Our Team

Ruth Argyle

KNSTE Director

Ruth is the Director of Keele and North Staffordshire Teacher Education bringing over nineteen years of experience in the education sector. She holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, a PGCE and the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). Throughout her career, Ruth has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing high-quality teacher training and fostering professional growth across the teaching community. Her leadership is guided by a deep belief in collaborative learning, educational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Lydia Bass

Finance and Administration Officer

Lydia started at KNSTE in 2018 gaining her PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), specialising in mathematics. She has since worked in a local primary school teaching predominantly Key Stage 2 and, during this time, also undertook various subject leadership roles. Lydia is delighted to now be back at KNSTE and offers a unique insight into the course, having completed it herself. Lydia is passionate about supporting trainees on the programme as they begin their teaching training year and embark on their teaching careers.

Shayanne Deans

Administration Officer

Marie Bateman

Lead Mentor

Marie’s teaching experience has been wide and varied, including teaching mathematics and music to A’ level, peripatetic music teaching and primary school teaching. Having been a 'Teacher Educator' in her role at Seabridge Primary School, Marie was always passionate about the quality of school experience received by trainee teachers. She became involved with the Keele PGCE course in September 2012, initially on a secondment, and has been involved in many roles within the SCITT including placement co-ordinator, General Mentor support tutor, Lead Mentor, mathematics and music subject lead and mathematics specialism tutor.

Jon Goulding

Lead Mentor and Assessment Only Lead Mentor

Jon trained to become a primary school teacher after volunteering in a local school while working in an accounts office. With over 20 years of experience in five schools, and a Masters degree in Educational Management from the Open University, his roles have included Foundation Stage Manager, Key Stage 2 leader, Assistant Head, Deputy Head and Headteacher. Jon now works freelance, supply teaching and writing for an educational publisher. Coupled with his experience, and additional roles as a Teaching and Learning Governor and parent, Jon sees schools and learning from a variety of perspectives. His main interest in education has always been the provision of high quality learning opportunities for both pupils and professionals, enabling a lifelong love of learning and development.

Kerry Howle

Lead Mentor

Kerry has worked as a teacher in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire schools for fifteen years and has a wealth of experience in Key Stages One and Two. She has led and managed a range of subjects in school and worked with many trainee teachers as a 'Teacher Educator'. Since joining the team at KNSTE as a General Mentor and Specialism Tutor, Kerry has found working with and supporting teachers at the beginning of their career an incredibly rewarding experience. She looks forward to continuing this work as well as continuing to develop her own knowledge and understanding through undertaking study at Masters Level and continuing to develop her knowledge of different pedagogies and practices through her work in school.

Gill Liebeck

Lead Mentor

Gill has extensive experience of teaching in schools. After studying for her degree in Mathematics, and her Masters degree, she taught in primary school for a few years, before moving to teach in secondary school, where she could specialise in the teaching of Mathematics. During her time in secondary school, she became a Head of Department, and later she moved to the position of ‘Excellent Teacher’ within her school, where she could focus on her passion for the teaching and learning of Mathematics. She also had the responsibility of whole school Numeracy training across the curriculum, and became the Primary school link teacher for Numeracy, which involved weekly input in mathematics in the feeder primary schools. Gill has been actively involved with the Mathematical Associations throughout her career, and is an Accredited Professional Development Lead for the NCETM on the teaching and learning of primary and secondary mathematics. She is currently involved in running CPD for the NCETM on primary maths subject knowledge enhancement.

Neil Phillipson

Lead Mentor

Neil has fifteen years of experience as a teacher, subject leader and consultant / trainer. He has taught at all five key stages and has been judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. He works in both primary and secondary settings. He is interested in exploring the broad purposes of education and matching these with high quality pedagogical approaches, with the ultimate aim of helping children to come into the 21st Century world with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, but also with a sense of their cultural heritage and with the opportunity to make their own unique contributions to their communities.