Meet our Members
Roger Vaughan
Member
My career has included technical consultancy, shipbuilding and academic research in project management, but more recently into the issues surrounding information sharing within the public sector, particularly children’s services. I also served a spell on the National Curriculum Council.
I have been a school governor first with Longhorsley First School, then with KEVI and now as a Director of The Three Rivers Learning Trust. I am most interested in helping develop the strategy of the Learning Trust, including the best mix of education pathways, enrichment and skills. I am married with six grown up children, four of whom were at KEVI.
Sylvie Walker-Barras
Member
Originally from Switzerland, I have lived in Morpeth for the last 22 years with my husband and have two children, one attending KEVI and one attending Newminster. I am a management accountant and have worked for a variety of companies from our own engineering business to large multi-nationals.
I became a school governor first at Newminster, then at St Roberts RC First School and now as a Director of The Three Rivers Learning Trust. I am passionate about languages taught at school and have an interest in SEN provision.
Pauline Pearson
Member
I am recognised nationally as an expert in building community capacity to improve health and wellbeing. I am a Professor of Nursing and Director of Research and Innovation for the Department of Nursing Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University. I led a major UK study on patient safety education for medicine, nursing, physiotherapy and pharmacy, on which I gave evidence to the Health Select Committee’s sixth report on Patient Safety in 2009.
I was ordained priest in 2006, and in 2010 moved to be Associate Priest in the parishes of St George and St Hilda, Jesmond. I am currently a governor of Studio West (part of the Kenton Schools Multi Academy Trust) on behalf of the Diocese of Newcastle, and a member of the Newcastle Diocesan Education Board, by which I was nominated a member of The Three Rivers Learning Trust.
Benjamin Carter
Member
I am the Vicar of the Parishes by the Wall in the Diocese of Newcastle, which takes in many of the most famous sections of Hadrian’s Wall. As Vicar, I am actively involved in the life of all the schools in my Parishes, with a particular care for the West Tyne Church Schools where I am Vice-Chair of Governors. During my time in the Parishes by the Wall I have developed a new pattern of Church called “God’s Tent” which pitches a bell tent in the landscape as a location and focus for worship for families and in school settings.
I am a Proctor in Convocation (a clergy member of General Synod) and currently an Assistant Archdeacon. Prior to ordination, I taught history and philosophy at Bristol University; and am currently an Associate Tutor and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Lindisfarne College of Theology.
Colin Pearson
Member and Chair of the Board of Trustees
I was born in Morpeth and have lived here most of my life. I have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. I am retired. My professional background was within the Civil Service for 35 years where I managed large numbers of staff and IT equipment. My own three children and our long-term foster child completed their school years within the Morpeth Partnership of Schools.
I was a Governor at Abbeyfields First School from the mid 1980’s to 2017 including 15 years as Chair. I was also a Governor for several years at Newminster Middle School. In addition to being Chair of the Board, I am Chair of the Northumberland Schools’ Forum – a statutory body with a consultative role in relation to the local distribution of school funding.
Along with everyone who respects and values state education, I strive to ensure that in the Three Rivers Learning Trust and the wider Morpeth Partnership of schools we maintain high ambitions to promote the development of future citizens who possess intellectual capacity, social awareness and emotional intelligence in equal measure.
