Tyne Coast Academy Trust has a board of Trustees who are legally responsible for the activities of the Trust. It is comprised of individuals with a range of responsibilities, including the Trust's CEO.

Our Trustees are responsible for (among many other duties):

• Delivering the charitable and educational objectives of the Trust;
• Determining the educational character and mission of the Trust;
• Setting key strategic objectives and targets and reviewing performance against these;
• Determining the Trust development plan and reviewing all Academy development plans; and
• Approving all statutory policies that are common to all Academies within the Trust. 

The Chair of the Trust Board is Mr Les Watson.

All Members can be contacted via Mr Neil Longstaff, Director of Governance. Please complete our Web Form and we will respond as soon as possible.

Our Trustees' business and pecuniary interests show details of any economic and/or business links and roles in other institutions. 

Our Trustees' attendance shows their attendance at board and committee meetings over the last academic year.

Our Trustees

Dr Lindsey Whiterod CBE is the Chief Executive of Tyne Coast College and CEO of the Academy Trust. Lindsey has overseen a rapid rise in education standards at South Tyneside College since introducing a new focus on vocational qualifications after becoming Chief Executive in October 2009. Her resolute and forward-thinking approach to provision has ensured courses and resulting qualifications target real jobs - a policy that has won the approval of many within the North East business community and education inspectorate Ofsted, which graded the college ‘Good’ in 2015 and in 2019 (as Tyne Coast College) and Ridgeway Primary Academy ‘Good’ in 2016 and in 2021. Her influence on the college’s academic resurgence is such that she was made an OBE for services to education in the New Year’s Honours List in 2013 and a CBE in January 2018 in recognition of her services to education and to the borough of South Tyneside. Lindsey is also a National Leader of Education. 

Another significant achievement was to drive through the creation on the new Tyne Coast College, formed  from the pivotal merger of South Tyneside College and neighbouring Tyne Metropolitan College (TyneMet), in North Shields.

As the first Chief Executive of Tyne Coast College, she now directs operations at the North East’s second largest FE body, and is accordingly one of the region’s most influential voices in her field.

• Appointed:  Chief Executive Officer, 29.11.12

• Term of Office:  N/A

Mr Les Watson

Chair of Trustees

• Appointed by Trustees on: 02.10.20
• Term of Office: 4 Years

Mr Ray Staward

Trustee and Chair of Finance

Ray Staward, a Chartered Public Finance and Chartered Certified Accountant is also a member of the Chartered Management Institute with experience of local and central Government, the health and education sectors and the water industry in the UK and overseas, became a director of the Academy Trust in 2012.

He has worked within several Tyneside councils, with Newcastle Area Health Authority, Sunderland and South Shields Water Company, the Audit Commission and Northumbria University.

He was also Chief Accountant to Cape Town City Council, the Corporate Accountant to Botswana Water Utilities Corporation, Adviser to the Auditor General of Tanzania, Finance Manager for an Urban Development Programme in Swaziland, Resident Consultant to the City of St Petersburg, and Municipal Finance Expert in Moscow. Ray was a governor at South Tyneside College for eight years, and he was also the Independent Person for South Tyneside Council, maintaining standards of conduct among elected members.  Ray is currently the Treasurer of Age Concern Tyneside South.

A sports enthusiast, he is a Newcastle United season ticket holder and a member of Durham County Cricket Club.

• Appointed by Trustees: 19.12.12, 19.12.16 and 19.12.20

• Term of Office: 4 Years

Robert Whitelaw, a chartered accountant and former financial director with a major North East group of companies, brings vast experience of financial and general management experience to his position of director, a role he has held since 2012. Robert was a governor at South Tyneside College for eight years and is a former member of the Academy Trust. Mixing financial experience with a strong business acumen has allowed Robert, a married father-of-two and grandfather-of five, who has lived in Cleadon, South Tyneside since 1986, to help the academy trust remain financially strong and to progress a buoyant business model, despite funding challenges.

