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Make a difference to Bath College at the start of an ambitious change programme. The College is seeking to appoint a visionary, strategic and passionate individual to join their Board and support the College in their drive for transformation.

• Location: Bath, Somerset

Bath College is a community of learning constructed through the dynamism and vibrancy generated by our different students, who are at the heart of all we do.

Our aim is to ensure students enjoy their learning and training experience and benefit from exciting and inspiring teaching. The teaching and training approach accommodates students’ individual needs and integrates and maximises the use of technology and digital learning within delivery.

The College’s recent history began in April 2015 with the joining of two distinct former colleges, City of Bath College and Norton Radstock College.

The College works with several schools in the local area. It is important that we work alongside these and other key stakeholders to ensure learners are aware of all their post-16 options and that we can appropriately respond to skills needs in the area.

The College continues to operate over two main campuses at the City Centre and Somer Valley. Recent investment in estates at both campuses has been supported by the West of England LEP and the Combined Authority, the local authority B&NES, and the College itself. The College also offers adult provision in community venues across Bath and North East Somerset.

The College has a good reputation with its stakeholders and partners. It offers a distinctive curriculum that is well-matched to local, regional, and national needs, particularly with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) priorities.

There is a strong focus on vocational and technical education at all levels. This includes full-time provision for young people, apprenticeships for all ages, and part-time and flexible provision. No A levels are offered. There is a strong and growing provision for SEND across both campuses, with a newly developed SEND centre at the Somer Valley Campus. There is also a thriving programme of adult community courses.

Partnerships with businesses and key stakeholders are central to the College’s work, alongside a solid community and civic ethos. Recent examples of partnerships include Institute of Technology status for Bath College, which opened in 2020; an FWD programme in partnership with the University of Bath, Bath Spa University, and B&NES local authority; and a Restart initiative with Bath Spa University.

Bath College serves the World Heritage city of Bath, the north east Somerset town of Radstock and the surrounding areas. Students also travel in from north and west Wiltshire to study, as there are good train links from Chippenham, Trowbridge and Westbury. Some students travel from parts of Bristol with which there are also good train links.

Bath itself is generally a prosperous area but also includes some of the most economically deprived areas in the country, with B&NES seeing some of the worst achievement for disadvantaged young people in England and Wales. The area is strong in the creative industries: arts, crafts, media, design, software, architecture and engineering. Financial and professional business services also significantly contribute to the local economy. The retail and tourism sectors have played a major role in the local economy. Part of the city – North/South Quays – is an enterprise area.

In the Radstock area, much employment is in manufacturing, and although some large-scale businesses have closed, this area presents positive opportunities to increase economic competitiveness, particularly with SMEs and highly skilled entrepreneurs. Radstock has been designated as an enterprise zone.

Financial challenges and an Ofsted rating of ‘Requires improvement’ in October 2023 have necessitated a significant change in the strategic direction and stewardship by the Board in 2024. Rightsizing Bath College to be a sustainable standalone College, financially secure, and able to meet the challenges of future FE policy changes has been the focus of strategic review and planning in the first half of 2024.

Recognising that a period of consolidation and transformation was required, the Board sought to secure leadership with expertise in turnaround, and the Board appointed a fixed-term CEO and Principal (Martin Sim) to set a renewed trajectory for the College for a period of 12 months. This appointment commenced in March 2024 and will end in March 2025. The objective of the fixed-term role is to set the College on a path to sustainability. It is anticipated that the substantive CEO will continue the path of this first 12 months and will be able to build on the foundations we have built during this time.

Therefore, the appointment of a substantive CEO and Principal will require someone skilled in leading successful organisations and able to translate vision into turnaround and transition. Our Chief Operating Officer commenced in January 2024 and is making a robust contribution to leading the financial planning, estates, marketing, and MIS functions and looking to commercial development.

An Interim Director of People and Culture started in May to lead a programme of culture change and workforce planning and review — crucial to achieving the systemic and innovative recovery plans the Board has required.

Peridot Partners and Bath College 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 candidate 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 consultants at Peridot Partners:

If you would like to know more about this role please contact Olivia Robson