By Sally Alexander, CEO and Group Principal of MK College Group

In my second full year as CEO of MK College Group, the wider world has seen extraordinary turmoil, from natural disasters to political upheavals, from social revolutions to unimagined technological leaps.  It’s striking how things that have happened here at Milton Keynes College Group have reflected those dramatic events, but in a positive, calm and constructive way.

The current way in which Ofsted inspections happen, and that ratings are shown, came in for a lot of criticism last year following the death of a head teacher at a Reading Primary School last year.  Our report, which came out in February, once more rated us as Good, with some areas declared Outstanding, and everyone should take pride in that label, potentially the last one-word assessment we shall ever receive.

2024 saw more than a hundred elections in democratic (and not-so democratic) countries, more than ever before.  Almost everywhere, governing parties lost or had their power reduced as half the world’s electors cast their ballots.  Here, we held exciting, polite and informative hustings involving the main parties’ candidates standing in our city seats, and the overwhelming concern that came through from our students was the climate.  In the year that saw the most worrying rises in land and sea temperatures around the planet, a team from Milton Keynes were joint winners of the inaugural Green Future Challenge, an inter-college competition where learners put forward ideas to make Further Education more sustainable.  We also saw the opening of the new Green Skills Centre at Chaffron Way, which will teach vital techniques for installing solar panels, heat source pumps and electric car charging points.

The need for science-based skills in the modern world is also being addressed by STEMx, a project from Oracle Red Bull Racing supported by Milton Keynes College Group to inspire the next generation of engineers.  The appetite is certainly there among younger children, as an event explaining the initiative a few days ago saw representatives from thirteen schools come along to find out more.

The rights of women and girls to live lives free from violence and misogyny have been very much in the spotlight, with controversy surrounding the likes of Andrew Tate, Gregg Wallace and others.  With that in mind, I’m proud to say MK College Group is now White Ribbon Accredited, committing to working towards ending violence against women and girls.  White Ribbon UK is the leading charity engaging men and boys to end violence against women.  As a White Ribbon Accredited organisation, MK College Group will deliver a comprehensive multi-year plan to transform its staff culture, systems, and the wider community in which we operate.  

For if a college is not fully a part of its community, it is nothing, and it was great to see the second College in the Community Day being bigger than ever, with so many staff and students taking part in activities aimed at improving the lives and opportunities of others.  That continuing commitment contributed to our winning the MK Business Achievement Award for Business Impact in the Community, something of which we can all feel a part.

Growth has been the political buzzword of 2024, and the College Group saw an increase in student numbers of almost ten per cent, with more to come next year.  Two contributory factors have been increased awareness and reputation of the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) and the launch of our A Level courses; their popularity has been most gratifying – so popular that a group of students has even begun working with our Marketing team to let other local young people know how great an experience it is for them.

Continued growth and reach are promised by the impending arrival of the full East-West Rail service joining Cambridge and Oxford with Milton Keynes slap-bang in the middle.  This will be crucial for our plans to continue developing digital skills at the SCIoT and beyond.

Sport is never far from the headlines and, as ever, teams and individuals too many to mention have represented our College Group with distinction.  One particularly shining example is that of Connie Medri and Zara Labastide, two of our women footballers selected for the England College’s Squad – the first time we’ve had two players in the same national team.

As we get ready to greet 2025, it’s worth reflecting that while the world around us may be in turmoil, we can still, between us, maintain a stillness and calm within our own college community.  We can look after each other, support each other, and do whatever we can to serve as an example to the world outside, that different people of countless backgrounds and experiences, can co-exist in a way that benefits everyone. 

The world may indeed be turned upside down, but here, by and large, we’re right side up, and I’m proud of us all for that.