Governing Body
Acting Chair of Governors
Mrs Barbara Peace-Ebanks
Vice Chair of Governors
Mrs Lydia Gurney
Governors
Mrs Pauline Beall
Mrs J Stanyard
Mr John Taylor
Mrs Asma Abdelmawla (Parent Governor)
Mrs Lucy Parker (Parent Governor)
Mr Adam Porter
Mr John Taylor
Head Teacher
Mrs Sue Skillcorn
Chair of Resources Committee: Mrs Barbara Peace-Ebanks
Chair of School Improvement Committee: Mrs Lydia Gurney
If you would like to find out more about the role of a governor, then please go to http://www.nga.org.uk/Be-a-Governor.aspx
Head Teacher, Sue Skillcorn
I studied at Durham University and I qualified as a teacher in July 1996. I worked at Harry Dack Infant School and then worked at Handale Primary School as Assistant Head Teacher. I moved to Dormanstown Primary School as Deputy Head Teacher and I am now very proud to say that I have been The Head Teacher of Mill Lane Primary School since September 2015.
I have two children of my own and my hobbies include travelling, reading, horse riding and sport.
I am really enjoying my time at Mill Lane. I am passionate about giving every child the best possible start to their education to enable each and every one to achieve their full potential. I am committed to ensuring that each child learns the skills necessary to become life-long learners, to enable them to confidently go on to secondary school, college, university and beyond, and prepare them for life in the 21st Century.

John Taylor, Governor
I am John Taylor, and I became a Co-opted Governor at Mill Lane Primary School in June 2018. My wife and I have lived in Eaglescliffe for 42 years, and we have a grown-up daughter and grandson in Surrey. Until retirement I worked for ICI (later Huntsman) in the petrochemical industry. I am a member of Stockton Parish Church, with a particular interest in asylum seekers and in the Mill Lane area. Most weeks I can be seen in school listening to children read, and I sometimes help on school trips. I have previous experience as a School Governor at St. Mary’s primary school in Long Newton near Stockton, and although that school is very different, I would like to use that experience in Mill Lane School.
Barbara Peace- Ebanks
I joined the Governing Body of Mill Lane Primary School in June this year and am really excited to work with the Mill Lane family to make the school the best it can be. I have 40 years experience in education both in the UK and the Cayman Islands where I worked for over 20 years. I retired from my post as a Senior School Improvement Officer recently and returned to the UK to live in Stockton where I spent my Teenage years. I am keen to work within the community in which I live and this is why I have become a Governor. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, reading books and when Covid permits I hope I can enjoy traveling.
Acting Chair of Governors

Staff Governor, Judy Stanyard
I trained to become a teacher at Manchester University and have worked in a variety of schools in the North West of England, before relocating to the North East in 2003. I was delighted to be given the chance to work at Mill Lane as Deputy Head teacher and officially started in December 2016. I was thrilled to also take on the role as Staff Governor the following term, as I feel I can really help to move forward the learning experiences for the children at our school.
I am a very family orientated person and love spending time with my young daughter and husband. We keep our weekends and holidays very busy. In my spare time, I enjoy swimming, travelling, cooking and eating!
I have a great passion for Science and English and strongly believe that as educational practitioners, we should never place a ceiling on children’s learning or experiences. As we say at Mill Lane – Shoot for the moon and you’ll land amongst the stars!
Co-opted Governor, Lydia Gurney
I became a Co-opted Governor at Mill Lane Primary School in June 2017. My family and I moved to Stockton-On-Tees from Reading when I took up the position of Children’s Pastor at Stockton Baptist Church at the beginning of 2017. I have two children at Mill Lane School and I am keen to get involved and build connections with the school.
Before working for the church, I worked in Banking and Retail Management. I also have a degree in Music and before moving to Stockton, spent a lot of my time teaching children piano and flute as well as going in to the local schools to help with assemblies and choirs.
I am often in the playground at the beginning and end of the day with my children and I’m always happy to chat!
Pauline Beall
Local Authority Governor
Asma Abdelmawla, Parent Governor
I joined mill lane primary school as a parent governor in January 2019, I born and raised in Benghazi city located by the Mediterranean sea at the northeast of Libya. I graduated from dental school in Libya in 2004, and since that, I work as a dental surgeon in the state hospital back home. on 2017 I and my husband came to the united kingdom with our children hoping to provide a better childhood for them because the civil war got worst in Libya.
