Annual Report 2012 - Highbury College

Chair’s introduction
I am delighted to be writing for the first time as the Chair
of Governors at Highbury.
After a number of years on the Board, including six years
as Chair, John Wright retired from the Board of
Governors in 2012 having seen the College to - in his
words - ‘the very top of the professional achievement
ladder’. The culmination, as described in the last annual
report, of a remarkable journey and team effort. We wish
John and Robin Dickens, who stood down as Vice Chair in
2012, all the very best and I thank them on behalf of all
Highbury stakeholders for their hard work and
commitment to the College during their tenure.
Whilst the Chair and Vice Chair may have changed, the
ambition, determination and commitment of the Board
of Governors has not. At Highbury College we have high
expectations of ourselves - Governors, the Principal, the
Leadership and Management Team, Academic and
Business Support staff and most of all our students.
Whatever their chosen area of learning, we challenge all
of our students to be the very best they can be. And we
challenge ourselves to deliver the best possible support
for students.
Our students have not disappointed this year. Student
success rates place the College as the top-performing
general further education (GFE) college in the South East
Region and the only college from Hampshire and the Isle
of Wight to appear in the top ten of the national league
table. It is the fourth consecutive year that Highbury
College has appeared in the top ten of GFE colleges in
England, an achievement that is shared with only one
other college. This outstanding success is testimony to
the hard work and commitment of our students and the
entire College community who have worked together
tirelessly to deliver on Highbury's Mission - to enable all
our students to succeed.
Our Mission remains constant - it is timeless and
universal. In the current challenging economic,
environmental and social times however it is more
important than ever that our students are global citizens,
equipped with the enterprising and entrepreneurial skills
that will enable them to succeed. To this end the College
will continue to work with local, regional, national and
international partners to provide an inspiring, innovative
and forward-looking learning environment, capable of
securing the best opportunities for its students.
As we enter the final year of our 2011-2013 strategic plan
and begin preparations for the College’s 50th anniversary
celebrations, I commend our students to you and proudly
celebrate their success.
Stuart Hill
Chair of Governors
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