Home / Roles / Governors | Warwickshire College Group
Warwickshire College Group seeks Governors with education insight or audit expertise to help drive excellence and future growth.
* Location: Campuses across Warwickshire and Worcestershire
Warwickshire College Group (WCG) is one of the UK’s largest further education providers, recognised for its strong commitment to high quality learning, skills development and community impact. With campuses across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, WCG plays a vital role in supporting local employers, shaping future talent and widening opportunities for learners of all ages.
To continue delivering excellence, WCG is seeking to appoint two new members to its Governing Body or Corporation: a Governor with strong educational experience and a co‑opted member to join its Audit Committee. These roles will be central to ensuring robust oversight, ambitious strategic direction and confident decision‑making across the Group.
We are looking for individuals who are motivated by the power of education, confident in strategic thinking and committed to supporting a diverse and forward looking organisation. If you bring professional expertise, sound judgement and a passion for making a difference, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Who we are
Warwickshire College Group (WCG) is one of the largest further education providers in the West Midlands. With around 13,000 students, 1,300 staff and an annual turnover of c.£60m, we operate across five campuses in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, including Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick, Rugby, Moreton Morrell and Pershore.
Led by our Principal and CEO, Sarah-Jane Watkin, and guided by our mission to deliver high‑quality learning that supports regional growth and opportunity, WCG blends academic and vocational education to equip learners with both technical expertise and the wider skills needed for successful futures.
The work of everyone across our group is underpinned by our IMPACT values:
* Mindful
* Progressive
* Ambitious
* Transformative
These shape every aspect of our culture and our strategic direction, reinforcing our commitment to student success, strong community partnerships and long‑term sustainability.
Our strategic aims centre on inspiring opportunity, empowering staff, building partnerships with employers and enhancing resilience for the future, with students placed firmly at the heart of every decision that we make.
Across the Group, we deliver more than 500 courses across a broad and diverse range of curricula and qualifications, ensuring we are best placed to serve the education and training needs of around 15,000 learners each year. Through the tireless efforts of our staff, we continue to play a vital role in shaping the region’s workforce and expanding access to education. The quality of this provision was last inspected by Ofsted in May 2024, where we were graded as Good in all areas.
Across our campuses, spanning both urban and rural communities, we remain committed to transforming lives, driving innovation and sustaining growth while preparing learners for a rapidly changing world.
About the role
Governors at WCG play a vital strategic role in shaping the educational character, sustainability and long term success of the organisation. Our Governing Body or Corporation is led by our Chair, Gill Clipson MBE and comprises a diverse range of experienced and committed strategic leaders from all walks of life.
As a Governor, you will work in partnership with other Board Members to ensure the College’s mission meets community needs and that public funds are used effectively and responsibly. Governors also uphold legal and regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance with the Corporation’s Instrument and Articles of Government, as well as the wider statutory framework governing further education providers.
You will hold executive leaders to account for the quality of education, the performance of learners and the effectiveness of the staff team, ensuring that WCG continues to deliver strong outcomes across its campuses. A key part of the role is safeguarding the financial health and sustainability of the College, ensuring that resources are managed responsibly and that the organisation remains solvent while fulfilling its public responsibilities.
As a Governor, you will be expected to apply your specialist knowledge, professional insight and independent judgement to support robust, well informed decision making at the board and committee level. To do this, you will need to act with skill, care and diligence, comply with our legal and regulatory framework and uphold the highest standards of integrity.
Our Governors also act as ambassadors for the College within the wider community, championing our mission and strengthening relationships with partners and stakeholders.
The impact you can make as a Governor is significant. By providing strategic oversight rather than day to day management, you will help drive educational excellence, ensure accountability, protect the long term interests of learners and communities and support the College to deliver high‑quality, future focused education across its campuses.
Who we are looking for
The ideal candidates for these Governor opportunities will bring professional credibility, sound judgement and a genuine commitment to strengthening further education.
Academic Standards and Quality Assurance Committee Member
Firstly, we seek to appoint a Governor with experience in education. Candidates for this role will be those who have worked at a senior leadership level within the education sector, preferably in further education, who can contribute deep insight into teaching, learning and strategic curriculum development.
