Staff & Governors

Schools should always be a source of hope and promise for the future and guiding pupils in schools is both a privilege and a challenge. Working to support and guide young children and adolescents through what seems an increasingly uncertain world is a truly important vocation, carrying great responsibility and accountability. For those of us who choose to take on this challenge, witnessing the development and flourishing of young people is the greatest reward.

Ours is a community which believes in learning for all, learning for life and learning in a fuller sense than just academically. For our pupils, this means that whilst examination success and demonstrable academic progress is valued, so too is the personal growth and character development gained through co-curricular activity, but also opportunities to support and lead others and to undertake community service.

Pastoral care and education, and knowing all of our pupils well in our inclusive community, underpins all that we do. For our staff, learning is key too, through opportunities for career development and continuing professional development of high frequency and measurable value.

Success in life is measured in many different ways, most obviously by gold medals and examination results. Our community is rightly proud of our Olympic heritage in sport and the excellent achievements of our pupils at both GCSE and A level, but we also recognise that success for each individual means different things. We support our students in testing themselves in and beyond the classroom, and value resilience, teamwork, perseverance and service as much as we do raw attainment.

Ultimately, how our pupils are as people and how they build relationships with others will be of more importance to them, and to society, than how talented they are. Our community thrives in supporting both those who display excellence and those who struggle; it thrives in the development of academic and emotional intelligence and literacy, and in enhancing in our leavers a sense of their responsibility for themselves and their own actions, to others and to their environment and in creating a more compassionate and aware global community.

As you explore our website, we hope it gives you a flavour of the vibrant daily life of Plymouth College. We invite you to visit us in person; a chance for you to experience first hand the nurturing relationships, holistic education, and limitless possibilities that define our community.

To find out more and experience this in person, please do come to visit us. I look forward to meeting you.

Stephen has over 20 years of experience in Higher Education Administration, providing leadership in planning, organising and managing student administration at a variety of institutions in both the public and private sectors.

Stephen was most recently the University Secretary & Registrar at Plymouth Marjon University and was previously employed as Academic Registrar at Hult International Business School, in London, where he had responsibility for delivering high-quality, customer-focused services that were positioned to meet changing student expectations. Before this Stephen served in professional governance, policy and student record-keeping roles for the University of London, the British Museum, the London School of Economics and the University of Cambridge.

Jim qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor in 1969 whilst employed by Somerset County Council. In 1975 he became a partner in HBS Architecture in Burnham-on-Sea becoming a Senior Partner some 20 years later.

In 1998 Jim was invited to become the Estates Bursar at Millfield School. He retired from this role in 2009 and went to live in South West France where he retained a house up to August 2021.

In 2014 Jim took up the role of Estates Manager at Wellington School and retired (for the second time!) in 2020 and moved back to the UK to live in Somerset in 2021. He became a governor of Plymouth College in 2022.