I am a mother of two girls attending mill lane primary school and the third child will start September 2020 in reception class, and as I am new for the education system in the UK, and to be able to understand how it works, it was a golden opportunity for me to join the school and become part of the education atmosphere in it.
The most I like to do at school helping in the class’s activities and trips. sometimes I help newly arrived families from the Arabic world by interpreting as a qualified interpreter.
I am enjoying my time at school despite my increasing duties as recently started my PhD study at Newcastle University.
Lucy Parkin, Parent Governor
Behaviour Statement
To read the Governing Body Behaviour Statement please click here: Governor Behaviour-Statement-2022
Details of the structure and responsibilities of the governing body and its committees
To read the details of the structure and responsibilities of the governing body and its committees, please click here: Structure and responsibilities
Register of Governor Interests
REGISTER OF GOVERNOR INTERESTS
NAME OF SCHOOL: __Mill Lane Primary School_
From September 2015, Governing Bodies are required to publish on their website, information about their governors:
Name, Category & Appointing Body |
Term of Office |
Committees |
Official Responsibility |
Nature of Interest |
Resignation Date |
||
|
|
|
|
Pecuniary (you or a close connection – see point 1) |
Governor in another school/education establishment |
Spouse, partner or relative working in school or with business interests (see point 2.) |
|
Mrs Susan Skillcorn Headteacher |
N/A |
SIC RES
|
Headteacher |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Mrs Lynda Lingard Local Authority Governor Appointed by LA |
23.11.2016 – 22.11.2020
Extended to 31.12.2020
|
SIC RES
|
Chair |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Resigned 31.12.2020 |
Mrs Lydia Gurney Parent Governor Appointed by Parents |
05.07.2017 – 04.07.2021 |
SIC |
Vice Chair |
Connection with Youth For Christ |
Nil |
Nil |
N/A |
Mrs Julie Broadbent Co-Opted Governor Appointed by GB |
05.12.2016 – 09.11.2020 |
RES |
N/A |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Resigned 04/12/2020 |
Mrs Emily Davison Co-opted Governor Appointed by GB |
05.07.2017 – 04.07.2021 |
SIC |
Vice Chair |
Teach First – Emloyee
|
Nil |
Nil |
Resigned 03/07/2021 |
Mrs Judy Stanyard Staff Governor Appointed by Staff
Associate Member Appointed by the Governing Body
|
01.03.2017 – 28.02.2021
22.03.2021 – 21.03.2024 |
RES |
N/A |
Nil
|
Nil |
Nil |
N/A |
Miss Lucy Parker Parent Governor Appointed by the Parents |
21.11.2018 – 20.11.2022 |
SIC |
N/A |
Nil
|
Nil |
Nil |
N/A |
Dr John Taylor Co-Opted Governor Appointed by the GB |
14/05/2019 – 13/05/2023 |
SIC RES |
N/A |
Nil
|
Nil |
Nil |
N/A |
Ms Asma Abdelmawla Parent Governor Appointed by the Parents |
11/06/2019 – 10/06/2023 |
SIC |
N/A |
Nil
|
Nil |
Nil |
N/A |
Mr Hamish Simpson Co-opted Governor Appointed by the GB |
27/02/2020 – 26/01/2024 |
N/A |
N/A |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Removed for Non-Attendance 22.03.2021 |
Miss Annaleigh Wynn Co-Opted Governor Appointed by the Governing Body |
06/05/2021 – 05/05/2025 |
N/A |
N/A |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Resigned 23.09.2021 |
Miss Barbara Peace-Ebanks Co-Opted Governor Appointed by the Governing Body |
13/05/2021 – 12/05/2025 |
RES SIC |
Chair |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
N/A |
Councillor Pauline Beall LA Governor Appointed by the Governing Body |
06/05/2021 – 05/05/2025 |
SIC |
N/A |
Ward Councillor |
Nil |
Husband – Deputy Leader for SBC |
N/A |
Mrs Joanne Metcalf Staff Governor Appointed by the Staff |
25/03/2021 – 24/03/2025 |
RES |
N/A |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Resigned 18.01.2022 |
Mr Adam Porter Co-Opted Governor Appointed by the Governing Body |
13/03/2022 – 12/03/2026 |
N/A |
N/A |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
N/A |