Governors | Chichester College Group

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Change lives through learning. Opportunities are now available to join the Board of Chichester College Group, the leading provider of FE & skills provision across West Sussex, Brighton and Hove. Do you have the skills and experience needed to support the next step of their impressive journey?

• Location: West Sussex

Who we are.

Chichester College Group is the largest and most diverse college group in Sussex, with a forecast turnover of approximately £110m in 2023/24.

We offer learning opportunities for all ages, including nursery provision and 14-16, and for all levels, from foundation/entry to university level and professional qualifications. Our offer covers all 15 subject sector areas with a full ladder of learning in the majority of vocational areas enabling students to progress from Level 1 to Level 3 and beyond.

About the role.

Chichester College Group have been on an impressive yet complex journey over the last seven years. The Group has been formed through Chichester College merging with a number of like-minded providers from across the region; Central Sussex College (2017), Worthing College (2019), and Greater Brighton Metropolitan College (2022). Haywards Heath became part of the Group when it opened in 2020. Also, during this time, we have recruited new senior leaders including our CEO, Andy Green and our Chair, Steve Cooper who are both committed to the development of our Group and vision to change lives through learning in support of the communities that we serve and the people that work for us.

Our Board has been focused and dedicated in its support of the college during this period of growth and transition. Indeed, a vital component of our success during this period has been the stability that our Board has provided us. We have now come to a point where a number of our members have served their maximum period as a governor and so we need to appoint new members to bring their expertise to our Board. Given that we are one year post-merger, and with a new strategic plan soon to be launched, this will be an exciting time to join the College as a member of our Board.

As a Governor and Board member, your experience and external expertise will contribute to the successes of our Group, students and people by providing scrutiny, challenge and support in achieving our strategic goals and enabling the continued improvement of learning.

Who we are looking for.

Following recent changes and developments across the Group, we have now entered a period of consolidation for our Board, allowing us to reflect on recent successes whilst moving forward with both ambition and stability. Having reflected on the talents and skills of our Board members, we have identified a number of areas which we feel we need to strengthen, given ongoing development and the upcoming launch of a new long-term strategy. As such, we seek to appoint four new governors to our Board, each with a specific skill set to help us grow and develop in different ways:

• Finance – strategic oversight and professionally qualified

All of our governors share a passion for self-development through education and an understanding of the important role that Chichester College Group plays in developing local individuals and bringing prosperity to our region.

Previous governance experience and an understanding of boardroom behaviours and governance processes are important as this will allow you to get up to speed quickly and ensure you can be effective from day one. We do, of course, offer a full induction process and constant support throughout your time on our Board. As we are sure you’d expect, there are parts of our training which are mandatory – such as safeguarding training.

We are looking for people who are comfortable in offering constructive feedback, happy to ask those difficult questions that help us think differently, and individuals who are willing to make a commitment to be visible and supportive advocates of our Group.

You will need to have the capacity and time to commit to this opportunity with a busy meetings schedule and an array of events that Governors are invited to take part in as part of the academic calendar. In return, Chichester College Group provide a comprehensive induction programme, development opportunities for all governors and, most importantly, the chance to impact the lives of all our students through being part of our ambitious and impactful institution.

Peridot Partners and Chichester College Group are, together, committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.

For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

If you would like to know more about this role please contact Sarah Atkins-Boal

WE ARE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING THE BEST OUTCOME FOR OUR STUDENTS.

Students really are at the heart of everything we do. Students are involved in all elements of college life – meeting with Governors and the leadership team, taking part in self-assessment, lesson observations and recruitment interviews. They work with local services on decisions that affect young people. We have presented at conferences and workshops nationally, and we support other colleges to develop student experience. It is one of the things that we are most proud of and believe sets us apart.

Student experience is key at Chichester College Group. Through our dedicated Student Tutor teams our focus is to support students to develop their personal, social and employability skills and build their confidence. Student Tutors provide one to ones as well as a tutorial programme based on key themes to prepare and inspire students to become global citizens.

Themes include healthy relationships, the environment, social media, personal wellbeing, money matters and knife crime. Our Enrichment Team work closely with the Student Union to provide a rich and varied programme of opportunities for students from weekly clubs, day trips, residential and volunteering opportunities both in the UK and abroad.

We believe that education takes place beyond the classroom for all learners, especially for our learners with SEND. Additional Support Teams follow a multi-sensory approach to learning. They work closely with curriculum colleagues to ensure support is in place to provide all learners with the necessary skills for independence in college, their personal lives and beyond.

There are seven Colleges in the Group, each with its own distinctive look and feel and a number of business areas. We recently launched a new estates strategy across the Group, and significant investment has already been made in a new STEM and HE Centre, the Sussex & Surry Institute of Technology, and a Construction Trades Centre.

Learn more about Chichester College Group

For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

We understand that different members of the community have different access needs, and have made some modifications to the way we do business in order to accommodate people from diverse communities and abilities.

We offer the following amenities:

• Step-free access to the building, all key meeting rooms and bathrooms, and an accessible workstation
• Accessibility dogs are welcome
• Interviews can be held in meeting rooms that support hearing loops
• Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
• A sign language interpreter can be accessed for interviews
• Working patterns and locations can be adjusted

To access a full job description and application details,
please fill out the form below.

To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.

Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.

Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk inserting “Application: Chichester College Group – Governors” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement on receipt of your application within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please make contact with our admin team.

For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes which are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification, please let us know.

If you experience any technical or accessibility difficulties, need help making an application, or have any additional support that needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection process, please let us know.

Timetable

Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 18th November 2024
Candidates informed of outcome: w/c Monday 25th November 2024
Interviews: w/c Monday 2nd December 2024

Peridot and Chichester College Group are committed to promoting equality and diversity.

The information provided does not form part of the decision-making process and will not affect your application.