Leaders Series #3 - Alison Robinson

“ Accept that we are not all perfect – we all make mistakes at times.”

We’ve moved a little closer to home with our next Leaders Series Guest - Alison Robinson is the Chief Executive and Principal of Myerscough College.

A big Thank You to Alison for her time, answering our questions and for sharing some of her thoughts with us….

Have a read below….

What is your role?

Chief Executive & Principal at Myerscough College.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and path or journey to where you are now?

I was a teacher for 27 years and a manager in colleges for 20 years before becoming Chief Executive and Principal at Myerscough College in 2018. Along the way I taught from Level 1 (pre GCSE) to Level 7 (Masters level), trained teachers, worked as a part time Ofsted inspector and completed a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with distinction to improve my understanding of the wider business aspects of leading a college.

Tell me about your typical day/ week?

Although there are a large number of regular meetings in my diary there is no typical day or week. Meetings take place with a wide variety of stakeholders weekly such as students, staff, managers, senior leaders, MPs, local employers, councillors, head teachers, university Vice Chancellors and Governors. My weeks include a variety of both strategic and operational activities such as reviewing key performance data, managing funding and budgets, managing risks, analysing external Government policy and its implications for the College, deciding on resource allocation, agreeing strategic approaches to learning, people and sustainability, responding to emerging situations and anything else that comes my way. Education is so fast paced and dynamic that you never quite know what might happen in a day.

What have been your biggest challenges? What have been your highlights?

The biggest challenge in my 30-year career has been leading a college through the coronavirus pandemic. When we went into the first lockdown in March 2020 the College had to move to online learning at 2 day’s notice, manage the safe closure and return home of our 600 residential students and shut all of its commercial facilities with the associated loss of income (golf course, gym, garden centre, conferencing, events, equine international arena). Staff, students and visitors all needed clear communications on closure and then full risk assessments in place and lots of reassurance and support to re-open again in the following weeks and months.

Throughout all of this we had to keep the College financially afloat whilst ensuring everyone was safe and students’ learning was prioritised to ensure they achieved and had the very best education experience in the challenging circumstances.

The highlights for me are always the graduation and awards ceremonies of our students that take place every summer. To see all students regardless of their experiences, backgrounds and abilities walking tall across our stage to receive their certificates of achievement in recognition of their hard work and success always makes me smile – it is what my job it all about.

What piece of advice would you give to our students?/ What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

I would advise our students to do whatever makes them happy in their career – they should follow their own dreams and be the person that they want to be and if at first they don’t succeed then try again.

The best piece of advice I have been given in my career is accept that we are not all perfect – we all make mistakes at times. The most important things is to trust yourself and your team and to learn from mistakes together.

What/ who inspires you? Maybe a person, phrase, or picture?

The Myerscough staff team inspire me everyday – the way they listen to and support our students is nothing less than phenomenal. I am proud to lead such a creative, professional, hard-working and dedicated team of Myerscough staff who go the extra mile every day to inspire excellence in our students.

Thank you so much to Alison for speaking to us, sharing her views, thoughts and journey