Anna gained a BA Hons in Education with QTS from London University in 1978.  She went on to study for an MA in Management Education and Organisational Change which was awarded in 1981 and a PhD in Management Sciences awarded in 1984.  Both were undertaken at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).  Following a varied career including teaching, pre-school development, running an International Women’s Festival and some time as an advisor in Greater Manchester and Derbyshire, Anna joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2004.  During this time she completed an MA in Early Childhood Education at Sheffield University in 2005.  While working at Sheffield Hallam Anna gained Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.  She taught on undergraduate and postgraduate teacher training programmes.

Anna joined the University of Northampton in 2007 as part of the teaching team for Early Childhood Studies.  She moved into the Initial Teacher Education team in 2009 following collaboration in the design and validation of a PGCE QTS in Early Years Education.  She remains a member of the Initial Teacher Education team working with undergraduate and postgraduate students.  During her tenure at UoN Anna has gained a PG Cert. in Research Degree Supervision and Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

Anna is now a member of the Teachers' Continuing Professional Development team and delivers a range of MA modules.  This has developed her existing interest in early years practice and in teacher professional ism.  She has revised a number of MA modules including an autoethnography module and an international perspectives on education module.  She is also involved in the supervision of PhDs.

Anna’s main research interest remains the professional identity and self-efficacy of teachers.  She is current engaged in research into the’ view of self’ and ‘view of role’ held by graduates of early years teacher programmes at the end of their training and following one year in practice.  This aligns well with her role in Teachers' CPD in the Faculty of Health, Education and Society.

She is actively engaged with tutors at the Pedagogical University in Weingarted, Germany and has undertaken a staff exchange visit - to develop her own practice and to support tutors in the teacher training area in the University of Weingarten.