Margaret Stewart – Chair of Governors
Formerly a research biochemist and then a Board level Director in the NHS, Margaret now has a number of roles in retirement including: lay member of the NHS England Performance Advisory Group North East and North Cumbria; lay representative of Health Education North East; chair of Citizens Advice North Tyneside; trustee and vice chair of Northumbria Historic Churches Trust; and member/chair of schools admission appeals panels in Tyne & Wear. Margaret lives locally, she is married to Laurie and she enjoys choral singing, travel and learning Irish.
Wendy Hood
I have worked as a Chartered Physiotherapist in the NHS, and as a Senior Lecturer teaching on undergraduate and post-graduate Physiotherapy programmes at Northumbria University. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE) and currently have an ad hoc role with the Royal College of GPs as an accreditation assessor for the Personalised Care Institute.
I am married to Martin, and I enjoy creative writing, paper crafting, playing several musical instruments, riding a tandem and walking.
Kristoffer Todd
Kris is the Chief Financial Officer of NCFE, the registered charity and national Awarding Organisation. He is responsible for ensuring NCFE has a strong, secure and sustainable business and for managing the financial health of the charity.
Kris has worked in accountancy and finance for over 20 years. He started as an auditor at PwC before specialising in Corporate Finance, advising business owners on acquisitions, sales, business planning and fund raising. In his first move out of professional services firms, he joined national college group NCG and was able to appreciate first-hand the transformative impact education can have on peoples’ lives.
Kris lives in Tynemouth with his wife and their three children. Their son recently joined Marden in Year 7 with his sisters due to follow him over the next few years. Kris is delighted to have joined the Board of Governors at Marden and looks forward to supporting the school’s ongoing success and achievements.
Maria Humphreys
My name is Maria Humphreys and I’m delighted to join the governing body as a parent-governor. As of September 2022, both of my children will be attending Marden High School.
My previous professional experience was working as a project manager for large IT & telecommunication organisations as well as the former Northeast Regional Development Agency. More recently I helped launch the charity Smart Works Newcastle in 2018 and am currently the vice chair of a regional women’s mental health and wellbeing charity.
Despite having lived in Liverpool, Belfast and Leeds, the North East will always be home. We now live in Tynemouth and are happy here. I love the sense of community we have and it’s why I chose to become a governor – to help our school community in any way I can. I have almost 10 years of experience as a parent-governor at schools in Leeds and North Shields and am looking forward to supporting the Marden team over the coming years.
Helen Coombs
Helen was a childcare solicitor for more than 30 years. She worked for several local authorities in North East England, including North Tyneside Council, Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council.
During her working life she became a manager and for 18 months she chaired the Public Law Subgroup of the Local Family Justice Board in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Helen retired in 2022 but works as an Exam Invigilator and as a legal adviser to the Education Admission Appeal Panel in Northumberland.
Sonia Thompson (HLTA)
I spent 13 years working for the Halifax before moving into education in 2001. I worked across a number of schools in the Authority before joining Marden in 2005 as an SSA (SEN Support Assistant) and in September 2021 I was appointed as HLTA (Higher Level Teaching Assistant). I am responsible for students with medical conditions and support Mrs Reece in running the SEND department. I have also been involved in the past as a UNISON steward representing members in school and working with HR and management on a variety of workplace related issues.
From 1992 to 2003 I was a parent governor at Woodlawn School in Monkseaton, one of the key issues at the time was North Tyneside’s Inclusion Strategy, I became very involved in this and often attended meetings with the then Head of Schools Services as well as attending regular Governor meetings and supporting the school.
Tom Mitchell
Tom is our newly appointed parent governor. Tom has worked in education for the last 15 years and is now a member of the senior leadership team within North Tyneside’s alternative provision, he leads on and specialises in Safeguarding, Welfare, and Pastoral Support.
With his son now attending his former school, Tom is committed to supporting Marden’s governing body and contributing to the school’s success.
Peter Mutti
My wife and I moved to the North East in late 2020 after spending 20 years in the Middle East.
I am a father of 4 children and have 6 grandchildren.
My background is Banking and Finance and I have over 40 years experience, mostly in Treasury, but of late heading a financial risk team to oversee the sale of the Tesco Bank’s retail banking division to Barclays.
I am a keen golfer and enjoy watching most sports. Being a Londoner and an avid Spurs fan, I am now being encouraged, by my relatives in the North East, to consider supporting Newcastle United as a secondary option. Fortunately for me, my eldest child has already signed on for that, so it has relieved the pressure somewhat. We love the North East and the people here are so friendly, although as you can imagine, getting used to the weather has been a little difficult.
Marden High has already impressed me so much, especially the culture here, and I am very much looking forward to participating as a parent governor in the years to come.
Mairi Bell
With two children attending Marden High, I became a parent governor in 2024, delighted to have the opportunity to give something back to the school community.
The majority of my career has been spent in consultancy designing business improvement and growth initiatives for both public and private sector organisations. Primarily working in and around the employability sector, my focus has always been on the enabling structures, systems and cultures that underpin high-performing teams.
In 2019 I completed a Masters Degree in Innovation at Northumbria University looking at approaches to improve outcomes for citizens, consumers and communities.
My hobbies and interests mostly revolve around family- travelling in our campervan, dog walking and taxiing children to running tracks- and I have recently become a Welfare Officer at my daughters’ athletic club.
Adele Tong
As a former pupil of Marden High, I am delighted to have joined the governing body as a parent governor. My daughter began attending Marden High School in September 2024, and I am eager to contribute to our school community in any way I can.
With over 25 years of experience in education, I have worked as a teacher, senior leader, and currently as an advisor focused on school improvement. I am passionate about ensuring that all young people receive the support they need to reach their full potential. I am an experienced Governor and have been an active participant on various governing bodies for over 20 years, I am committed to supporting the governing body at Marden.
I live locally and enjoy spending my free time walking my dog, travelling and taking my children to their various clubs and supporting their interests.
Cindy Haikney
Cindy is a Specialist Security Advisor, working alongside Police and Local Authorities. She has experience of implementing national strategies to regional and local networks to protect the public, as well as data collection and analysis. Working within the public sector for over 10 years has given her a passion for safeguarding, SEND, and promoting an inclusive environment for children and young people to thrive.
Cindy has been part of the local community her entire life and is an alumni of Marden High, and now her son attends Year 7. This connection has given her a good understanding of the school’s values and its significant role within the community.
Outside of her professional life, Cindy enjoys spending time with family (and dogs), being outdoors and promoting the benefits of physical activities and wellbeing.