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Motivate, Develop, Inspire
Motivate, Develop, Inspire

Board of Trustees

Victoria College became an Independent Specialist College on 1 September 2018 and consequently is now governed by a Board of Trustees.

The Board is led by the Chair of Trustees, Mr John Rodway. He has been a trustee for five years and as Chair of Trustees now, is keen to continue to support the college in this new role, to ensure the best outcomes for the students at Victoria College.

All the trustees have a great deal of experience and knowledge that not only support but also challenge the College Leadership as necessary.

In addition to the Board of Trustees, Mr Gary Coffey, Executive Headteacher takes the role of Accounting Officer and Pauline McKenna the Chief Accounting Officer.

The Board of Trustees is supported in its administration by the Clerk to the Board.

Governance is reported through the accounts yearly and can be found in the annual accounts.

The Board

NameRoleDate AppointedAttendance 2022/23
Caroline LaneTrustee5 Feb 2018100%
Sadie BoltonTrustee8 Oct 2018100%
Gary CoffeyTrustee1 Sep 2021100%
John RodwayChair of Trustees14 Dec 201883%
Ronnie MeechanTrustee28 Sept 2023NA
Parminder GarchaMember5 Dec 2019(AGM only)
Pauline McKennaChief Financial Officer8 Oct 201866%
Priyaneet KainthTrustee1 Feb 2024NA
Naomi LewisClerk to the Board

Profiles

Sadie Bolton

I am a mum of three boys, two of whom are special needs and attended Victoria School and Selly Oak School.

I have worked in Education as a Careers Adviser for 20 years and previously as a Tutor and a Youth Worker.

I was appointed to the Board on 08.10.18 and am a Trustee of Friends of Victoria School.

Gary Coffey

My name is Gary and I am the Executive Headteacher of the Federation of Cherry Oak School, Victoria School and Victoria College. I was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 1st September 2021 and it’s a privilege to support the work of the College team and observe the great practice.

I have always worked in education and the majority of my teaching career has been within the special education sector and this is an area of work that I am passionate about.

I am keen to ensure that every young person has access to a meaningful curriculum that supports their development and provides them with opportunities to celebrate their skills and talents.

I am also a Regional Makaton Tutor and this provides me with the chance to meet students, families and colleagues from across the country and deliver bespoke training to support a range of communication needs.

My professional interests include coaching and mentoring and in developing staff and colleagues to deliver a fantastic educational offer. I am keen to ensure that there is a culture of self-reflection and review in all that we do and that this is under-pinned by current research and practitioner enquiry.

Parminder Garcha

Parminder works as Deputy Director – West Midlands Regions Group at the Department for Education, the DfE’s delivery arm for the stewardship of the education system locally. He brings a wider breadth of local government experience and networks, to his role as Trustee of the College. Previously, he was the Head of Education and Skills and lead for the devolved Adult Education and Skills funding, at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. He also worked at Birmingham City Council, serving as Head of Service for 14-19 Participation and Skills and Head of Careers. He is an expert in Post 16 education, adult education, employability, and skills. This has been gained through extensive experience of working with local colleges, training providers, voluntary sector organisations, schools, employers and councils for over 20 years. He is passionate about citizens achieving their full potential into higher education, employment and/or apprenticeships. He also served as a member of the Youth Offending Board.

Parminder was one of the founder Trustees of the college and has served as a Board member of several local charities and colleges and holds several positions: He is Chairperson of Sikh Nari Manch UK, a small local charity working in the field of social welfare and adult learning in Erdington, North Birmingham. He is also Governor and Trustee of Fircroft Adult Education College in Selly Oak and previously was a governor at Joseph Chamberlain Sixth-Form College and Cadbury Sixth-Form College, in Birmingham.

In 2023 he was appointed a member of the People and Skills Leadership Board at the Centre for the New Midlands, an independent Think-Tank that lobbys for economic growth and investment for the region.

His varied other interests include parenting, being a father of two, currently in secondary and higher education and teaching Yoga and meditation. He qualified as a Kundalini Yoga Teacher in 2009 and runs various classes and retreats.

Caroline Lane

I have recently retired from my role as Head of School at Victoria School. I have been involved in Special Education in Birmingham since 2000 and with the College from the beginning of its journey back in 2012. It is a pleasure to still be involved as a Trustee and a member of the Governing Board and especially to have been elected as Chair for the College’s first year as an independent College. I look forward to seeing the college develop and grow.

I was appointed to the Board on 05.02.18. I am a trustee of Edge Academy Trust since 2015. I am also involved with Friends of Victoria School.

Pauline McKenna

I fulfil the role of Director of Support Services for Victoria College and the Federation of Cherry Oak School and Victoria School. Since my appointment in May 2017 I have been working closely with all three organisations. My remit of responsibility extends to finance, Human Resources, facilities, office services and IT provision.

Ronnie Meechan

Ronnie Meechan is the Head of School (Associate Dean) Nursing and Allied Health within the Faculty of Arts, Society and Professional Studies. Ronnie is a qualified Adult and Mental Health Nurse. Before joining Newman University Ronnie was the Head of Education in the Institute of Clinical Sciences at the University of Birmingham and the Head of Pre-Registration Nursing at the University of Birmingham. Ronnie’s other roles in Higher Education have included being the Deputy Dean in Nursing at BPP University, Associate Professor Student Assessment and Quality Assurance at Kingston and St Georges University London, Programme Leader at the University of Worcester and Senior Lecturer positions at London South Bank University. Before moving into academia Ronnie worked in the NHS in a variety of clinical roles, including Oncology, Haematology, Palliative Care, Trauma and Orthopaedics, General Surgery and Mental Health Services. Ronnie was appointed to the Board on 28.09.2023.

John Rodway

John has recently retired from his role as an Executive in the Software Industry. John ran Professional Services teams across Europe, Middle East and Africa implementing computer systems for Companies in a range of Industries. John was previously a Primary School Chair of Governors and Parish Councillor whilst living in Hampshire. John has recently moved to Birmingham with his wife Sherry and is now her carer following her life changing stroke in 2016. John and Sherry have two children, Sam and Katie. I was appointed to the Board on 14/12/2018 and became Chair of the Trustees in 2023. I am looking forward to supporting the Head of College, Clare Scattergood, delivering the strategic vision for Victoria College.

Priyaneet Kainth

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