Corporate Information
Our mission and strategic objectives
Wakefield College is the largest college in the District and has an impressive track record, having provided education and training in Wakefield and its surrounding area since 1868.
In December 2018 Ofsted conducted a full Inspection of Wakefield College, looking at every area of our work and they concluded that we are a ‘Good’ College.
In March 2022, Wakefield College merged with Selby College to create the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group. The Group serves the education and skills needs of the Yorkshire region from its campuses in Castleford, Selby and Wakefield.
The Group offers an expansive range of post-16 provision, apprenticeships, higher education, adult qualifications and distance learning, through its wide variety of full and part-time courses. It also works closely with employers locally, regionally and nationally to deliver work-based training programmes to meet existing and future skills shortages.
Across its three campuses, the Group serves approximately 10,000+ full-time students, with more than 2,000 Higher Education students and Apprentices. With a combined turnover of £36 million, the Group currently employs more than 890 teaching and support staff.
Latest Corporate News
West Yorkshire Colleges secure £2.6million (DfE) investment for green skills
29 September, 2022
Students Celebrate A Level Results
18 August, 2022
Wakefield College wins education award
13 April, 2022
Selby College and Wakefield College shortlisted in education awards
23 March, 2022
Wakefield College students celebrate graduation success.
07 March, 2022
Selby College and Wakefield College Merge
01 March, 2022
‘Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’ preparing to launch
19 January, 2022
Wakefield College pays tribute to wartime nurse Mary Seacole…
08 December, 2021
Our Mission
Transforming lives through learning...
by enabling young people, adults and employers to fulfil their potential.
Our Vision
...to be an outstanding college at the heart of the Wakefield District.
Our Values
Responsiveness. Teamwork. Inclusiveness. Respect. Excellence. Responsibility.
Executive Team
Sam Wright
Principal & Chief Executive
Sam Wright became the Principal & Chief Executive of the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group following the merger between Selby and Wakefield Colleges on 1st March 2022.
Sam has worked in Further Education for 28 years. She became Principal and CEO at Wakefield College in February 2011 and took over as interim Principal and CEO at Selby College on 1st January 2022, just prior to the merger.
Sam started her career in Further Education as a lecturer and then worked as a middle and senior manager, with a focus on curriculum and quality. She is inspired by the opportunity to improve lives and help individuals to achieve their potential through learning, as well as further developing excellent relationships with key partners and employers to inform the Group’s strategy, curriculum development and delivery.
Clare Allcock
Group Executive Director:
Student Experience & Support
Clare has worked in the further education sector for almost 25 years, spending the last decade at Wakefield College leading on Student Experience and Support.
Clare is also the Chair of the Youth Association Board of Trustees and is a coach/mentor with the Yorkshire Accord coaching and mentoring scheme.
Clare is responsible for:
- Student Experience
- Safeguarding & Prevent
- Student Engagement
- Student Support & Services
- Student Wellbeing
- Pastoral Curriculum
- CEIAG, Guidance & Support
- Enrolment
- Sustainability
Lorraine Cross
Group Executive Director:
External Relations & Development
Lorraine has worked in the further education sector for more than 20 years. Lorraine joined Wakefield College in 2021 to project manage the merger with Selby College to form the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group in 2022.
Lorraine has strategic Group responsibility for:
- External Partnerships
- Marketing & Communications
- School Partnerships
- Admissions
- Employer Engagement & Partnerships
- Special Projects & Tendering Opportunities
- Adult Skills Strategy & Planning
- Distance Learning Provision
Lisa Macdonald
Group Executive Director:
Curriculum & Quality Standards
Lisa has worked in the further education sector for more than 20 years. Students and teachers are at the heart of her strategic management.
Lisa has strategic oversight of curriculum and quality standards across the Group, with responsibility for:
- Further Education Provision, including A levels, Vocational and Technical Education, Maths & English, Access Programmes and T Levels
- Higher Education Programmes
- Quality Assurance and Improvement Strategy
- SEND Learners and Additional Learning Support
Jason Pepper
Group Executive Director:
Finance & Resources
Jason has held senior finance positions at a range of further and higher education institutions over the past 25 years. He has been regional representative for colleges on both the Yorkshire & Humberside College Finance Directors’ Group and the National FE Finance Directors’ Group.
Jason has also held a range of non-Executive roles, and has been instrumental in the creation of three multi-academy trusts. He has also led the successful completion of a variety of major capital projects, worth over £120m in total.
Jason uses this wealth of experience to lead the following teams:
- Finance
- Estates
- IT & Network Services
- Business Systems
- Libraries & Learning Resources
- Management Information Services
- Legal
Karen Sykes
Group Executive Director:
People
Karen has worked in human resources and staff development for 30 years, spending the last two decades overseeing Human Resources at Wakefield College.
Karen is responsible for:
- People Strategy & Culture
- Employee Relations
- Payroll & Benefits
- Workforce Development
- Employee Wellbeing
- Attraction and Retention
- Safeguarding of Staff (Employment & Vetting)
Joanne Taylor
Group Executive Director:
Apprenticeships & Work-Based Development
Joanne has worked on building Apprenticeship provision in the further education sector for over 20 years, across a range of Colleges in the North of England.
Joanne is responsible for:
- Apprenticeship Strategy, Recruitment & Delivery
- Quality Assurance in Apprenticeships
- Business School Qualifications
- Sector-Based Work Academies
- Work-based Learning & Development
- Compliance
Strategic Objectives #1
Develop a skills offer that is aligned to the needs of the areas we serve through partnership and collaboration.
Strategic Objectives #2
Ensure our curriculum delivery is high quality, inclusive and ambitious and we provide an outstanding student experience.
Strategic Objectives #3
Develop a high-performing culture and people who are effective and committed.
Strategic Objectives #4
Ensure our finances are to facilitate investment in our resources and our offer.
Strategic Objectives #5
Commit wholeheartedly to the development of sustainability within our communities.
Strategic Plan 2022-25
Annual Accounts
16-19 Tuition Fund Grant
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESF) has allocated Wakefield College additional funding for the 2020/21 academic year to provide support for learners that experienced particular disruption in their education during lockdown. In line with the ESFA conditions attached to this funding, we will be providing the following support:
- Additional small group ‘catch-up’ tuition in to enable those learners that have not achieved at least a grade 5 in GCSE English and/or maths to do so.
- Additional small group ‘catch-up’ tuition to learners on vocational study programmes that might benefit from additional support.
- The provision of additional tutorial and pastoral support to help learners that may be at risk of withdrawing from their study programme.
- The provision of physical and online learning materials and equipment to support eligible learners.
This support set out above will be directed at learners that do not yet have GCSE English and/or maths at Grade 5 or above, but will be prioritised for learners that do not yet have GCSE English and/or maths at Grade 4.