Governors

Mike Allen has 25 years primary school headship experience. Since retiring in 2004 he has been commissioned as Acting Headteacher in eleven mainstream primary schools ranging from 44 to 340 pupils. He is currently Vice Chair at The Peak Academy, a special school for Social, Emotional and mental health issues with responsibility for Personnel. As a governor at Gloucester Academy he is responsible for Leadership and Safeguarding. He is on the Gloucestershire Acting Headteacher Register and is a member of a local Baptist Church.

Geraldine Beaty has had a successful career in Human Resources, and currently runs her own consultancy after posts including European Human Resources Director for Kraft Foods. Her key skills are in HR Leadership, Talent Management/Employee Development/Performance Management and Management of Large Projects including significant change management.

Adrian Buckmaster is a highly experienced Group Chief Executive of both private equity and publicly owned companies, with backgrounds in engineering and finance. He is particularly experienced in business turnarounds, cash flow management and exit strategies.

Nikki has lived in Gloucester all her life, and currently has a son in yr 8 at GA. She works as a Business Development Manager for a local business, therefore she has many connections and relationships within the local community which can be beneficial to the school. Nikki joined early 2017 as she was pleased and keen to see the ongoing improvement within GA, and hopes to improve parental engagement, but also help develop the school to be a central point of the local community.

Tim Cooper is a local businessman, sales and marketing director and entrepreneur. Educated at St Peters High School Gloucester. He has had a varied career in the insurance, travel, property development and security systems sectors. He currently runs Communities Insurance Brokers CIC, a social enterprise developing insurance products for low income groups. He was elected as a Cheltenham borough councillor in 2008 – 2012 and has a strong interest in youth sport.  

Tracy Millard has a son and daughter at Gloucester Academy. A local Labour councillor, she chairs the Safety, Health and Environment Committee and sits on the Children and Families Committee, overseeing the education and mental health of young people and ‘looked after children’. A member of the adoption panel, she is also a governor at Calton Primary School.

Jayne Robbins has previously worked as a secondary school teacher (in the areas of Food Technology and Science) and, for seven years, as Trade Marketing Manager for Kraft Foods. Qualified in Personal Performance Coaching she has recently begun mentoring youth for ‘Young Gloucestershire’.

Venetia is an English and Drama teacher at Gloucester Academy. She also runs various extracurricular activities at the school, from school performances to girls fitness clubs. Venetia is keen to engage students academically and encourage them as they grow into independent, all-rounded individuals. As a Teaching Staff Governor,  Venetia hopes to bring a fair and understanding representative voice to the Governing Body.

Jim Stokes has held various management positions within education in Gloucestershire since 2002. As Head of Hub Operations at The White Horse Federation he is responsible for business operations at Gloucester Academy.   In addition to PRINCE II, CSBM, and NEBOSH, Jim also has qualifications and experience in Business, Health & Safety, and Catering Management, and has previously served as a school Governor in Gloucestershire.