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Managers on the move
After two and a half years steering a small general FE college to recovery, Ian Clinton eagerly awaited his next challenge. And he has found it, becoming principal of troubled Halton College in Widnes, Cheshire.
So what tempted him? “Halton has a reputation. I would like that reputation to change into something better.
“In two or three years’ time, I would want the sector to say Halton is a very good college. The aim is to help the sector forget the past.”
Not an easy task. By the mid-Nineties, Halton was one of the biggest in the country through its ambitious franchising schemes.
But it was plunged into crisis after it overclaimed nearly pound;14 million over four years. Last April, the principal and his deputy resigned when a Public Accounts Committee report criticised extravagant spending and said the college needed “major and painful changes”.
Clinton, aged 45, has had a varied career. He began as a nursing assistant before going into teaching. After six years at a comprehensive, he moved into FE. His first principalship was at Joseph Priestley College, Leeds, which then had troubles of its own.
His management team restructured the college, improved inspection grades and, within a year, turned an pound;800,000 deficit intoa surplus of pound;32,000.
Just over a week into his new job, Clinton set out his main priorities for getting Halton back on its feet. By the next inspection, he wants it to be a grade 3 college and reduce the reliance on franchising. “There’s the need to reorganise the college, to become a community-focused college and bring together diverse areas of the college into coherent teams.”
Halton has agreed a repayment programme with the funding council to settle its pound;6.4 million debts at a rate of pound;320,000 a month.
Since July, it has shed 150 staff via voluntary redundancy. This programme is complete, although Clinton admits there may be some “fine tuning”. He hopes to sweeten the pill with backdated pay rises and extra days off at Easter. “The majority of staff want to stay here,” he insists. “The majority want it to be a success.”
He is also keen on marketing and has initiated a charm offensive to get across positive messages. “It seems to me that Halton College has some real successes that weren’t known about,” he says.
“Our A-level results are better than most general FE colleges in the area, we recently obtained an award for basic skills and we got a Beacon award.
“So it’s a case of redressing the balance. And, hopefully, I canplay a small part in that.”
COLLEGES
Coleg Gwent
Keith Backhouse Hadlow’s associate principal, internal affairs, becomes
general manager at Usk Campus
David Lewis, Cheshire
Joan Brindle
joins from Warrington Collegiate Institute as assistant principal
Greenhead
Peter Gordziejko
is assistant principal, administration. He was programme manager, health
and social care at Calderdale
Huddersfield Technical College
Martin Penny
leaves Selby to become director of finance and information services
Kendal
Colin Corlett
director of finance at Cumbria Ambulance NHS Trust becomes director of
resources in April
Manchester CAT
Peter McGhee
senior tutor at Loreto College, becomes head of sixth form centre in May
Matthew Boulton
Peter Sharp
becomes head of faculty of technology. He is also head of the college’s
Prison Education Service
Middlesbrough
John Hogg
vice principal, programmes and staffing, becomes principal in April after
Alan Clifford’s retirement
North Hertfordshire
Carol Ashby
is personnel manager
Marion Adams
becomes head of division, social and supported studies
Salford
Pauline Rowe
Hopwood Hall manager of quality, organisation and staff development becomes
director, human resources
Salisbury
Tony Grainger
joins as technology and science division head. He was manager of franchised
higher education courses at Bournemouth and Poole
New Basildon Sally Coveney
becomes director of curriculum and client services. She was head of
division, advanced and community studies at Waltham Forest
Thurso
Hugh Logan
former college manager becomes principal following Raymond Murray’s
retirement
Walsall
Grace Haynes
FENTO standards manager becomes human resources manager
Woolwich
Ian Mitton
is assistant principal, quality and curriculum
FEDA
Carol Nemar-Cammack
is the new eastern regional manager
Susan Grief
is development adviser for basic skills
Geoffrey Foot
joins in April as development adviser for information and learning
technology
FEFC
Rod Dawson
is inspector, Manchester. He was at New College, Durham
Brian Godbold
becomes chief auditor. He is on secondment from the National Audit Office
UK Skills
Graeme Hall
assistant principal at Lambeth Vauxhall Centre becomes deputy chief
executive.
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