Experience in safeguarding, leading education‑focused services within local authorities or working within 14–16 provision will also be welcomed as we believe this expertise will enhance the Board’s ability to champion high standards and maintain a robust, learner‑centred approach whilst ensuring we always have a keen focus on the safety and well being of all of our students.
Alongside this, candidates should be confident strategic thinkers, able to analyse complex information, ask challenging yet constructive questions about our broad provision, whilst bringing an informed perspective to decision making.
The appointed candidate will become a full Board member whilst also being asked to join our Academic Standards and Quality Assurance Committee.
Audit Committee Member
We then also seek to appoint a co‑opted member to join our Audit Committee.
For this role, we welcome applications from qualified and experienced professionals with strong knowledge of audit, risk, compliance or cyber security, as well as senior qualified finance professionals.
Candidates for this role will bring the assurance skills needed to scrutinise financial management, risk controls and governance processes, ensuring transparency, accountability and resilience across the organisation.
In the first instance, the candidate appointed to this role will serve only on our Audit Committee; we believe there will be an opportunity to join our full Board in the future as well.
Across both roles, we encourage applicants who demonstrate integrity, collaboration and a commitment to supporting the transformative impact of education.
Time Commitment and Expectations
We ask our Board Members to be willing to commit to a four year term of office.
Our Board meets four times per year in person at our Trident Campus in Warwick. These meetings take place in October, December, March and July. These meetings take place on a Tuesday and start at 17:30. We also host a Strategy Day in February.
Our Academic Standards and Quality Assurance Committee meetings are held online. They take place four times per year in October, December, March and June. These meetings take place on a Tuesday and start at 17:30.
Our Audit Committee meetings are also held online. They meet twice per year in February and June, on a Tuesday at 17:30. There is an additional Audit meeting in partnership with our Resources Committee in December, which starts at 09:00.
Whilst the attendance at meetings is a minimum requirement, to be an effective Governor, we hope that appointed individuals will be able to offer more of their time to the Group through attending events and visiting our campuses where their time allows.
We provide additional opportunities for our Board Members to engage with the Group through other activities and events. New Governors will all be supported through a comprehensive induction and training process delivered by Lorna Lloyd Williams, Corporation Secretary, as well as ongoing support thereafter.
We estimate that our Governors commit up to 12 hours per month to their role, whilst those who support us through co‑opted roles spend no more than 10 hours per month on governance business.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack. For further information 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 Dan Baxter
Thank you for your interest in joining the Corporation of WCG (Warwickshire College Group). As one of the largest and most influential education and training groups in the region, WCG plays a vital role in shaping the futures of over 10,000 students every year. Our footprint spans five diverse colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire from the industry leading engineering facilities at Warwick Trident and Rugby and specialised digital media and creative studios at Royal Leamington Spa, to the renowned land based campuses at Moreton Morrell and Pershore.
We are an institution that refuses to stand still. WCG was the first college group in the UK to be granted both Bachelor’s and Foundation degree awarding powers, placing our academic standards on par with universities while maintaining our deep roots in technical and vocational excellence. We pride ourselves on being an enterprising college group, a strategy that ensures our 1,300 staff are always looking for innovative ways to meet the needs of the 1,000 employers we partner with.
Why we need your expertise
Governance is at the heart of our success. As we work through ourIMPACT: Strategic Plan 2025-28, we are seeking external professionals who can bring fresh perspectives, commercial acumen and a passion for social mobility to our Board. Whether your background is in education, finance, technology, law, industry or community leadership, your voluntary contribution will help us:
* Drive Economic Growth:By ensuring our curriculum remains aligned with the needs of the regional and national economy.
* Foster Inclusivity:Supporting our commitment to the 20% of our students with additional learning needs and our diverse international community.
* Champion Innovation:Maintaining our status as a leader in higher education and apprenticeships (training over 1,500 apprentices annually).
Joining WCG as a Governor is a deeply rewarding experience. It offers the chance to use your professional skills to impact the lives of thousands of learners, ensuring they leave us not just with qualifications, but with the entrepreneurial mindset they need to succeed in a competitive world.
