Senior leadership appointments made

Telford College has appointed two new vice principals to help spearhead its ambitious expansion and curriculum growth.

Christine Pemberton is the new vice principal for curriculum, while Louise Biffin has taken on the role of vice principal for finance and resources.

Christine, who was raised and educated on the west Shropshire border, progressed from a teacher to a senior leader at Shrewsbury Colleges Group, before more recently becoming vice principal at Cardiff and Vale College in south Wales.

“I’m really excited about what lies ahead,” she said. “The college is really going places. I want students to enjoy their time with us, and come out with the best results they can. A good college is a real boost for the local community it serves – producing motivated and employable workers for local employers, and delivering the skills which the local economy needs to succeed.”

Louise Biffin is no stranger to Telford College, having spent four years as vice chair of the board of governors. She is an experienced finance leader and non-executive director who has operated in the not-for-profit sector for over 20 years.

She is a fellow member of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, as well as the Association of Corporate Governance Practitioners and the Institute of Directors, and has previously held senior roles at various organisations including Shropdoc, Twycross Zoo, and Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.

“I love the fact that Telford College pushes people to reach their potential. This is a college with outstanding financial health, recognised by Ofsted as good. I’m looking forward to helping us move up that ladder to get to an outstanding rating.”

Janet Stephens, Telford College’s deputy chief executive, said: “These are really exciting times for the college, and our management team is evolving to meet new challenges in a fast-moving world. We’re thrilled to welcome Christine and Louise.

“Our ambitious growth agenda includes exciting plans for a new digital and maths hub, a relocated A level provision in the Station Quarter development of Telford’s town centre, and expansion of our vocational training facilities in Wellington.

“We have been on an incredible journey of improvement, innovation, and expansion. Telford College is in a fantastic position to keep expanding and evolving as we continue to invest heavily in our university-standard facilities to provide fantastic resources, all backed up by the latest hi-tech learning platforms.

“The college’s vision is to be an outstanding educational provider for our community, ensuring that students achieve positive outcomes aligned to high aspirations, and through collaborative engagement, support employers to have the required skills to develop and grow their workforce.”   

Pictured: New vice principals at Telford College, Christine Pemberton (left) and Louise Biffin