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Alison Robinson to take charge at Myerscough College

Published
Tuesday 3 Oct 2017

Myerscough College is delighted to announce that Alison Robinson will become the new Chief Executive and Principal next year.

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Alison, who is currently Myerscough’s Vice Principal and Deputy Chief Executive, will take over from Ann Turner on April 1st, 2018. Ann is retiring after what will be more than twelve years at the helm.

Alison has more than 25 years of experience in the education sector and joined Myerscough College in January, 2014, after an 18-year spell firstly in teaching and then as an integral part of the management team of Runshaw College. Alison’s early teaching career goes back to 1991, where she taught a variety of humanities and social science subjects across a range of post-16 providers across Lancashire from Levels 1 to 5, before more recently moving on to teaching postgraduate students on the Diploma in Management Studies.

Lancashire born and bred, Alison comes from a farming background and is very local to Myerscough, living just down the road from the College’s main Bilsborrow campus, in St Michael’s-on-Wyre for more than 20 years.

Alison said: ‘’I am absolutely delighted to be appointed as the next Chief Executive and Principal at Myerscough College. To be Chief Executive and Principal of such a great college in my home community is my dream job. The College has an excellent reputation both locally and nationally for its high quality teaching and resources in specialist land based and sports provision and its outstanding student success stories.”

Earlier this year Myerscough College received an excellent OFSTED report, with an overall rating of good. Alison says she wants to make even more improvements: ‘’I ultimately want us to become an outstanding rated college. We are very nearly there already and with our excellent staff and management team I am confident we can achieve this togetherI

‘’I’m very excited about what lies ahead. Everyone associated with the College takes great pride in what they do to make Myerscough a fantastic place to work, live and study. Our staff are passionate about changing learners’ lives and giving every student the very best opportunity to succeed. It is this Myerscough culture for excellence that we will continue to build upon over the next few years.’’

Current Principal and Chief Executive, Ann Turner, has been in post since March, 2006, and will complete twelve years at the top before she retires, overseeing a period of enormous growth, campus development and quality improvement at Myerscough, and playing a key role in ensuring the College has enhanced its position regionally, nationally and internationally.

Ann said: ‘’The decision to retire has been one of the most difficult decisions to make, but one I believe is right for both Myerscough & me. 

‘’We have reached the end of one stage in the College development,  with our very good OFSTED inspection, our Teaching Excellence Framework grading, recognition as a University Centre, the opening of our Food & Farming Innovation & Technology Centre and expansion work at our Liverpool centre in Croxteth Park.  All this has been achieved in the last year, in addition to outstanding academic achievements in 2017 and creating a first class student offer.

‘’There are further significant changes and challenges ahead, and so it is time for a new Principal to steer the College, and ensure that the future remains bright for Myerscough.

‘’Myerscough is a very special College and I have worked with some amazing staff and students over the years but it is time to move on and allow Myerscough under the leadership of Alison achieve what they deserve.   There is a long time until the end of March and we still have much to achieve in the coming months.  I congratulate Alison on her appointment to the role of Chief Executive & Principal and know that she will lead Myerscough to achieve recognition as an outstanding College ’’

 Stuart Heys, Chairman of Myerscough Corporation, said: ‘’We are delighted to be able to announce Alison as the next Chief Executive and Principal of Myerscough College.

‘’These are exciting times for Myerscough and the College looks forward to Alison leading the College into maintaining and growing its position as one of the country’s leading providers of land-based and sport education.’’

by Dave Salmon

DSalmon@myerscough.ac.uk