We are looking for individuals who are as ambitious for our students as we are. If you are ready to help lead an institution that is truly making a difference, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Gill Clipson MBE
Chair of Governors, WCG
About Warwickshire College Group
WCG is a large further education college with a circa £60m annual turnover operating across Warwickshire and Worcestershire. It incorporates five colleges in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick, Rugby and Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire and in Worcestershire and Pershore. Students come here to study a wide range of vocational and academic subjects. We are a truly international college, with links with countries across the world and students who have travelled from five continents to learn here. We are the first college group in the UK to be granted Bachelor’s Degree Awarding Powers alongside Foundation Degree Awarding Powers by the Office for Students, meaning the academic quality and standards of our degrees are equal to those of any university.
We have:
* Approximately 13,000 students.
* 1,300 staff.
* More than 500 courses across 28 different subject areas.
* Strong links with employers, we train over 2000 apprentices every year in subjects including engineering, construction, land based, health, digital and ICT.
* A 90% pass rate for all courses at all levels.
* Excellent provision for students with learning difficulties and disabilities this affects 20%of our students.
* Around 1000 students are studying a higher education course.
* Up to 100 international students each year.
* The largest number of 16- 18 year old students enrolled in Coventry and Warwickshire.
* Bachelor’s Degree Awarding Powers from the Office of Students.
WCG was awarded The Queen’s Anniversary Prize 2020-2022 for Higher and Further Education in recognition of its work with employers in the engineering sector.
Originally known as Mid Warwickshire College in Leamington Spa, our College Group was formed through a series of mergers with other local colleges facing difficulties. A merger with Warwickshire College of Agriculture was made in Moreton Morrell in 1996. Through robust planning and integration processes, we successfully merged to form a group of 6 colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, with no financial support from the Government. A key organisational value is to retain provision in accessible locations that have an economic impact on the local area and the region.
Our Mission and Values
WCG’s Mission Statement was introduced in 2017 through comprehensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders. The mission statement defines the fundamental purpose of WCG, which is: “Raising aspiration and realising potential through excellence in learning and development.”
WCG’s values underpin the mission statement and summarise organisational behaviours:
* Innovative: The pursuit of creativity and forward-thinking to solve challenges and shape the future
* Mindful: A commitment to fostering a culture of consideration, thoughtfulness, and respect in all actions and decisions.
* Progressive: The dedication to growth, change, and lifelong learning for all.
* Ambitious: The drive to set high standards, inspiring students and staff to achieve excellence.
* Collaborative: The building of meaningful partnerships and relationships that drive shared success.
* Transformative: The creation of lasting change that enhances lives, organisations, and communities.
WCG’s Corporate Plan 2023-2028, Delivering Successful Futures II, sets out our strategic direction for the period through six Corporate Priorities. The Corporate Priorities intend to deliver growth, inclusivity, excellence, engagement and collaboration. They are measured through annual success indicators and underpinned by aims that meet the achievement of each priority.
The six priorities are:
* Student Success:to deliver a dynamic and responsive curriculum designed to maximise student outcomes and economic impact.
* Economic Success:to contribute to the local, regional and national economy through supplying and training the workforce.
* Financial Success:to build financial resilience and sustainability.
* People Success: to attract, retain and develop high performing, well motivated individuals, committed to our mission and our values.
* Quality Success: to be an exceptional provider of education and training, delivering excellence in all activities.
* Social Success:to ensure the Colleges are at the heart of their communities and play an active role in achieving equality in society.
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.
* Accessibility dogs are welcome.
* Interviews can be held in meeting rooms that support hearing loops.
* 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.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
To access a full job description and application details,
please fill out the form below.
First name
Last name
Email address
Phone number
Your current job title
Where did you hear about this opportunity?
LinkedIn URL
I agree to Peridot Partners contacting me about this role and other potential positions relevant to me: Yes No
I agree to Peridot Partners contacting me about business services, events, or sector articles relevant to me: Yes No
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivationin 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: Warwickshire College Group—Governors” 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:
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 advising 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 6th May 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: Tuesday 12th May 2026
First stage interviews: TBC
Second stage interviews: TBC
We are in the process of confirming interview dates. Once confirmed, we will update the site and contact those who have applied.
Peridot and Warwickshire College Group 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 to 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.
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 readourPrivacyPolicy .
#J-18808-Ljbffr