Thinking outside the box - Nescot

As my colleague, Chris Kirk, and I walk into Nescot (North East Surrey College of Technology), we cannot but notice the college’s INNOVATION hub and a sign that says it all: ‘Think outside the box’.

The college’s CEO, Julie Kapsalis, must be one of the most ‘think outside the box’ leaders in our sector. Not only has she had an unusual route into being a college CEO, but she continuously pushes herself, her peers and colleagues to take their own unusual paths of development too. Julie came to the sector from a marketing/PR background in the commercial world. She is not an educator and had never been in a college until her first role in further education. She has purposefully challenged herself and her colleagues to always use a wider strategic and systems thinking approach – and she draws on strong networks within, and more importantly outside, the sector to build her knowledge and leadership.

I am impressed by how Julie uses her non-Executive experience to promote the sector, strengthen partnerships and deepen the impact of her college within the region as she continues to develop her leadership. She recently drew on her sports PR background to get three-time world darts champion, Michael Van Gerwen, and other darts players to visit the college to inspire maths learning using darts as an example of real-world application. As Julie shared at our most recent Further Forward for Leaders conference, we can all bring our authentic selves to leadership and continue to evolve as a leader through our commitment to our own development and that of our staff. Julie is proud to say she is an Education Training Foundation/Oxford Saïd Business School alumna. Having completed at least two ETF leadership programmes, she is now ready to help us shape ‘what is next’ to ensure we continue to maintain a strong network of leaders to serve the sector and promote further education and skills as a great place to learn and work. I look forward to working with her and fellow colleagues on our ETF sector leaders steering group to shape sector leadership for the future.

Nescot offers a wide range of education across disciplines and sectors, from maths and English, construction and the motor industry, performing arts, beauty, animal care, sport and health care. As we spend some time outdoors with Julie, we are impressed by how the beautiful landscape is shaping student experience. Nescot’s learners get to work with alpacas, lambs, ponies and ferrets as part of a step back into education or a step towards a career in animal care.

We are lucky to be visiting on a very sunny day and to meet Julie the ferret, Florence the alpaca and Black Eyebrows the newborn lamb. The students’ smiles say it all. And it’s clear there are real benefits for staff, too; as Julie calls over Danny the blind donkey for his favourite ginger biscuits, we can see how their bond contributes to Julie’s mental wellbeing amongst all the pressures that come with running a complex FE college. Having lost his sighted brother a few months ago, Danny also benefits from the care that Julie shows him – the same care and compassionate leadership she shows every student at the college.

Back on our tour inside the college, we visit the proudest osteopathy students who are strong advocates of their clinic, hairdressing learners, those in construction, and the maths and English hub. The impressive institute of technology includes learning around robotics and a smart home that proves how the use of tech can create stronger family support.

But what I like best about Nescot is how it combines its forward look to the future and all its exciting innovation with being very clear and proud about its scientific heritage. Both Professor Robin Shattock, an internationally-renowned scientist who pioneered medical technology, and Jane Wilson-Howarth, zoologist, physician, and author known for her expertise in travel health and her love for wildlife, studied sciences at Nescot.

As we leave Nescot, we feel inspired to have visited a college that strives for innovation, led by a dynamic and passionate CEO.