Whitburn Church of England Academy
Academy converter secondary school in Sunderland (South Tyneside).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
I am delighted to welcome you to Whitburn Church of England Academy, where it is my very great privilege and honour to be Principal. I feel very proud to be given the opportunity to lead such an outstanding school. "Excellence for all" reflects our school ethos and at Whitburn we believe that every one of us in our community is unique and of value.
Each of us has a contribution to make to our community as we work together for the flourishing of all. Christians believe that God gives each of us 'a hope and a future' (Jeremiah 29:11). We are determined to provide an inclusive education for the local community in which the rights of all are respected, irrespective of personal beliefs.
We believe that each student should be recognised as being unique, gifted, created and loved by God. We are proud to be a school at the heart of the Whitburn community and its surrounding villages.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
2 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Mandarin
- World Challenge
Key facts
- URN
- 136386
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Local authority
- South Tyneside
- Constituency
- South Shields
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2011
Governing body (19 current, 1 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.13 governors are linked to a profile (all confirmed).
Governors marked “Confirmed same person” have exactly the same forename and surname as the only officer of that name at the school’s own academy trust company on the Companies House register, so we treat them as the same person. The governance record itself comes from DfE.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Susan Alison Beech Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Dr David Hambleton Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Andrew Robert Harry Knowles Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Vivienne Ruth Young Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr David Akers | MemberTrust members | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2025 |
| Mrs Caroline Agnew Bowmer Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Louise Roberts Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Andrea Louise Tobin Confirmed same person | Chair of TrusteesTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Lee Wright Doignie Williamson Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Julia May Adamson Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Miss Nicola Jenny Rogers Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Barry Morris Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2022 · until 2026 ends 2026 |
| Mr Nigel Ralph Wyrley-Birch | MemberTrust members | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2022 |
| Mr John (known as James) James Grubb Morgan | MemberTrust members | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2021 |
| Reverend Vernon John Cuthbert | MemberTrust members | Ex-officio foundation governor (appointed by foundation by virtue of the office they hold) | since 2020 |
| Mrs Andrea Louise Tobin Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2020 |
| Mr John Crowe Confirmed same person | Accounting OfficerTrust officer | since 2019 | |
| Mr John Crowe Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2019 |
| Miss Cheryl Anne Adams | Chief Financial OfficerTrust officer | since 2019 | |
| Mrs Hayley Alexandra Wardle Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2022 · term ended 2025 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 1 November 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record