Our Staff

Mrs O’Gara wanted to be a teacher since childhood and began teaching at Archibald Primary School in 1992. Mrs O’Gara has worked at Nunthorpe Primary Academy since 1996.  She first started as English Leader, which is still her favourite subject area, and worked her way up to become Head Teacher from 2011 to 2024.  In 2024 she took on an exciting new challenge as Executive Headteacher of Nunthorpe and Zetland Primary in Redcar.  In October 2024 she was very proud when the school team achieved another ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted grade, after first achieving that in March 2017. She has trained as an Ofsted school inspector and carried out inspections.

Mrs O’Gara loves to spend time with her family, usually watching her children- or Boro- play football and enjoying the outdoors.  She loves swimming and is keen on keeping fit.

Mr Salter was appointed Head of School in 2024 having been at Nunthorpe since he qualified in 2007. He has an MA in Education, a National Professional Qualification in Leading Teacher Development and is currently studying for an NPQ in Headship. Previously he has taught across the whole school- leading many subjects- as well as developing teaching and learning across the Ironstone Academy Trust.

Out of school he enjoys time with his family, running, reading and supporting Leeds United. He previously served as a Royal Marines Commando and as a magistrate. He truly believes that ‘the days that make us happy make us wise’.

Mrs Leason has been at Nunthorpe Primary since 2003 and has worked her way up to becoming Assistant Head Teacher.  She is the SENDCo and the KS1 leader. Mrs Leason helps to run the School Council who have made many positive contributions to our school. Outside of school, Mrs Leason enjoys swimming and spending quality time with her family and friends. She especially loves being with her two young children who keep her very busy!

Mrs Dent is the School Business Manager who has been at Nunthorpe Primary since 2021. She is responsible for managing the school budget and the smooth running of the school. Her role is diverse and includes managing Health & Safety, Staffing, Human Resources and Data Management. Mrs Dent is also the Health & Safety Lead for all schools within Ironstone Academy Trust.

Miss Topliffe has worked in Early Years since starting her teaching career in 2011. She loves working with children in the earliest stages of their school lives and enjoys thinking of creative ways for children to learn new skills. She currently leads our French curriculum in school. Outside of school, Miss Topliffe enjoys spending time with family and friends. She has lots of fun with her young children, going on adventures, dancing, singing and taking her dog for walks.

Miss Tripp has been teaching for over 14 years, both in England and abroad. Throughout her time teaching she has taught in every year group from Nursery up to year six. She leads maths at Nunthorpe. Outside of school Miss Tripp is interested in reading, music and spending time with her friends and family. She follows most sports, especially football and is a keen scuba diver. 

Miss Close has been teaching for over 20 years and she has a lot of experience in KS1 and Foundation Stage. She took two years out mid-way through her career to travel and spent a lot of time in Asia and Africa. She currently teaches in FS1 at Nunthorpe and visits lots of other schools in the afternoon to teach Yoga Bugs. Outside of school Miss Close loves adult yoga, clubbercise and cycling with her bike club.

Miss Follan has taught here at Nunthorpe Primary since September 2000. She leads the EYFS team. She loves supporting children to become strong, independent learners by creating a quality and challenging learning environment for them. Out of school Miss Follan enjoys spending time with friends and family going for long walks in the countryside. She tries to keep fit by running but also loves visiting new restaurants in our local area whenever she can! 

Miss McGlade joined us in September 2023 after training with us. She enjoys teaching all aspects of the curriculum. She loves to adapt the curriculum with her creativity to make it fun and engaging, which inspires all children to learn. Outside of school, Miss McGlade enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends. Baking and countryside walks are Miss McGlade’s favourite weekend activities. She also loves travelling around the world to different countries and exploring diverse cultures.

Mrs Allison has been at Nunthorpe since 2013. She enjoys every aspect of the curriculum, enhancing learning and increasing outdoor learning whenever possible! Mrs Allison is the PE leader and enjoys seeing children compete for Team Nunthorpe in individual and team competitions throughout the school year. Outside of school, Mrs Allison plays and coaches netball. She also enjoys travelling, spending time with family and friends and helping out on her dad’s organic dairy farm. 

