Lisa Capper

Lisa leaves Nacro, the national social justice and education charity, to join Stoke on Trent College as the CEO and Principal from 25th January. Lisa has overseen the turnaround of Nacro’s national Education and Skills Provision from a low base to Ofsted Good in 2019. This includes a national network of Further Education Centres, Totton College, a High Needs Unit and several education contracts for secure youth justice and prison education.

She has pioneered the work of Nacro Education creating a respected brand and voice on issues relating to disadvantaged young people such as the Learn Without Limits campaign, second chance learning, a national youth voice Knife Crime report and parliamentary roundtables on alternative provision. She was the Chair of the National Safeguarding Board and led Service User/Learner Voice for the Charity. Prior to joining Nacro, she was Vice Principal Schools of an Ofsted good FE college for four years and Executive Director of a successful Academies Trust.

Lisa was previously a senior civil servant in Further Education in both the Department for Education and Department for Business for over 10 years, leading on adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills for Life initiative, founding the commission on adult vocational education, and the prestigious Worldskills London 2011 for which she won the Permanent Secretary’s award. She is an Independent Governor of De Montfort University and until recently the Chair of the National Deaf Children’s Society.

Lisa was brought up in Northwich, Cheshire and her first vocational role was aged fourteen where she set up play-schemes on the estate where she lived. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to progress regardless of background or where they live.

In January 2021 she was awarded the MBE for Services to Young people.

Denise has 30 years’ experience in Further Education management and prior to joining the College has been Principal and CEO at Newham College of Further Education in East London and Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality at South Essex College. Denise is particularly specialised in curriculum management and quality improvement. Denise has seen two colleges through three inspection frameworks never achieving less than ‘Good’ and achieving ‘Outstanding’ in one inspection. Denise is passionate about inclusion and open access to Further Education.

Denise is Vice Chair and trustee of the Further Education Trust for Leadership. Denise holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from Kingston University, a Masters Social Science – Race and Education from the University of Birmingham and is currently studying for a Doctorate in Education at the University of Birmingham.