David was a teacher for 20 years at a range of First and Middle School across Newcastle and Northumberland. During this time, he held a range of leadership posts including two headships. Both headships took the schools from satisfactory to good. For the last four years, David has led school improvement across Northumberland. During this time, academic and Ofsted outcomes have risen and the number of schools seen as a vulnerable has fallen from 64 to 26.
Jo Warner – Assistant Director of Education for the Joint Education Team, Dioceses of Durham and Newcastle
Jo started teaching thirty five years ago, as a teacher in an inner-city primary school. She has served as a headteacher of four schools in the North East – a region she was brought up in. She has gained extensive senior leadership experience in first, primary and middle schools. Jo currently is an Assistant Director of Education for the Church of England dioceses of Newcastle and Durham, with a focus on school effectiveness, working in early years, primary and key stage 3.
Jo is passionate about education and the role it plays in developing young people with strong values, spiritual and moral awareness, and excellent skills and knowledge to enable them to grow and develop into outstanding citizens in our world.
Richard Restall - Headteacher, St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School
Richard Restall is currently the Headteacher of St. Bartholomew's C of E Primary School, Longbenton. Having taught and led in Good and Outstanding schools throughout the North East of England, Richard has extensive knowledge of primary education, alongside experience of both Middle and all-through schools. Being a member of the Newcastle Diocesan Board of Education, Richard has a good understanding of supporting church schools and, having worked in both church and community schools, knows how creating a distinctive ethos enables children to flourish. Richard is passionate about creating opportunities that develop children's character alongside their academic achievements, in all areas of the curriculum.