A FORMER teacher has been appointed the first director of education for the new super-diocese that includes much of the Yorkshire Dales.

Richard Noake’s new role was announced at the first synod of the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales, held in Harrogate at the weekend.

He will now lead a team across the whole of the new Anglican diocese in a department responsible for 250 Church of England schools with 54,000 pupils.

He said: “It’s a great privilege to be given the opportunity to be involved in the work of education in a brand new diocese – to be there at the beginning, to be able to input into the vision and mission of the diocese and in particular to promote the work of church schools.”

Mr Noake began his career teaching religious education in Middlesbrough, before moving to York St John University, a church foundation university.

There he has been head of the theology department and director of the Centre for Church School Education.

Married with three children, he lives in Ripon.