive wife and two sons. I enjoy running and try to complete parkrun most weeks. I also enjoy playing basketball but rarely have time to play and am getting too old to keep up!!