Governance

Welcome to Barnsley College, as the main provider of post-16 education in the Borough, the College plays a vital role within the Yorkshire and Humber region by delivering outstanding teaching and learning and very strong outcomes for over 10,000 students each year

Our vision is to transform lives, not only in the way in which we are able to support our students to gain life-changing skills and qualifications, but also in the way we provide opportunities for our staff and people and businesses in Barnsley.

We have been able to make Barnsley College one of the best colleges in the country. In 2022, the College’s provision was judged to be Outstanding by Ofsted. A standard the College has maintained for more than a decade; one only a handful of colleges in the country to do so against a very demanding standard.

We deliver exceptional teaching and learning, ensuring every student can achieve their potential. This wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic staff, strong community partnerships, links with schools, business, and government. Our investment in our people and facilities continues at pace, so we can offer an enriched, flexible curriculum that truly meets the needs of the local community and wider region.

The Board of Governors and the leadership team work closely together to make the College a success. Governors set the overall direction for the College for the coming year and then work with the executive team to build the strategic plan.

We have four strategic pillars: quality, curriculum, sustainability, and reputation. These help us to deliver our purpose and are the framework under which we manage our strategic goals.

We know that the quality of leadership and governance we provide is key to our success. We have continued to strengthen our board and have embedded our unique governance model. As a National Leader of Governance and Chair of the Association of College’s National Chairs’ Council, I have been able to share the success of our model across the sector, learn from others, and have confidence we are doing the best job we can for the people of Barnsley.

The board are very proud of Barnsley College, and we want Barnsley to be proud, we want the community to be proud, and those we work with in partnership. Most of all, we want our students to be proud and carry it with them when they leave us to develop their career. However, we are not complacent. We are always driven to push further, because we believe Barnsley deserves to benefit from a college that is passionate and committed to excellence.

We know too that the quality of leadership and governance we are able to provide will be key to our success. That is why we have continued to strengthen our board and have recently reviewed our governance model. In 2024 we won the AoC Beacon Award for Governance. The recruitment and development of outstanding governors will continue to be a key priority for us going forward.

Simon Perryman
Chair of Governors