School has potential to be "outstanding"
A STRUGGLING North Tyneside college has the potential to be "outstanding", according to its new interim principal.
David Cheetham, who lead Gateshead College through a 60m transformation and to an "outstanding" Ofsted inspection, believes that Tyne Metropolitan College (TyneMet) can be turned around.
Mr Cheetham was appointed interim principal in April, after the previous head, Phil Green, resigned following a second successive Ofsted report which identified serious management failures at the college.
He resigned after the Ofsted report, the second in 12 months, criticised the college for being "inadequate" in parts and said it "continues to demonstrate inadequate capacity to improve".
Now Mr Cheetham is charged with solving the many problems facing the college, including financial problems inherited from the merger of North Tyneside College and Tynemouth Sixth form College.
Speaking to the News Guardian he said: "I want to make it clear that the Board of Governors at TyneMet are absolutely determined to respond to the issues Ofsted reported.
"This is to make sure the college is providing outstanding education and training to the community of North Tyneside."
Mr Cheetham said that, so far, staff had responded well to the changes he was implementing, which included an overhaul of the management structure.
"I've been very surprised at my reception," he said. "The reception I've had from all the staff has been absolutely brilliant.
"I was very surprised at how many people care a great deal about TyneMet college, they want it to do well and be a successful college."
Speaking of his achievement at Gateshead College, Mr Cheetham said there had to be significant cultural change at TyneMet, and across the north east as a whole.
"There is a prevailing view across the north east, to some extent in business, and certainly in education, that we're average but we're not outstanding," he said.
"There is a real problem in our education with raising the aspirations and expectations of our young people.
"We have to change that and say they can be outstanding if they want."
He said there was no single factor ensuring success at Gateshead College, which he says has become one of the best colleges in the region.
"There has be a clear ambition to be outstanding, an ambition shared and bought into by all of the staff," he said.
"There needs to be some very hard work and prolonged teamwork.
"A clear expectation of staff and managers, from thinking they are average, to be saying to themselves — 'we can be outstanding performers'."
Mr Cheetham confirmed that he will not be seeking to take up the post permanently and that the Board of Governors are already looking to appoint a permanent principal.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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