Corrienne Peasgood took up her role as Principal of City College Norwich in September 2012, in the latest phase of a career that has taken her from the plumbing workshops to the boardroom.
She has a clear vision of the type of educational environment that will provide not only the best opportunities for students, but also the right conditions for the whole College to develop. This broad perspective has become the signature for her approach to management.
We have changed from thinking of ourselves as ‘your college’ to ‘our college’, where everyone has a stake in the unique model of teaching and learning that works for them. This may seem a small step, but we’re laying the building blocks for success and the benefits are already being seen.
This insight comes from a career which has combined working with learning at every stage. By the age of 21, Corrienne had completed an apprenticeship and taken on the running of her family business in plumbing and heating. The opportunity came to run a part-time course in plumbing for City College, a post which led to a full-time lectureship, then progression into management and an insight into many different departments within the College. Now at the helm, her commitment to continued development is reflected in the way the organisation is evolving.
I could not lead a learning institution without taking every opportunity to learn myself. A college does not just provide learning: it needs to really illustrate that every part of the organisation progresses by learning together. I hear myself starting to talk differently, the tone of my voice lifts, when we are planning exciting new programmes because this is what makes a difference to students.
Now leading the College into its new role within the Transforming Education in Norfolk (TEN) Group, Corrienne is looking forward to maintaining the position the College has achieved at the forefront of educational innovation.
We are working hard, both in our own right and in strong partnership with organisations regionally and nationally, to get one step ahead of the economic challenges we are all facing. That means that students that leave us will rightly be able to claim not just to have a certificate, but also to be experienced and adaptable individuals who are ready to find success.
|
