Our Headteachers
Exceptional leaders. Distinctive schools. One shared ambition for every child.
The strength of Innovate2Educate Partnership is rooted in the quality of leadership across its schools. Our headteachers are accomplished, values-led professionals who combine deep educational expertise with an unwavering commitment to their pupils, staff and communities. Each brings a distinctive range of strengths, while sharing the same determination to secure excellent teaching, ambitious opportunities and strong outcomes for every child and young person.
Leading schools from the early years through to post-16, our headteachers understand every stage of a child's educational journey. They work collaboratively across the Partnership, sharing expertise, challenging thinking and turning Trust-wide ambition into exceptional day-to-day practice. Together, they ensure that every I2E school retains its individual character while benefiting fully from the capacity, knowledge and support of a strong multi-academy trust.
First school leadership
Anne Tapp | Headteacher, Picknalls First School
Anne is an inspirational and deeply committed school leader who believes that headship is the best job in the world. Now in her twelfth year as a headteacher in Uttoxeter, she brings sustained leadership experience, warmth and a profound belief in every child's potential. Her career in education began unusually early: teaching keyboard lessons from the age of 14 and qualifying as a Yamaha Music School teacher at 17. This lifelong connection with music and creativity continues to enrich her leadership and her conviction that children should flourish academically, socially and emotionally. Anne has built a powerful sense of community and partnership at Picknalls, bringing pupils, staff and families together around high expectations and a shared love of learning. She takes greatest pride in seeing children recognise their own progress and grow into confident, capable and compassionate young people ready for their next steps.
Tom Burrows | Headteacher, Bramshall Meadows First School
Tom is the new Headteacher of Bramshall Meadows First School, an expanding school at the heart of a growing community. He brings fresh leadership and a clear commitment to building on the school's distinctive vision: 'Bramshall Meadows, where children bloom.' Tom is focused on ensuring that every child is known, nurtured and inspired to achieve their academic potential while developing the confidence and wider skills needed to become a well-rounded individual. Working closely with pupils, staff, families and the wider Partnership, he is committed to strengthening the school's culture of wonder, kindness and self-belief. His leadership will help Bramshall Meadows grow with ambition and purpose while preserving the warm, inclusive community that makes the school special.
Danielle Austin | Headteacher, All Saints CE First School and Hutchinson Memorial CE First School
Danielle brings valuable leadership continuity and a strong understanding of the Trust to her headship of All Saints CE First School and Hutchinson Memorial CE First School. Having previously served as Assistant Headteacher at The Richard Clarke First School, she has first-hand experience of I2E's expectations, collaborative culture and commitment to improving outcomes for every child. Her progression into headship reflects her leadership capacity, professional ambition and readiness to make an impact across two distinctive Church of England schools. Danielle is committed to working closely with staff, families, Local Academy Committees and the wider Partnership to secure high-quality teaching, nurturing and inclusive school cultures, and ambitious opportunities for every pupil. Her knowledge of the Trust places her in a strong position to build collaboration, share effective practice and lead both schools confidently into their next chapter.
Kay Hanson | Headteacher, The Richard Clarke First School
Kay is a highly experienced and passionate school leader who has worked in education since 1994 and served as a headteacher since 2014. She leads The Richard Clarke First School with high expectations, genuine warmth and a clear commitment to ensuring that every child receives an inclusive, engaging and joyful education. Kay's vision reaches beyond academic success: she champions excellence in the arts, technology and sport while helping pupils develop confidence, positive learning behaviours and respect for others. She is proud of the school's close-knit community and of its place within a forward-thinking Trust that values both innovation and individual school identity. Kay's personal enthusiasm for dance, theatre and the natural world reflects the energy and breadth she brings to school life, helping create rich opportunities that enable children to discover their talents and thrive.
Middle school leadership
Annie Grattage | Executive Headteacher, Ryecroft CE Middle School and Windsor Park CE Middle School
Annie is an ambitious and forward-thinking executive leader who has led Ryecroft CE Middle School since April 2022 and became Executive Headteacher of Ryecroft and Windsor Park CE Middle Schools in June 2025. Her broad leadership experience includes work as a Vice Principal, SENCO, curriculum lead and English and mathematics subject leader, giving her a detailed understanding of teaching, inclusion and whole-school improvement. As a Specialist Leader of Education, Annie supported schools across Stoke-on-Trent to strengthen curriculum and classroom practice, and she completed the NPQH in 2022. She is also leading I2E's digital strategy, harnessing technology thoughtfully to remove barriers, increase engagement and extend opportunity across the Partnership. Annie combines strategic drive with a strong personal commitment to education and is passionate about ensuring that innovation translates into better learning and brighter futures for pupils.
James Twynham | Headteacher, Oldfields Hall Middle School
James is an accomplished educational leader with 16 years of senior leadership experience and a strong record of developing teaching, curriculum and people. After studying Environmental Science at the University of Liverpool and completing teacher training at the University of Nottingham, he began his career as a biology teacher before progressing from subject leadership to deputy headship. James joined Oldfields Hall Middle School as Headteacher in September 2024, bringing particular expertise in science education, whole-school teaching and learning, curriculum development and leadership development. His influence extends beyond his own school: he has facilitated a range of professional development programmes and serves as a Visiting Fellow for Ambition Institute on the NPQH programme delivered on behalf of the Staffordshire Research School. James's combination of subject expertise, strategic insight and commitment to developing others strengthens both Oldfields and the wider Trust.
High school leadership
Lou Heywood | Headteacher, Thomas Alleyne's High School
Lou is an experienced, community-focused secondary leader who combines more than 12 years of senior leadership expertise with a deep personal commitment to Thomas Alleyne's High School. A former pupil of the school and a member of the local community, she returned as Deputy Headteacher in 2022 and became Headteacher in 2025. Lou studied Biology and completed her PGCE at the University of Leeds, where she received the June Wenban Prize for Innovation in Teaching. Her career has encompassed a wide range of leadership responsibilities, including pastoral leadership and whole-school improvement across several secondary schools within a multi-academy trust. Lou brings both strong professional credibility and a powerful sense of purpose to headship. She is determined that every young person receives excellent provision and develops the knowledge, confidence and wider skills needed to lead a healthy, happy and successful life.
Leadership across the Partnership
Our headteachers do more than lead individual schools. As a collaborative leadership team, they shape Trust strategy, share effective practice and build capacity across every phase. Together, their exceptional breadth of expertise, ambition and integrity ensures that every I2E school is known, supported and challenged - and that every pupil is equipped to flourish now and in the future.
Contact our schools
Further information about each school and its leadership can be found through the individual school websites. For general Trust enquiries, please contact enquiries@i2e.org.uk or telephone 01889 561820 ext 268.
Innovate2Educate Partnership, c/o Thomas Alleyne's High School, Dove Bank, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 8DU