I have been called many things in my time: “leader”, “figurehead”, “driver for change”, “accounting officer” and, my personal favourite, “the buck stop”. All these descriptions are true to a greater or lesser degree and reflect the many roles FE leaders must inhabit to get the job done.

What these titles do not emphasise, though, is the requirement for us to have an unrelenting focus on securing a better future. This is key to the success of any educational organisation, particularly those in FE, with so much on our plate in this sector at the moment.

Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College has the same challenges as others, and possibly more than most. Spread across 12 miles, we cover a population bigger than Leeds, Wigan and Doncaster combined, span two local authorities, have five MPs and support more than 20,000 students at four sites.

It is no secret, either, that we have had a bumpy ride in recent years, with a notice to improve for financial health in 2013 and the FE commissioner’s team intervening soon afterwards as the result of the college being rated “inadequate” by Ofsted.

Part of the process of improvement is ownership, and that involves commitment to building a culture where staff strive for excellence - the better future that I have described. It’s about seeing opportunities in the face of adversity, and thinking and behaving differently.

The ‘Marmite approach’

Uncovering opportunities, where at first it appears there are few, is the only way we can find innovative solutions to some of the challenges we face. I like to think of it as the “Marmite approach”: some people get this attitude straight away, others still need to be convinced of its value.

It’s by no means a Pollyanna position, where we see only good no matter the circumstance, - it is more a glass half-full stance. And it means that, rather than living in fear, we fully embrace the advice and knowledge that comes from the FE commissioner’s office.

Ofsted inspections are regarded as independent advice and guidance as well, enabling us to identify what works and what doesn’t. This helps us to develop priorities for improvement and underlines how much progress we have made so far.

Sharing your challenges as well as your successes is the only way to improve 

Although it can still be uncomfortable underneath the spotlight at times, our attitude means we can see this scrutiny for what it is - an opportunity to understand, grow and learn from the past in order to implement the changes required to put things right.

This positive approach also allows us more control. It means that we do things ourselves, rather than having them done to us, so to speak. It enables us to be more proactive in creating opportunities for our students, too. In recent years, we have built strategic relationships with key employers, stakeholders, schools, localities and other agencies. We have developed a commercial training restaurant with a local authority and a pop-up college with a major housebuilder, and we have also been invited to join the Heathrow Skills Taskforce.

Seeking out a better future does not mean that we avoid difficult decisions, by any means. But by envisioning what this future will look like, we have been able to streamline provision and ensure each of our sites has a speciality - a unique selling point - to focus on.

Some staff have had to leave so that we can meet our long-term goals for students, and we have also refused a few partnerships as we felt that these might not be in the best interests of our students or be in line with our core values.

Swift and sustainable progress

We are a collaborative organisation and see partnerships as a key aspect of addressing needs - be it skills gaps, employment or innovation. Co-creation is key but the partnerships must be sustainable.

Progress has been swift as a result, and it is sustainable. We have saved £20 million and improved staff morale, student attendance and achievement. Critically for everyone involved, the college is on an upward trajectory, with the quality of teaching, learning and assessment evaluated by the college and recognised by Ofsted in its last monitoring visit report as 85 per cent “good” or better.

And while we might not have been able to attend every FE event or education conference, owing to the heavy lifting needed to sustain improvement, I am happy to talk about the progress our staff have made so far and the impact it is having, both inside and outside the college.

I’ve been told at times that this positive and open approach is disarming - that my demeanour is “not what people expect from a chief executive of a college like yours”. The implication being that somehow, as a sector, those of us faced with challenging circumstances should buckle down and keep our heads well below the parapet.

In my view, it is imperative that I, the governors and staff take a positive, proactive, and confident approach. The college has some outstanding practice and provision, and this needs to be shared and recognised.

An environment where an institution can share its challenges as well as its successes is the only way to improve. I am keenly aware that we are all only as good as yesterday’s work and outcomes. Well, yesterday is behind us. Today, we are looking forward to the next step on our journey and the recognition and rewards that will come with it. And we plan to continue being not what you would expect us to be.

Garry Phillips is principal and chief executive of Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College