Welcome to our Governors’ section. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

The contact for our Chair of Governors, Mrs Rachel Davies is; chairofgovernors@gladstoneprimary.org.uk

Gladstone Primary Academy Governing Board

Mrs R Davies - Chair of the Governing Board

Trust Appointed Member with extensive experience working in the Early Years as a teacher and Foundation Stage Leader. She is a member of the Reading Working Party and is the EYFS, Data Protection and Safeguarding Link Governor and a Headteacher Performance Management governor.

Ms K Walker – Vice Chair of the Governing Board       

SEND Link Governor and is part of the writing working party. Ms Walker has a background in education having worked at the former Woodhouse Junior School / Gladstone Primary School from 1981 until her retirement in 2015. She has a specialism in the creative arts and music.

Mr E J Irons – Trust Appointed Member                                                      

Member of the Science Working Party, a former Vice-Chair of Governors and specialising in finance and experience in health and safety. Mr Irons is also a trustee of the mental health charity Changes Health and Wellbeing.

Mrs S Rammell - Trust Appointed Governor

Well-being Link Governor and over 50 years experience working in education, specialising in Early Years and Community development.

Mrs C Annese – Headteacher     

Mrs Annese is the Headteacher at Gladstone Primary Academy having worked at the school since 2007 as the Deputy Headteacher. Having qualified as a teacher in 1996 she has worked in a number of schools across Stoke-on-Trent as a teacher and in middle and senior leadership roles.

Miss L Moorhouse - Teacher Governor. Miss Moorhouse has worked as a teacher at Gladstone since 2013 and has a specialism in Art and Design.

Mr S Stanford – Associate Governor. Mr Stanford is Assistant Headteacher and SENCo and he has worked at Gladstone Primary since 2012 having worked at a number of schools in Stoke-on-Trent as a teacher and senior leader. 

Mr D Egginton - Non -Teaching Staff Governor. Mr Egginton is Gladstone's Senior Learning Mentor and has worked at Gladstone since 2013.

Mrs T Brindley - Associate Governor. Mrs Brindley is the Deputy Headteacher and has worked at Gladstone since 2024 having worked at a number of school in Stoke-on-Trent and Burton as a teacher and Senior Leader.

Mrs K Cotton – Parent Governor

Mrs Cotton is part of the wellbeing working party as well as the P4C working party.

Mrs Cotton is the owner of a Creative Wellbeing Education company, where she educates individuals of all ages and needs while developing impactful projects and training programmes for organisations across the city. She has been dedicated to this work for the past 10 years. In addition, she brings experience in lecturing on Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Studies, alongside a background in community development, play, and youth work.

Mrs Jayne Brian - Trust Appointed Governor

Mrs Brian is part of the P4C working party and is also a Headteacher Performance Management governor. She has worked in a number of city schools since 1990 as a music teacher and lead. She has a lot of experience in music therapy and plays a number of instruments and has worked in a specialist school providing children with ASD with creative musical experiences. Mrs Brian has a real passion for performing arts and has over 35 years experience of directing, producing and writing music for stage productions (including Shakespeare).

Mrs Andrea Large - Parent / Carer Governor

Mrs Large is part of the wellbeing and safeguarding working group.  Mrs Large has been a foster carer for the last 15 years, she is a mother of 3, a grandmother of 2 and has been part of the school community for 35 years, she is a trained pastry chef. Mrs Large is a great advocate for supporting vulnerable pupils having worked with looked after children for many years.