Miss Jefferys is a new addition to Nunthorpe Primary, having recently moved to the area after completing her teacher training. She enjoys incorporating creative activities into her lessons, sparking the incredible imagination of her students. With a background in music, she likes to bring musical elements into the classroom, enriching the learning experience. Outside of school, Miss Jefferys enjoys going for hikes in the countryside, exploring vintage shops, and caring for her large collection of houseplants.

I joined Nunthorpe Primary Academy as a Teaching Assistant in 2022 and quickly found my passion for teaching. After gaining the confidence to pursue my Teacher Training, I had the opportunity to train at two schools within the trust, including Nunthorpe. I focus on creating a fun and engaging learning environment, and I especially enjoy incorporating outdoor activities into my lessons. In my free time, I love spending time with family and friends , going for walks with my dog, and diving into a good book.

Miss Harrison joined us in September 2020 after training with us. She’s an enthusiastic teacher who loves to think of creative and innovative activities and challenges to motivate pupils in all aspects of the curriculum. Miss Harrison leads the humanities subjects in school. Outside of school she loves spending time outdoors, going on long dog walks and staying active. Alongside this, she loves going on holidays, spending quality time her family and friends and going out for food.             

Mrs Sturman is the Year 5 class teacher and is the subject leader for English. She has taught in Key Stage two throughout her teaching career.  In her spare time, Mrs Sturman enjoys reading and running. 

Miss Lewin is the Year 6 class teacher and is the subject leader for Art & Design and Computing. In addition to this, Miss Lewin enjoys every aspect of the curriculum, especially the creative subjects such as writing, art, music, drama and dance. Outside of school, Miss Lewin enjoys keeping active by running and going to the gym. Alongside this, she loves to travel around the world during holiday time and spend quality time with family, friends and her dogs.

Mrs McGinley works within Key Stage 2 and is the Teaching Assistant in Year 4 who always has a smile for everyone.  She enjoys cookery and bakes excellent cakes for all the staff!  She enjoys football and is a big Middlesbrough supporter. Mrs McGinley also loves spending time with her family.

Mrs Nicholson joined the team at Nunthorpe in 2010 after a previous spell as a volunteer; she currently supports Key stage 2. Outside of school she has a keen interest in baking as well as arts and crafts. She enjoys socialising with family and friends, particularly visiting different campsites when she has the opportunity.

Mrs Sheffield worked in care for over 20 years before joining Nunthorpe as Stay and Play lead. During this time, she has qualified as a Level 3 Teaching Assistant. She has worked in Year 2 and Year 1, as well as being Breakfast Club Lead. Mrs Sheffield enjoys art, teaching phonics and going on residential trips. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors and walking her dogs with her family.

Mrs Hill has worked at Nunthorpe Primary for many years, she began as Deputy in our stay and play provision and in recent years she has become a teaching assistant. She works in EYFS & Key Stage 1. Outside of school she enjoys swimming, walking her dog and spending time with her family.

Mrs Myers joined as a volunteer in 2015/16, she trained as a teaching assistant and qualified in September 2018.  Mrs Myers works in EYFS. In her spare time Mrs Myers enjoys spending time with her daughter who is a keen dancer.  She is now learning to be creative in making dance costumes!! Mrs Myers also enjoys baking cakes and home cooking. 

Miss Briggs joined Nunthorpe in 2021 and works within our Key Stage 1. She completed a BTEC National Diploma in Childcare in 2003. Miss Briggs enjoys spending time with her family, particularly attending her children’s sporting activities, going on bike rides and visiting National Trust sites.

Mrs Harbisher joined joined the team at Nunthorpe in September 2021. She works in Key Stage 2.

Mrs Saunders joined Nunthorpe in March 2015 as School Administrator. She has worked within an education environment for over 20 years. Out of school Mrs Saunders enjoys spending quality time with her two children, husband and her family. Please feel free to pop into the office to see her if there is anything you need help with.

Mrs West joined Nunthorpe in 2002 as the school clerk. Mrs West is available every morning to help parents with anything from attendance to changing your child’s meal choices.  In her spare time Mrs West enjoys playing walking-football and spending time with her two dogs and family. She is always happy to help.