New College Durham - external governance review

New College Durham is a leading further and higher education institution located in County Durham, enrolling over 6,000 students each year across a diverse range of programmes. Widely recognised as one of the UK’s top-performing colleges, it was the first institution in the north-east of England to secure a ‘strong’ skills rating under Ofsted’s updated inspection framework.

As a key anchor institution for the region, the college plays a significant role in both the educational ecosystem and the wider economy, underpinned by strong partnerships with local employers, public services, community organisations, and international collaborators. Its work has earned numerous regional and national accolades, reinforcing its position as a sector leader.

In February 2025, GGi was appointed to undertake a comprehensive governance effectiveness review, in line with the Department for Education requirement as a condition of funding that all further education colleges must have an external governance review every three years. This was structured around the Association of Colleges (AoC) Code of Good Governance for English Colleges. The review explored four core domains:

• Corporation function and effectiveness
• Strategic direction and planning
• People, culture, and relationships
• Stakeholder engagement, partnership working, and diversity

Our methodology included:

• Scoping interviews, to discuss the lines of enquiry for the review
• Interviews with all corporation members, senior staff, and a local employer
• Surveys of corporation members and of the senior leadership
• Observations of meetings of the corporation and four of its committees
• Focus group with staff
• Review of key documents

During the review, GGi found extensive evidence of strong practice and, importantly, a deep commitment to effective governance and continuous improvement.

Governors and senior leaders demonstrated a clear passion for the college’s mission and a shared determination to ensure New College Durham continues to deliver outstanding outcomes for students, staff, and the wider north-east community.

As is intended with developmental reviews, the work also identified opportunities for further enhancement – areas where the college could move from a position of ‘good’ to ‘great’. These included practical improvements relating to the structure and strategic focus of board papers, the use of strategic risk as a decision-making tool, and the development of a more formalised approach to structured external engagement.

Following the draft report, GGi worked closely with the chair and head of governance to refine the narrative and ensure the findings reflected both the strengths of the organisation and the constructive intent behind the recommendations. This collaborative approach helped to ensure the final report felt grounded in the lived experience of stakeholders and was well positioned to support ongoing governance development.

Impact

Stephen King, chair of the board of governors, said: “As a board, we were keen to commission a governance review that was both rigorous and developmental, something that would provide constructive challenge as well as assurance.

“GGi brought a clear and well-structured approach to the review, drawing on governance experience from across different sectors. That external perspective helped prompt useful conversations about how the board continues to evolve, particularly around board reporting, strategic focus and how we use risk to support better decision-making.

“Importantly, the process was constructive and respectful of the college’s mission and its role within the wider north east community.”

Caroline Winter, Head of Governance and Corporation Secretary, added: “We selected GGi because of their track record in governance reviews and were keen to gain a perspective external to the FE sector. They worked collaboratively with us throughout the process, providing valuable external challenge while recognising our strengths, and welcoming dialogue on draft findings to ensure the final report reflected our context.

“The review has been particularly helpful in supporting our ongoing approach to sharpening the focus of board papers and strengthening how governors engage with risk in strategic oversight and decision-making.”