Senior Leadership Team
Andy Vinton — Interim Principal
Qualifications: BSC Maths and Geography
I have been in teaching for nearly 20 years and have worked at schools in Walsall, Gloucester, and Bristol. My passion has and will always be working with young people to support and nurture the talents they have as individuals and encourage them to be the very best they can. Every young person needs and wants structure, boundaries, and people who love and care for them. Wherever I have worked and in whatever role, either as a maths teacher or Deputy Head, these foundations have served me well. I enjoy working with families to support them in creating the very best environment for their son or daughter to thrive. Aside from teaching, I have an amazing wife and two fantastic children who are growing up fast. I’m also a Villa fan!
Mike Steward — Vice-principal
Qualifications: BA (Hons) in Music & PGCE in secondary education
Hailing originally from Birmingham, I made the move down to Gloucester in about 2004 when I was approached to teach at Central Technology College. It was a hugely enjoyable time in my career and one which I look back on fondly. During that time, I oversaw a huge amount of development and change. In 2010, I decided it was time for a change and moved on to a school in Worcester where I was able to further develop and grow in experience. However, I’m pleased to say that in 2018, Gloucester called me back and I am really looking forward to working here at GA.
In terms of my education, when I was younger, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up and university didn’t seem to be an option as none of my family had been. Somehow, I bumbled through my GCSEs and scraped into college. It was only here, where I was inspired by one of my lecturers, that an academic future seemed possible. At the end of my A levels, he pushed and encouraged me to go on to university. Without this push I doubt I would be where I am now. It’s looking back on this time in my life that makes me realise the difference that teachers can have on the lives of young people. I hope that in my time at Gloucester Academy, I will be able to have a similar impact on the futures of our students.
In my free time, I love going to the park with my wife and 2 children. I also really enjoy a challenge and where possible I enjoy taking part in half-marathons and long-distance bike rides — although without the wife and children!
Andy Prout — Interim Vice-principal
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Degree in Sports Education and Sports Management
I moved to Gloucestershire from West Wales in 2003 and have never quite found my way back across the Severn Bridge! Graduating from the University of Gloucestershire with a BSc Hons Degree in Sports Education and Sports Management, I continued my studies at the University to complete my PGCE in Physical Education in 2007 and am currently studying for my master’s degree.
Now in my 10th year of teaching, I have been fortunate enough to have worked in a number of roles with some fantastic colleagues. My work as a Head of House, Head of Year, and Head of Key stage has allowed me the opportunity to work with some incredible young people and families, and it is this pastoral work where my real passion lies.
Over the past couple of years, I have worked on the senior leadership team as Assistant Principal, overseeing behaviour and attendance. I am also the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and designated teacher for children in care. It is my firm belief that all pupils have the capacity to achieve, and it is my role to remove any barriers that could prevent this from happening. I am fortunate to lead a fantastic team of teaching assistants who share my passion for supporting young people to achieve, and I feel privileged to be doing a job that I love.
As a long-suffering Evertonian and Welsh rugby fan, pupils (and staff) have no shortage of opportunities to remind me just how bad my teams are performing, which can make for an uncomfortable Monday morning. Outside of education, I have a fantastic wife and beautiful daughter (who has her dad wrapped around her little finger), and I am proud to call this fantastic county my home.
Louise Milne — Assistant Principal
Qualifications: BA (Hons) English Literature
I was born and bred in Cardiff but fell in love with the city of Bristol, where I went to university, and this city has remained my home to this day.
The desire to become a teacher manifested in me from an early age, and I am passionate about ensuring students learn to express themselves and engage in the world around them through the subject of English. For the past seven years, I have been working in South Bristol, but I am delighted to be returning to Gloucester, the place where my teaching career first began.
I have been in the teaching profession for 13 years, and during this time I have had leadership responsibilities for both curriculum and pastoral roles. There is nothing more rewarding than working with young people and being part of their journey as they grow into independent young people with the world at their feet. My real passion in education lies in outstanding pastoral care, and I am delighted to be joining the leadership team as an Assistant Principal.
Outside of education, I am an avid reader and love nothing more than to have my head stuck into a good book. I have recently starting running, and I am hoping to run in a marathon in 2019, so watch this space!
Emile Pinco — Associate Assistant Principal
Qualifications: Teaching Degree, Specialising in Mathematics and Science, Bachelor of Education, & Master of Education
My father was a teacher, so I was determined to forge my own way in the world and avoid teaching at all costs. Fortunately, during my first year at university, I coached basketball for a community youth team and found that I really love working with young people. So, I switched courses for year 2 and gained a teaching degree specialising in mathematics and science.
I have had the privilege to live and teach in four different countries — The Gambia, Malawi, Canada, and the UK — and I have loved getting to know the different cultures and developing my skills as a teacher. Taking on leadership responsibilities has given me the opportunity to tackle many different roles, but my favourite has always been classroom teaching. There is nothing more exciting than working with unpredictable, quirky, inquisitive, sometimes moody, but always interesting teenagers.
My wife and I are now empty nesters as both our sons have moved out and are finally paying taxes for themselves. We enjoy walking and travelling, and I occasionally get a chance to mountain bike.
