Gordon is CEO at The Oaks Specialist College. The Oaks was born out of a clear need to enable leavers from special schools to avoid the ‘cliff edge’ which so often faces young people at that stage. The Oaks’ mission is to put young people (19-25) with learning disabilities and an Education, Health and Care plan at the heart of all they do. They opened with ten learners in 2018 and, less than five years later, now have 112 learners. Their vision is that young adults leave exceptionally well prepared for their next steps into adulthood. They will leave as confident, capable, caring citizens who contribute to society and have positive, meaningful, and productive long-term futures.
The Oaks are ambitious for their learners and leavers and have many productive links with local, national and international companies to gain employment opportunities for them, already achieving employment rates five times more than the national average.
Gordon became a post-16 teacher, gaining his PGCE in 1995 and subsequently taught business, economics and psychology in comprehensive and grammar schools whilst also being an Associate Lecturer with the Open University on their internationally recognised postgraduate MBA qualification. Gordon moved into special education in 2006 as Head of Education in a special school, over time becoming the Head of the School, and since 2018 the CEO of the Oaks Specialist College in Tonbridge.
Prior to that Gordon was the inaugural consultant and manager for the Tunbridge Wells Education Business partnership and ever since has upheld the belief that education and business partnerships are beneficial for all, provided that sustainable and meaningful relationships between business and education and education and business are forged, based on mutual respect and understanding.
Outside of work Gordon has many interests including family, friends, music, walking, Formula 1, travel, food, red wine and coffee and is a lifelong Liverpool FC fan.