Meet Our Councillors

Academy Councillors and Pen Portraits

Mr W. Deakin

Chair of Academy Council

I’m Bill and I have been a Governor/Academy Councillor at Ingleton Primary School since 2017, initially as a Parent Governor, but subsequently co-opted onto the Academy Council based upon my experience. (I work for a company that organises Governance administration in schools.) I was elected to be Vice-Chair in 2020 and then Chair of the Academy Council in October 2021. I’m delighted to have been elected Chair of the combined Academy Council of Gainford and Ingleton Schools for 2024/25 and look forward to the closer ties being developed between the two schools.
Ingleton CofE Primary School joined the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust in 2020 and I was heavily involved in the decision to join. This Trust have supported Ingleton school throughout and I fully expect the same for Gainford too. There are several ex-Gainford Governors on the Academy Council and I will help as we transition to a different form of school governance.
Whilst my children now attend local secondary schools, we live in Gainford and I hope to be able to meet you at various school events.

Mrs H Drake-Brockman

Vice Chair of Academy Councillor

Mr B. Divers

Vice Chair of Academy Council

Dr J. Broderick

Academy Councillor

Hi I’m John, I was a governor at Gainford Primary prior to joining the Trust and both my daughters now attend the school. I was originally co-opted to help the school understand and reduce its energy bills following the steep rise in costs in 2022. My background is as a researcher and I have taught climate change and sustainability at Manchester University and worked on building operation projects at Teesside University. I now work for a charity that helps schools to improve their sustainability and children’s access to nature. As well as these areas I am supporting science within our schools.

Mr J. Rogerson

Academy Councillor

Mrs K. Hawlor

Academy Councillor / Safeguarding Link Governor

Mrs T. Muir

Academy Councillor

Mrs J. Pressley

Academy Councillor

Rev M. Jaiyesimi

Academy Councillor