Ben Craig — Director of Sixth Form
I graduated from the University of Warwick with a first-class degree in psychology and a passion for media fostered through several years working on the university’s student radio station. When not studying, playing sport, or working in the radio station, I sat on several society executive committees and the university’s student council, marking the beginning of a career working in the leadership levels of various organisations and sitting in a lot of meetings.
My early career didn’t involve teaching but a variety of roles in sales, marketing, and recruitment, as well as satisfying a desire for travel, including stints living in South East Asia and Australia. In my mid-twenties, I was exploring various career options in the media industry while studying music production part-time at college. It was during this time that I took on a part-time teaching role within the college, working for the uniformed public services team. Having been an army cadet as a teenager, picking up public services teaching and taking on a role as an Army Cadet Force (ACF) adult volunteer was a natural step and, when the opportunity for full-time teaching came up, I took the decision to step away from the media industry and into teaching.
Over the next five years, I completed a PGCE, commissioned as an Army Cadet Force officer, took over as company commander for the college’s ACF company, completed two further post-graduate qualifications in management and project management, qualified as a summer mountain leader, instructed at the National Cadet Training Centre, and became a Duke of Edinburgh Expedition Assessor. Alongside this, I took on a role within the college’s quality team, developing quality management processes across the organisation and training middle and senior leaders in quality improvement. This led to a role setting up the new sixth form at Gloucester Academy in 2012-13, and from here I have taken on and run the sixth form.
In a decade in education, I have always worked passionately for my students to develop them both academically and holistically. I am an avid believer that learning is just as important at the top of a mountain as it is in the classroom, and that it is a lifelong process. The development that a young person makes between 16 and 18 years of age, from childhood to adulthood, is so key to the rest of their lives, and helping them to realise their potential is the driving force of my working life.
Mandy Pugh — Safeguarding Lead
Qualifications: Master's Degree in Inclusive Education
I trained as a Connexions personal advisor (Brunel University) and hold a master’s degree in inclusive education (University of Gloucestershire). My role is to train, guide, and supervise around safeguarding and child protection procedures.
My experience in my previous role as Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator enables me to have a holistic approach to both identifying needs and shaping support around the needs of individual children. I firmly believe that effective safeguarding systems are child centred, and that all professionals should ensure children are respected, their views are heard, and that relationships are built on trust and consistency in support.
My comprehensive training role has now expanded to include the design and delivery of safeguarding training across The White Horse Federation. I am also a certified trainer with the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children’s Board.
My passion for raising awareness around mental health in education has led me to train in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and also to advise staff around the delivery of the safeguarding curriculum. I have worked in partnership with other agencies, including police colleagues and children’s services colleagues, in order to improve the delivery of services in Gloucestershire. I am WRAP trained and a CEOP ambassador.
Allison Philp
Qualifications: BA Hons (First Class) English Literature, PGCE, Advanced Skills Teacher
I joined the teaching profession following a successful career in the retail and leisure industry, and I knew immediately that I had discovered my true vocation. I am delighted to be returning to teach in Gloucester, where my teaching career first began 13 years ago. In the intervening years, I have worked in a range of secondary school settings in a variety of roles, including Curriculum Head of English.
Colleagues would say that what defines me as a teacher is my keen focus on making improvements to the quality of teaching and learning both through working with teachers new to the profession and with more experienced colleagues. I qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher in 2007, a nationally recognised professional qualification that has enabled me to work supportively with colleagues to develop their teaching to the highest standards. It is my firm belief that excellent teaching drives excellent progress, and I hope, in this way, to be able to contribute to the achievements of the students here at GA.
Away from teaching, I am a big fan of the great outdoors. I am lucky enough to own a horse and I have two pet dogs, so my regular attire (rain or shine) tends to include that style classic: the wellington boot.
Richard Wheatley — Teaching and Learning Leader
Qualifications: Honours Degree in Politics and English, Master’s Degree in English, & Master’s Degree in Education
I graduated from the Loughborough University with a BA (Hons) degree in politics and English, and a master’s degree in English. I had a number of romantic ideas for future career pathways, but it was while working in China as a ‘cultural ambassador’ (which sounds a lot more prestigious than it should), when I was provided with the opportunity of working with young people, that the notion of teaching appealed. You could therefore say that teaching found me.
I have always had a thirst for learning, and I have been lucky enough to work with so many colleagues who I have learned an awful lot from on the way. It is this pursuit of learning which encouraged me to embark on a second master’s in education. I have always been driven by a relentless desire to improve on anything I do, and I feel lucky to have made lots of mistakes in my journey that have allowed me to reflect and develop constantly.
I am in my ninth year of teaching and currently work within a fantastic English department. During this time, I have had a number of roles, including pastoral responsibilities as Director of Learning for Year 7 and Year 8, Professional Tutor, and working within a small team to design a curriculum.
However, throughout my career I have found pedagogy the most fascinating and fulfilling aspect of teaching. My current role of contributing to teaching and learning at the school and working with teachers to develop and unlock their potential alongside great professional role models has been the most enjoyable role.