• Appointed by Members: 29.11.12, 29.11.16 and 29.11.20

• Term of Office: 4 Years

Andrew Watts is the Executive Director of ‘Changing Places and Changing Lives’ Charity Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle, and he is the current Chair of Governors at Tyne Coast College, the Academy Trust’s sponsor. His priorities include building greater business and community partnerships, and increasing educational opportunities and outcomes for all students.

Andrew spent 15 years working in the public sector in various environmental positions before joining Groundwork in 2005. His role as Executive Director is varied but includes helping create strategic partnerships across Tyneside and developing Groundwork’s asset portfolio, which includes the One Trinity Green business centre in South Shields and The Beacon Enterprise Centre in Newcastle. He is also an active board member of a voluntary sector organisation in South Tyneside.

• Appointed by Members: 29.11.12, 29.11.16 and 19.12.20

• Term of Office: 4 Years

Prof. Michael Whitaker

Trustee

Michael is committed to delivering an education in science for students in the North East that is shaped by the needs of business in the region.  He has been closely involved in the North East regional strategy in the Healthcare and Life Sciences. He coordinates the regional pharma manufacturing initiative, FirstforPharma.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Biology, the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, the Marine Biological Association and of the Academy of Medical Sciences.  In addition he is a board member of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and a trustee of the Marine Biological Association.  He is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Centre for Process Industries.  He is managing director of a community interest company, HealthyLife Sim CIC, that raises awareness of the causes, consequences and remedies for health inequalities, particularly in disadvantaged communities.  He also holds directorships in four companies in the energy sector and a life sciences consultancy. Michael is emeritus Professor of Physiology at Newcastle University.

• Appointed by Trustees: 01.12.18 

• Term of Office: 4 Years

Mr Gordon Smith

Trustee

• Appointed by Trustees on: 13.12.19
• Term of Office: 4 Years

Dr Malcolm Grady

Trustee

Dr Malcolm Grady graduated from York University in 1973 with a degree in History/ Education, and completed a PGCE the following year. He then began his teaching career in secondary schools in South Tyneside, during which time he was awarded a School Teacher Fellowship at St Chad’s College, Durham University. After completing a Masters in Education at Durham, Malcolm moved into educational administration at Newcastle and South Tyneside local education authorities, working in fields such as adult education and Further Education, school governance, school workforce development, succession planning and Ofsted inspections. He also contributed to several national organisations in an educational advisory capacity, such as the BBC Schools Broadcasting Council, the National Institute for Continuing Education and the National Employers Organisation for School Teachers.

• Appointment by Trustees on: 15.10.20
• Term of Office: 4 Years

Mr George Clark

Trustee 

A College Governor and Vice Chair of Finance Committee with over 43 years public service experience. Spent 25 years at Newcastle City Council where he left as Chief Internal Auditor and Head of risk management and insurance. Became an Inspector with the Audit Commission delivering over 50 assessments across all areas of the public sector. Currently applying his skills on Boards, Audit or Governance Committees of Gateshead Housing Company, NECA and Nexus chairing many. He is Independent Person for both Newcastle and North Tyneside Councils being consulted on all complaints against Councillors. Has worked with the Shanghai Municipal Reform project, with the Crown Agents and Chief Internal Auditors from Nigeria, Tanzania, Malawi, and Georgia. Had four tours of Bosnia to developing proper internal control processes and effective Internal Audit. Undertaken two projects in Macedonia developing anti-corruption hotlines and training programmes for the staff operating them. He is a past President of CIPFA North East Region and was awarded the Dr Hedley Marshall award for outstanding voluntary service to CIPFA’s regions over a 21 year period.

• Appointment by Trustees on: 01.08.21
• Term of Office: 4 Years

Mrs Margaret Savage

Trustee

Appointment by Trustees on: 12.04.22

Term of Office: 4 Years