Managers on the move

3rd March 2000, 12:00am

Share

Managers on the move

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/managers-move
Ian Clinton. Halton College, Widnes.

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.


Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Nothing found
Recent
Most read
Most shared