Meet the Staff
2026/2027
Head Teacher
Mrs Christine Brentnall is the Head Teacher
Deputy Head Teacher / Year 6
Mr Jonathan Hornsby is the Deputy Head Teacher.
Year 6
Mrs Jill Stamper and Mr Jonathan Hornsby are the Year 6 Teachers. Mrs Deborah Garnett is the Teaching Assistant.
Year 5
Miss Sophie Daglish is the Year 5 Teacher. Ms Larissa Jones is the Teaching Assistant.
Year 4
Mrs Magda Ryczel is the Year 4 Teacher. Mrs Lisa Knowles, Mrs Carol Tallentire, Mrs Deborah Garnett and Mrs Kath Brown are the Teaching Assistants.
Year 3
Mr Joshua Blood (Assistant Head Teacher/SEND and Inclusion Lead) is the Year 3 Teacher and Mrs Jackie Whittaker is the Teaching Assistant.
Year 2
Mr Findlay Provan is the Year 2 Teacher. Miss Laura Burnikell and Mrs Marie Punshon are the Teaching Assistants.
Year 1
Mrs Sinead Armstrong is the Year 1 Teacher. Mrs Beccy Richards and Mrs Rachel Griffths are the Teaching Assistants.
Reception Class
Mrs Chantel Ferguson is the Foundation Stage Teacher. Miss Gemma Hodges and Miss Katie Allport are the Early Years Teaching Assistants.
Nursery
Mrs Catherine White is the Nursery teacher and EYFS Lead. Mrs Claire Taylor and Miss Aislinn Paley are the Early Years Teaching Assistants. Miss Abigail Hodgson is the Early Years Teaching Assistant apprentice.
Reading Champion
Mrs Barbara Hawman is our Reading Champion.
Support Staff
We have invaluable support staff here at Cleves Cross who are an integral part of our school team.
Mrs Emily Ebdon is the School Office Manager and Mrs Ruth Hardy and Mrs Carol Tallentire are the Administrative Assistants.
Mr Vince Carr is the Caretaker. Mrs Margaret Hall, Mrs Joanne Horner, Mrs Amy Davies, and Mrs Wan Sexton are the School Cleaners.
Lunchtime Supervisory Assistants
We have Lunchtime Supervisors – Mrs Diane Podmore-Hayat, Mrs Amy Davies, Mrs Michelle Hutchinson, Mrs Lindsay O’Neill and Mrs Jo-Anne White.
School Lunch Team
Our School Lunch Staff are a key part of our School Team. Mrs Alison Malkin is the Unit Manager, whilst Mrs Margaret Hall and Mrs Joanne Horner provide assistance.
Today, Year 1 enjoyed a fantastic trip to Beamish Museum!
We brought our History learning to life by visiting the old toy shop and taking part in a brilliant toy workshop!🧸🪁🪀 We even got to pick out our favourite toys and create our own toy shop window display. Afterwards, we explored the village and stepped inside the historic school, church, cinema and houses - with a highlight being a ride on the traditional tram and bus. 🚋🚌
They had a wonderful day and were absolute stars! ... See MoreSee Less
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What an amazing day Reception class have had at Beamish today!❤️
We have enjoyed completing a fairytale workshop, exploring the town and taking a ride on a tram! We were also lucky enough to take a special trip to the sweet shop before coming home! 🍬 ... See MoreSee Less
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A huge thank you to the grown-ups who joined Year 3’s Story time today. It was great to see so many of you there to enjoy some of our class text and complete some activities based on our class reading journey so far. We look forward to seeing you again at our next event! ... See MoreSee Less
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It isn’t too late to send in your harvest produce ready for our Harvest Festival on Friday. Sort out your tin cupboard and send in some spares to help with our display! Thank you for your support 🙏🏻 ... See MoreSee Less
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Thank you so much to all of the grown ups who were able to join us today for our stay and play. It was a lovely morning and the children love being able to welcome you into Nursery!🎃 ... See MoreSee Less
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Children from Years 3-6 are thoroughly enjoying a Live Lesson this morning from National Literacy Trust. It is based on comics and Beano and is helping to promote a love of reading! 📖 🤩 ... See MoreSee Less
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🌙✨ Bedtime Reading Boxes ✨🌙
Sharing Stories, Building Empathy, Creating Memories
At Cleves Cross Primary School, we are excited to launch our new Reading for Pleasure Bedtime Box Initiative for our younger children.
We know that some of the most magical moments in childhood happen when families share a story together. Reading at bedtime not only helps children develop their reading skills, vocabulary and imagination but also creates special opportunities to talk, listen and connect at the end of a busy day.
The books have been selected because they support our school's work on empathy. Through sharing stories, children can explore different experiences, understand emotions and develop kindness, compassion and respect for others.
Why does bedtime reading matter?
Research shows that sharing stories regularly can:
⭐ Improve language and vocabulary development
⭐ Foster a love of reading
⭐ Strengthen family bonds
⭐ Support children's emotional wellbeing
⭐ Help children relax and establish positive bedtime routines
Even 10 minutes a day can make a significant difference.
A final thought...
The most important thing is the time spent together, the conversations that happen and the enjoyment of sharing a story.
Thank you for supporting our Reading for Pleasure journey. We hope these Bedtime Boxes help create many memorable moments and inspire a lifelong love of reading.
Happy reading!
📖 "A child who is read to today becomes a reader tomorrow." ... See MoreSee Less
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Fantastic Historical minds on display this afternoon in Year 3. We read and explored some of our topic books to help us find some interesting facts out about the Stone Age. Did you know? Some of the oldest known musical instruments are over 35,000 years old! ... See MoreSee Less
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It isn’t too late to send in your harvest produce ready for our Harvest Festival on Friday. Sort out your tin cupboard and send in some spares to help with our display! Thank you for your support 🙏🏻 ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook