Bring your experience of the education sector to the board of Preston College and support an organisation that is firmly grounded within its local community and dedicated to delivering inspirational education and training that improves opportunities for its learners and the wider region.
Who we are
Located in Fulwood, just outside of the city centre, in the heart of Lancashire, Preston College is a large, vibrant and innovative General Further Education College which has a history of meeting the teaching, learning and skills needs of both young people and adults in central Lancashire and beyond.
The College takes great pride in supporting all our students to achieve the qualifications and outcomes they need, alongside providing the technical skills, knowledge and experience that employers and universities are looking for.
Preston College has 9,000 students and is one of the larger employers in Preston, with over 500 staff. The campus is well-located and houses some exceptional resources which enable us to deliver high-quality technical programmes designed to support local skills priorities. We were graded as ‘Good’ by Ofsted during our last inspection in January 2023 and have an annual turnover of c.£35m.
“We are incredibly diverse in the work that we do. If someone wants to get involved in a huge range of different aspects of college education, then this is the place for them.”
Simon Nixon, Principal & Chief Executive.
Following the decision of our Principal & Chief Executive to retire at the end of the academic year, we will soon be welcoming his successor. Under Simon’s leadership, the College has continued an exciting and successful journey in recent times. We continue to take ambitious strides in further improving various aspects of our business, such as our curriculum, teaching and learning and our investment in technology and digital infrastructure.
Furthermore, we continue to be a key partner to a wide range of local and regional stakeholders and have managed to achieve all of this whilst maintaining good financial health.
About the roles
Our Board is a mix of staff, students and independent governors. Our existing governors come from an array of backgrounds, bringing a variety of life and professional skills and experiences to the role. As a team, our governors share a passion for education and commitment to the College’s mission, values and work.
The Board lives the values of the College and works collaboratively with the executive leadership team to achieve agreed aims. You can find out more about our current Board members here.
As we continue on our ambitious journey of growth and development, we need to ensure that we continue to challenge our own thinking, question our actions and make decisions with the best interests of our students at their root.
To do this, we need the support of a high-functioning governing body, so we now seek to appoint new members to our board who will be able to offer insights and perspectives relating to our provision.
Led by our Chair, Jose Sedano-Martinez, our Governing Body provides collective oversight of the College’s activities and sets and reviews our strategy and mission. The governor role is comparable to that of a non-executive director of a public company, but instead of being accountable to shareholders, governors are accountable for public funds.
We are already fortunate to be supported by a diverse group of dedicated professionals who give their time and energy to help our college flourish through their roles as members of our Governing Body and its sub-committees.
As the College is an exempt charity, all governors are charity trustees. Being a governor is a hugely rewarding leadership role. Governors can make a real difference and give something back to the local community.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking experienced individuals who are looking for an opportunity to use and develop their professional skills in a board-level environment.
The Board is mindful that a successful board has an appropriate mix of governors with diverse skills, experience and backgrounds. The Board is looking for people who are enthusiastic about education and good governance and will widen the Board’s perspective when discussing College matters and making decisions — colleges benefit greatly from the skills and diverse perspectives of those in the private sector.
The Board also values the diversity of our students and staff who come from a variety of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. The Board is determined to reflect this diversity amongst our Governing Body and encourages people from a range of backgrounds and experiences to apply.
You don’t need to have prior board experience to apply. An open and transparent recruitment process is in place, with roles advertised and appointments made openly and on merit.
The Board is currently looking for new governors who have experience in one or more of the following areas:
- The FE sector
- Wider education sector, such as multi-academy trusts and higher education
- Those with a background in apprenticeships
- Experience working with special educational needs and disability (SEND) students
Expectations and time commitment
The Corporation Board usually meets no more than six times a year, with each member also serving on one or more committees (subject to field of expertise). We expect that governors appointed through this process will be invited to join our Quality & Standards Committee.
Most committees meet termly and most meetings are held in college. Some activities and meetings are held virtually (MS Teams). Both the Board and Quality & Standards Committee meetings take place on Thursday, usually from 5:30 p.m.
Governors are also encouraged to find out more about College life through learning walks, deep dive sessions and attending College events and meeting with stakeholders.
We recognise that governors will join the College with varying skills, knowledge and experience and we provide induction and ongoing training and support. Some of the training is online for flexibility. All governors will be required to complete annual mandatory training.
Whilst this is a voluntary role, expenses related to travel and caring responsibilities will be reimbursed in line with College policies.
The Board is mindful that a successful board has an appropriate mix of governors with diverse skills, experience and backgrounds. The Board is looking for people who are enthusiastic about education and good governance and will widen the Board’s perspective when discussing College matters and making decisions.
The Board also values the diversity of our students and staff who come from a variety of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. The Board is determined to reflect this diversity amongst our Governing Body and encourages people from a range of backgrounds and experiences to apply.
The College recognises its responsibility to ensure that all students, staff and governors are treated with dignity and respect and that equality, diversity and inclusion are promoted throughout the organisation.
Recruitment for positions in the College will be carried out in a manner in accordance with best equal opportunities practice. The selection of candidates for interview will be based on the person specification and applicants should bear this in mind when preparing their application. Governors will be expected to adhere to college policies on equality and diversity, health and safety and quality assurance.
Preston College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.
All Preston College authorised personnel are required to undertake mandatory safeguarding training. The successful candidates for these appointments will be required to apply for Enhanced Disclosure for regulated activity through the Disclosure and Barring Service.
As governors are volunteers, there will be no charge for this service.
Further information on the Disclosure process can be found here.
Peridot Partners and Preston College are 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.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the role pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Dan Baxter | dan@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07939 994524
Katie Morris | katiem@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07904 814264
Welcome from the Chair
Thank you for your interest in the governor role and welcome to Preston College, where we put our student and staff experience at the heart of everything we do.
Our team is committed to the delivery of high-quality teaching, support and communication and our Board members oversee and share this commitment.
The College is on an upward trajectory, having been accredited as ‘Good’ in our last Ofsted inspection in January 2023. Since then, we have made significant progress and continue to push forward with enthusiasm.
We, therefore, await our next evaluation with excitement. We benefit from an experienced leadership team and motivated staff at every level. Our student achievement continues to exceed national averages, and our finances remain in great health.
We are not elitist: all our students matter, whatever their background or abilities and inclusion is key in every aspect of the College life.
However, our progress to date does not make us complacent; there is still much to be achieved. We are ambitious to reach the next level of excellence, to become the best we can be as both providers of education and employers.
Our vision is to transform lives through education. We aspire to be the College of choice for students, parents and employers as we consistently deliver our ambitious mission to inspire, educate and support our diverse community to reach its full potential. We live in an interesting time for society, full of challenges and without some of the certainties that previously assisted forward planning and that is very much the position for further education. The ability to foresee change, plan effectively and implement solutions with agility, while inspiring others, has never been more important. We can and must deliver a curriculum through teaching methods that are adaptable and fit for the future.
This is a unique opportunity to help drive the future of Preston College, whilst ensuring we remain deeply rooted in our community and our commitment to improving lives through education for all.
Whilst we are excited at some of the recent political headlines, suggesting additional funding for FE to promote the upskilling of the country’s workforce and we aspire to become an influential voice in the new Adult Education funding decisions regionally, we will not rely upon such changes to drive our future success. We await further details from the government, confident that Preston College has the resources, expertise and will to succeed in the future, whatever it might bring.
Building and maintaining excellent partner relationships with key external stakeholders (local, regional and national), including local/combined authorities, policymakers, employers, local partnerships, schools, FE and HE institutions, unions and community institutions, helps drive our student recruitment and has elevated the College’s reputation. That is something we must continue to build upon and we will continue to invest and innovate, for our reputation in the local and wider communities we serve forms a key part of building further success for the College. Confidence in and respect for Preston College matters both morally and commercially.
Continuing to grow our reputation as a great College and a destination of choice requires everybody to work together to deliver excellence. This will require excellent planning and implementation and a shared determination to succeed, whatever challenges arise. Passing that enthusiasm and determination on to our students will serve them well, not only in their learning while with us, but in their future lives.
I look forward to meeting you during the process and to hearing the qualities and experience you could bring to Preston College.
Yours sincerely,
Jose Sedano-Martinez
Chair of the Governing Body (the Corporation)
Preston College
About Preston College
Our vision is to transform lives through education.
Our mission is to inspire, educate and support our diverse community to reach its potential.
Our values are:
- Welcoming and inclusive: we believe in making sure that all learners, staff and visitors to the College feel welcomed and valued at all times.
- Supportive and compassionate: we believe in the importance of being reassuring, encouraging and caring towards our College community.
- Aspirational for our learners, ourselves and each other: we believe in being ambitious in the way we work and promoting this with our learners.
- Act with integrity and transparency: we believe in acting honestly at all times and having open and transparent communications.
- Be accountable: we believe in the importance of taking ownership of our actions, and expect others to act similarly.
Our core objectives are to:
- Deliver high-quality teaching, learning and support to promote high levels of attendance, achievement and positive outcomes for learners.
- Provide a high-quality technical and vocational curriculum, aligned to regional and local business and community needs.
- Value our diverse college community and provide aspirational progression pathways for all learners and staff.
- Improve financial surplus and cash generation to provide future investment capacity.
- Fully embed a culture in which all staff deliver outstanding performance that contributes effectively to the learner experience.
- Nurture effective partnerships that benefit learners, staff, the City of Preston and the wider region.
Learn more about us
Accessibility
We understand that different members of the community have different access needs and have made some modifications to the way we do business 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
- Roger pens are available for meetings to help support hearing
- Accessibility dogs are welcome
- Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
- A sign language interpreter can be accessed for the interview
- Working patterns and locations can be adjusted
We have made many reasonable adjustments for a number of our teachers and staff in relation to protected characteristics to provide a comfortable working environment, such as working from home and classrooms on the ground floor.
We are also a Disability Confident Employer and follow the Armed Forces Covenant.
To arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Dan Baxter | dan@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07939 994524
Katie Morris | katiem@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07904 814264
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and covering statement 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: Preston College — Governor (Education)” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Dan Baxter | dan@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07939 994524
Katie Morris | katiem@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07904 814264
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please get in touch with the leading consultant. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.
Applicants with disabilities are welcome to contact us in confidence at any stage of the recruitment process to discuss any reasonable adjustments or support that may be required to ensure fair and equal participation.
Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Wednesday 17th June 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: No later than Wednesday 24th June 2026
Interviews: w/c Monday 29th June 2026
We are in the process of confirming interview dates. As soon as we have this information, we will update here and inform all who have applied.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and Preston College are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
The information will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will help us to support our commitment to fair recruitment practice. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 launched on 25 May 2018.
The information provided does not form part of the decision-making process and will not affect your application. Learn more about why we collect this data here.
Data Processing, Protection and Privacy Policy
By completing the form to view, or if you have access to this page from an email invitation, Peridot Partners will have processed your personal information. For more information about Peridot Partners’ data processing activities and your rights, please read our Privacy Policy.
You are able to view the privacy policy of Preston College by clicking here.
Once the application deadline for this role has passed, applications will be shared confidentially and securely between Peridot Partners and relevant and appropriate stakeholders at Preston College.
