A new CEO and group principal has been appointed at Langley and Windsor Colleges.

She is Gillian May - currently principal at Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) near Maidenhead.

Tony Dixon, the chairman of governors at Windsor Forest Colleges Group which runs both colleges as well as Strode's in Egham, announced the appointment this week.

Mr Dixon said: “We have been rigorous in our search for a new leader and are extremely pleased to have secured the services of Gillian who is well known to the group and has been a strong collaborative partner during her time at BCA.

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“We are extremely grateful to Kate Webb who after 16 years at the helm, agreed to stay on to successfully steer the Group through the many challenges generated by the pandemic. We can now have a smooth transition to bring Gillian on board to lead the team.”

Ms May, who has been the principal and CEO at BCA for nearly eight years and will take up her new post in April, said: “ I am looking forward to joining the team at the Windsor Forest Colleges Group, we have an exciting future ahead of us. The skills and education agenda has never been more important to our young people and to our economy. It is a privilege to be asked to lead the Group at a time of such transformative change.”

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She has driven significant improvements at BCA since her appointment in 2011 – introducing a new curriculum, stabilising its finances and securing and maintaining an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’, which has seen numbers grow and its reputation flourish.

The Windsor Forest Colleges Group was formed in 2017 following a merger between East Berkshire College and Strode’s College. Langley College is the centre for technical and vocational education while A level and other courses are offered at Strode’s and Windsor Colleges.

There is a thriving apprenticeship and Higher Education programme that spans all three institutions.

The Group was rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in January 2020 and achieved top results in the summer assessment series in 2020.