It is not often that we get to visit a college group and meet two CEOs at once.
Outgoing CEO, Graham Razey, has led the group to an Outstanding Ofsted result in 2023, having improved education outcomes and transformed the group over more than a decade of strong leadership and focus on education quality. He still recalls how the now impressive Folkestone campus used to be full of temporary ‘caravan’ classrooms. Graham describes himself as a passionate educator, always focused on the quality of student experience, community engagement and leadership development. He is also a committed sportsman, actively involved in sports development in Kent.
Incoming CEO, Lucy McLeod, has been with EKC Group since 1998, starting as an English Foreign Language lecturer and gradually advancing through various roles all the way up to Principal of EKC Broadstairs College (she is now Deputy CEO at EKC Group). Lucy has a strong focus on student voice and personal development, ensuring students have a meaningful experience beyond just earning qualifications.
Graham’s leadership style is marked by strategic vision and a focus on quality. He has a history of turning around institutions, enhancing efficiency, and achieving high standards. He uses challenge to support his teams, and curiosity to encourage them to think about what is best for them. He is clear that we need to know our own limits and not move too fast into leadership before feeling confident in our current roles.
Graham wishes to see a better balance between focus on authentic leadership and technical management skills. He feels strongly that we need to be focusing on both and offering opportunities for development across our organisations. Graham has spent a lot of time building the culture of his organisation, focused on their own standards and leadership practice for all. An indication of the strong ties and culture at EKC Group is the deep shared commitment to causes close to their heart – an example of which is raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of former EKC Broadstairs College student, Emily Mackay.
Lucy is coming to the role having been part of EKC Group’s strong culture. She has just completed the ETF Preparing for CEO programme and valued the sessions, particularly benefitting from the network of fellow CEOs and the dedicated time to focus on her leadership. She is keen to understand how ETF can support senior leaders in maintaining a strong sustainable network of ongoing peer challenge and support.
As we walk through Folkestone campus, expertly guided by the Principal, Neala Whybrow, my ETF colleague, Chris Kirk, and I can immediately feel Neala’s passion for inclusion and making education accessible to all learners. She is always ready to challenge the status quo and think differently. Neala developed the so-called junior college that focuses on 14-year-old students’ introduction to education. The arts and design department is full of creativity and the very impressive new tech used during a trigonometry lesson gets Neala very excited. We are impressed by how Neala describes her mission to make education a ‘blob’ – rather than a square peg in a round hole – morphing and evolving to meet learners’ needs.
We reflect that our partnership with EKC Group has offered opportunities for development in teaching and learning and leadership and we must continue to be relevant and agile to respond to the group’s ever-changing needs. A large thriving college Group like EKC will always offer feedback to us that is in equal parts challenging and helpful to ensure we remain current and focused on what is most relevant for the sector as we all navigate a constant pace of change.