Norma Redfearn

Norma Redfearn is a Labour politician, now directly-elected mayor of North Tyneside, winning on the first ballot, on Thursday 2 May 2013, with 55.35% of the votes cast on a turnout of 32.07%.
The daughter of a shipyard worker. A graduate of Newcastle University, achieving a BPhil with a 30-year career in teaching, in both primary and secondary education. After a variety of teaching roles, she left Wharrier Street Juniors, where she was deputy head, to take on the headteacher role at West Walker Primary School (June 1986 – July 2000) on the edge of Newcastle upon Tyne. She became the first headteacher to receive the prize for Public Management Leadership, awarded to her by the Office for Public Management in 1997. Soon after, she was also chosen by the think-tank Demos to serve as an example of civic entrepreneurship.
Redfearn held North Tyneside's Riverside ward from 2004 until her election as mayor. Previously, between 2005 and 2009, she was Cabinet Member for Children and Young People on North Tyneside Council.