Mrs A Yilmaz (Head Teacher)

I have been in the privileged position of being Headteacher of Riverside Primary School since January, 2011.

I qualified as a teacher in 1992 with a Bachelor of Education degree with Honours. I was one of the first students to graduate from the newly formed Northumbria University.

After beginning my career in Cambridgeshire, I spent five years teaching in London, firstly in Westminster and then Lambeth before returning to my native North East.

I began my career at this school as a Year 6 teacher at Meadow Well Primary School in 1998, then was promoted to Deputy Headteacher in 2000 and we then relocated to the current site next to the Riverside Centre.

As Headteacher, I work closely with the Senior Leadership team to lead the strategic direction of the school as decided by the Governing Body. Together with Governors, we decide on priorities for the School Improvement Plan and address the strategies for school improvement through rigorous self evaluation.

What I value most about the role of Headteacher is ensuring we meet the needs of our pupils, our families and the community. What I find most reassuring about what we do is welcoming the children of those pupils I taught in Year 6 at Meadow Well Primary all those years ago!

Stephen Lonsdale (Chair of Governors)

I have been a co-opted governor at Riverside since February 2019 but have had links with the school since 2013 through the (former) North Shields collaborative of schools.  My experience includes extensive school leadership at headship level across several schools in areas of significant disadvantage - including work across a local authority in the North West of  England as a System Leader, a Specialist Leader, a Specialist Leader of Education and as an inspector of taxes at HM Revenue & Customs.  

I focus relentlessly on securing high standards and outcomes for for children who face significant challenges in and out of school and strive to support and challenge leaders at Riverside to ensure that children leave the school with confidence, resilience and the ability to succeed.

Nicki Garner (Co-opted Governor)

My name is Nicki Garner and I am currently the Locality Manager for the Central team based in the Riverside Children Centre. I also have overall responsibility for the Ready for School Centre which is based in the Riverside Centre.

I qualified as a Nursery Nurse in 1981. In 2010 I graduated with a 1^st Class Honours degree in Early Years Professional studies, and in 2015 I successfully completed the National Professional Qualification for Integrated Centre Leadership (NPQICL).

I have worked in Local Authority day care since 1981 and until 2015 I managed the Riverside Nursery working in close partnership with parents and other professionals to support families in our Community.

I decided that I would like to be a local authority governor for Riverside Primary School as I work in the Riverside Children Centre and as we are neighbours we work with many of the same children and families from our local community. 

Being a governor will help us all work together to support families better. I have been appointed as the Safeguarding governor for Riverside and am looking forward to meeting both children and families within this role.

Carol Greatbatch (Community Governor) 

I have been working in a number of schools since 2005 in various roles. I have a wide knowledge and understanding of how schools run and I am passionate in supporting schools and applying my experience and expertise to help them, in any way I can, to be successful. I am delighted to be a member of the Governing Body at Riverside Primary School and I  enjoy meeting to discuss maintaining the high standards that are already in place and looking at ways of improving and developing areas.

Mrs Alice Ready (Deputy Headteacher/Staff Governor)

I have taught at Riverside Primary School since September 2014 and I absolutely love working in this delightful school! The whole school community: pupils, parents, staff and governors contribute to a ‘family’ feel. Our warm, calm and nurturing environment are regularly commented on by visitors to our school.

I have mainly taught in KS2, with five years of my time at Riverside being a Year 6 teacher. I was promoted to the position of Assistant Headteacher with responsibility of leading KS2 in January 2018 and in September 2021 I was promoted to the position of Deputy Headteacher.

This year I am the Reception Class teacher and I have the responsibility of leading Early Years and KS1.

I have also been the Science and PE subject lead for eight years and have achieved the PSQM and Gold School Games Mark for the school

Samantha Berry (Co-opted Governor)

I have been a parent at Riverside Primary for 4 years, during this time I have had the privilege to watch my son grow and develop with excellent support from the SEN team at Riverside Primary School.  I am passionate about children's mental health and well-being and the important role that school plays in this, I believe that with the right environment all children can thrive to their full potential.  I have been an Operations Co-ordinator for an international pipeline and commissioning company for 11 years, within this role I have developed many organisational and problem solving skills and I am familiar with working in partnership with various teams in challenging situations.  I am passionate about supporting the school to be the best it can be, providing the best education and opportunities to all of our children.  I feel my personal and professional experience will help me in my role as Co-Opted Governor.

Kaley Barber (Parent Governor)

I have been a parent at Riverside Primary School for a number of years now, my eldest being 18 and I currently have a child in Reception.  Over the years as a parent I have watched the school grow and develop and I believe changes in recent years such as the new EYFS outdoor provision are why I will continue to choose Riverside for my children's educational setting.

Personally I have had first hand experience of working within a number of children's settings including schools and nurseries.  This experience and knowledge provides me with confidence in supporting the school further within the role as parent governor and ensuring our children achieve their full potential.

Peter Dixon

I have worked in the education recruitment sector for two and a half years helping schools in North Tyneside source quality teachers and support staff for their settings.   I have supported Riverside with their recruitment/staffing for over a year now, and in that time I have built a good understanding of the school and the needs of the children.  I am also a Charity Ambassador for the 'Make Life Kind Charity', an organisation which makes a positive impact in schools by delivering school speakers that inspire students through workshops and assemblies.  I work with several schools in the local area and I am aware of the challenges schools are currently facing, I am passionate about enriching children's education and helping them to fulfil their potential.  I am excited to bring some new ideas tot the table and contribute to the continued success at Riverside.