Shape the future of education, training and skills at New College Swindon as a new member of their governing body.
* Location: Swindon, Wiltshire
Who we are
New College Swindon sits in the heart of Swindon, providing further and higher education to communities across our town and the wider region.
Following a merger and our establishment as a new education institution, our existing governing body has worked collaboratively with our senior leadership team to establish a collective vision and forward‑looking strategy, which will help guide the delivery of our organisational purpose, ensuring that our local communities are able to enjoy better lives through learning.
New College Swindon is a relatively large college, formed in 2020 as the result of a merger between the two colleges which previously served our town. With a turnover of around £40million per year, we currently deliver education and training to almost 14,000 students through one of the broadest curriculum offers in the sector, with delivery supported by a dedicated team of over 650 staff.
We deliver a broad range of provision, including academic qualifications, vocational and technical provision, higher education courses and apprenticeships. Our delivery takes place across two campuses at Queens Drive and North Star, along with a dedicated Adult Learning Centre in the town centre.
Having created a great deal of organisational stability across the college since our merger, we have been focused on improving the quality of our delivery across the whole curriculum. This has included the appointment of our Principal & CEO, Leah Palmer, as well as other senior leaders, resulting in a strong and dynamic senior leadership team. We have invested heavily in our campuses in recent years.
This has included:
* The DfE-funded Institute of Technology which includes state‑of‑the‑art facilities and equipment.
* T Level facilities for science, health and care, animal management, business and digital, and construction and civil engineering.
* The Swindon and Wiltshire Immersive Technology Care Hub (SWITCH).
* An expansive programme of energy‑saving projects.
Our investment won’t stop here as we are also in the process of transforming both of our campuses to ensure they are fit for their future purpose, as well as a new student hub to help remove barriers to learning.
Our merger and the subsequent development and operationalisation of our strategy have been supported by a group of governors who have each provided our senior leadership team with support and advice throughout. Several members have joined over the last year, providing their expertise as we seek to develop and improve.
About the roles
Governors at New College Swindon play a vital strategic role in shaping the educational direction, performance, and long‑term sustainability of the college.
As members of the Corporation, our governors are responsible for ensuring that the college fulfils its purpose and achieves its organisational mission.
A core part of the role is to determine and uphold the college’s educational character, setting its strategic vision, values and goals. Governors work closely with senior leaders to monitor progress against these aims and ensure that the student experience, teaching quality and outcomes remain at the highest possible standard alongside other important responsibilities relating to the safe and viable running of the organisation, including: financial oversight, safeguarding and regulatory compliance.
Through these responsibilities, governors help secure high‑quality education, safeguard the college’s future and positively impact learners and the wider community.
We have reflected on the future skills needs and expertise that we need within our governing body, considering how diversity of thought will support our future success.
As such, we now welcome applications from individuals with professional expertise in the following areas to join our main board and other committees as highlighted below:
* An experienced, strategic HR and/corporate services professional.
* An expert in the area of SEND, high needs provision and safeguarding.
Who we are looking for
HR & corporate services
We seek to appoint a new governor to our board with experience in strategic‑level HR and corporate services leadership. You will have experience in people management, organisational development and strategic workforce planning alongside knowledge of employee relations and organisational development. We believe your insights will support our leaders in ensuring that our college remains a place where our staff are motivated, feel valued and respected.
You will preferably have career experience from working within public sector organisations similar to ours, allowing you to bring additional insights to support and scrutinise our leaders.
SEND, high needs & safeguarding
We also seek to appoint a new governor with expertise in SEND & High Needs provision, as well as safeguarding. You will be an experienced professional who will be able to offer insights and advice on how we can further ensure that our spaces remain safe, inclusive and supportive for all learners.
You may bring a deep understanding of SEND legislation, funding, statutory guidance and local authority processes, allowing you to scrutinise our current procedures whilst sharing your own experiences of good practice so that we can ensure every learner’s needs are met.
Commitment and expectations
We ask our board members to be willing to commit to a four‑year term of office.
Appointed individuals will need to attend approximately eight meetings per year, including board and committee meetings. Whilst this commitment 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 College through attending events and visiting the College where their time allows.
Meetings commence at 4 p.m. and usually last no longer than two hours. Our full board meetings are held in person at the college. We also try, where possible, to hold our committee meetings in person; however, many are held virtually.
We host two additional in‑person away days each year, held on the same day as our board meetings. We estimate that our governors dedicate around 10 hours per month to their roles.
New governors will all be supported through a comprehensive induction and training process and ongoing support thereafter.
Peridot Partners and New College Swindon 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 candidate pack.
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 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: New College Swindon — Governor” 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.
We are a Disability Confident employer.
About us
New College Swindon is a vibrant, dynamic and innovative further and higher education college at the heart of the Swindon community. Formed through the merger of New College and Swindon College in 2020, it serves learners across Swindon and the surrounding region, providing high‑quality education, training and development opportunities for people aged‑16 to 99+.
The college works closely with both local and national employers to nurture the next generation of skilled, creative and aspirational thinkers. This commitment is reflected in its guiding ethos of “One college for Swindon,” which ensures accessible, flexible and excellent learning for the whole community.
The college’s mission, “Better Lives Through Learning,” is delivered through strategic themes that focus on great teaching and learning, an innovative and responsive curriculum, high‑quality digital and physical learning environments and a strong commitment to meeting the needs of employers and customers.
New College Swindon strives to maintain financial sustainability so it can continually reinvest in its facilities, staff and student support services. Its vision is ambitious: to be recognised locally as excellent and nationally as one of the best colleges in the country. These ambitions are underpinned by core values that champion collaboration, ambition, respect, excellence and the celebration of success across the organisation.
New College Swindon offers a broad range of academic and technical pathways, including A Levels, T Levels, vocational qualifications, apprenticeships, higher education and adult learning.
With two main campuses, Queens Drive and North Star, the college benefits from industry‑standard facilities such as science labs, creative studios, engineering and construction workshops, commercial training environments, a theatre, dance studios and expansive digital learning resources. This infrastructure enables students to develop practical, career‑ready skills in environments that mirror modern workplaces.
The college plays a central role in regional skills development, exemplified by its partnership in the Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology (SAWIOT). This collaboration provides higher‑level technical training across STEM disciplines, supporting local industry needs and offering advanced opportunities for learners looking to progress into high‑demand sectors.
New College Swindon’s commitment to community impact extends beyond the classroom. Through events, employer engagement, enrichment activities and well‑being support, the college encourages students to thrive both personally and professionally. Its holistic approach, forward‑thinking curriculum and strong community partnerships make it a cornerstone institution shaping the future of education and opportunity in Swindon and the wider region.
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 interview;
* Working patterns and locations can be adjusted.
All buildings are accessible and all floors are accessible via a lift.
A sign language interpreter can be requested in advance.
Working patterns and locations can be adjusted if adjustable for the role.
Reasonable adjustments need to be requested in advance. Time, location, speed of interview etc., are adjustments we can accommodate.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 13th April 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: Thursday 23rd April 2026
Interviews: Thursday 30th April or Friday 1st May 2026
We are in the process of confirming interview dates. Once confirmed, we will update the site and contact those who have applied.
Peridot and New College Swindon 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.
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