New Principal appointed at Trafford College Group

Trafford College Group, formed in 2018 from the merger of Stockport and Trafford colleges, has announced the appointment of a new Principal.

James Scott, formerly Campus Principal at Stockport College and the Group’s Vice Principal, will take over the role from Lesley Davies OBE from 1st August.

In his current role James Scott has been instrumental in maintaining the high quality provision and reputation of Trafford College as validated in the Ofsted short inspection of 2017, as well as leading the continued transformational turnaround at Stockport College which has resulted in significant improvements in the education provision and outcomes for students.  

James Scott started his career in education in 2003 as an English teacher at Oldham College where he went on to become part of the management team that achieved Ofsted Outstanding in 2007 before taking on the role of Director for Enterprise and New Technologies.

On joining Trafford College in 2012 Mr. Scott went on to become Vice Principal for Curriculum in 2015 before taking up his current position of Campus Principal Stockport College and Group Vice Principal for Curriculum in 2018.

On his appointment, James Scott said:

I would like to thank Lesley first and foremost for the peerless commitment she has shown to The Trafford College Group over the last four years.  During this time we have seen the college go from strength to strength while maintaining the high standards of teaching and learning we are deservedly known for. I am fortunate to have served under the dynamic leadership of Lesley Davies, and before that of Sir Bill Moorcroft.

“Having studied my A-Levels as a student at the former North Trafford College I am now delighted to be in a position to lead The Trafford College Group into the next phase of its exciting development.    The Group is in a strong position to meet the changes across the FE landscape, including the delivery of new T Levels for young people from 2021, flexible provision for adult learners, the delivery of excellent Higher Education courses at our University Centre, and our continued commitment to high quality apprenticeships.

“My immediate focus will be on the safe and successful return of colleagues and students in the autumn term following an unprecedented period in all of our lives. My ongoing focus as the new Principal and CEO will be on meeting the needs of our local communities and working in partnership with employers to ensure businesses attract and develop the skills they need to thrive. Therefore inclusion and careers will continue to be at the very heart of all we do.”