EDUCATION
A MATTER OF TRUST
Driven – Tees Valley Collaborative Trust CEO Nichole Munro at Prior Pursglove College .
New trust CEO reflects on transformative year
It ’ s been quite a year of change for the Tees Valley Collaborative Trust ( TVCT ). But for CEO Nichole Munro , the changes she ’ s presided over have been vital to ensure the trust properly serves the thousands of young people on its books .
The trust comprises Guisborough ’ s historic Prior Pursglove College and Stockton Sixth Form College , with 2,200 students between them , as well as Errington Primary School in Marske and the Bishopton pupil referral unit in Stockton .
Nichole started in January , having spent the previous 10 years working in various educational roles in the Middle East .
Liverpool born-and-bred and with two grown-up daughters , her CV is dominated by education . She has a teacher training degree , she ’ s a former Ofsted inspector and she worked with Edge Hill University as a senior course leader and lecturer in education .
She was also studying for a doctorate in business administration at the Catholic University of Spain in Murcia only for that to be put on hold when she clinched the TVCT post .
She ’ s already overseen some fundamental changes in how the trust operates , as well as experiencing a fundamental change in scenery for herself ! And , she says , the Guisborough area already feels like a home from home .
“ This region is stunning – it ’ s rugged and has that gritty urban feel , but it ’ s surrounded by nature . And in many respects , it ’ s very similar to Liverpool in terms of the people – warm , humorous people with a lot of pride for their area and its heritage .”
But why a major restructuring programme for the trust ?
She explained : “ Our key message is people first and quality alongside that . We ’ re a trust that ’ s got to serve its community and we ’ ve got to serve it better than we have done .
“ We can ’ t afford to be insular . We ’ re not just primary and secondary – 70 % of our business is further education , which requires a very different skill set . It requires a board that understands local area development , skill development , destinations – I could see straight away we needed to revamp and ensure everyone was on the same page about what this trust really means .
“ It ’ s about making sure the young people who come to us continue to be served but with a real skills agenda . It ’ s a small world out there and the more we can communicate with them about how much is at their fingertips if they just stretch out , the better .”
With support from the trust board , Nichole embarked on a restructure that , she says , is built on growth , not shrinkage , with 37 people promoted or appointed into new roles .
And while one principal previously oversaw both colleges , each now has its own head of centre .
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURE : STUART BOULTON
Nichole said : “ Geographically they are miles apart and are totally different beasts . It ’ s expensive but I ’ ve put in a head of centre , a deputy head of centre and a head of student services .
“ We also have designated mental health and wellbeing professionals – trained therapists working for this organisation because we put our money where our mouth is .”
The changes will take a year or two to fully bed in , she says , and there ’ s an Ofsted inspection due soon . But at the heart of it all is student welfare , with three strategies running throughout : international education , employability and entrepreneurship , and mental health and wellbeing .
There ’ s plenty to be proud of already . For example , the colleges have an 88 % destinations rating compared to 83 % nationally , students will head to Germany and Sri Lanka as part of its international programme and Errington is among the UK ’ s top performers for phonics .
In addition , the trust will soon change its name and adopt a stylish new logo to reflect a bold new era .
And it ’ s an era that clearly drives and enthuses its new CEO .
She told Tees Business : “ It ’ s what drives me , change for young people . It ’ s incumbent on us all to do more for them and we ’ ve got to do it all with quality .”
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