By Ruby Parmar, Chair of Governors

I am enormously proud to be the Chair of Governors at Milton Keynes College Group. As we come to the end of another academic year, I would like to thank you, our parents and carers, for playing your part in our students’ success.

We recognise that the support that families provide at home is vitally important to our students in achieving their goals. We are very grateful for your ongoing support. It goes without saying that our dedicated staff, who are passionate about fairer futures for all, have worked tirelessly to educate, support and nurture all of our students.

2025/26 Highlights

This year has been a very successful one across the College Group, with several significant achievements across the community.

· Civic University Agreement

In November, the CollegeGroup signed a new Civic University Agreement for Milton Keynes along with The Open University and Cranfield University. The agreement seeks to foster deeper collaboration between the signatory organisations for the benefit of the city and future generations, further cementing the College Group’s role as an anchor institution in Milton Keynes and beyond. This agreement will ensure that we are in a position to open up more opportunities for our students who wish to continue their education journey and also those seeking careers in Milton Keynes.

· White Ribbon Pledge

Also in November, our Level 3 Performing Arts students presented a special White Ribbon Day showcase, supporting the international campaign to end violence against women and girls. We take great pride in our Personal Development Programme which seeks to highlight the importance of gender equality along with other modules to support our students for the challenges of the world of work and higher education.

· Climate Action Plan

In January, the College Group published its first annual report on progress against the ten aims of our Climate Action Plan, which was launched in January 2025 to address key environmental challenges identified by our staff, students, governors and communities. It goes without saying that we all have a responsibility to ensure that our educational institutions, places of work and our homes do all they can to reduce carbon emissions now and for future generations.

· Digital and Technologies Technical Excellence College (TEC)

In April, the College Group was awarded Digital and Technologies Technical Excellence College (TEC) status under the government’s new Wave 2 programme — a direct mandate to place Further Education at the heart of the country’s digital future. We were delighted to welcome the Minister for Skills, Baroness Jacqui Smith, to the College to showcase the high-quality digital education we offer. Digital skills are and will remain vitally important for all our students, and whether or not they are studying a digital course, we seek to help them gain confidence in the correct use of the many available tools, including an understanding of the uses of AI.

· Students of the Year Awards

In May, we hosted our Students of the Year Awards, which is always a huge event for the College Group. It was wonderful to celebrate together, and it gave me great pleasure to celebrate our students’ achievements and their bright futures. Whether or not a student receives an award, you can be sure that they will have worked hard and achieved success in whichever area was a focus for them. Their efforts are recognised in class and encouragement given to work towards their next goal.

Looking Ahead to 26/27

As we look ahead to the new academic year and the launch of our new Group strategy, our focus remains firmly on delivering the highest quality education to all learners.

Whatever their next step, whether that’s a new course at MK College, an apprenticeship, university or the start of a career, we wish our students every success in the future.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration in helping us transform lives through education and in achieving our vision of a fairer future for all.

Ruby Parmar is Chair of Governors at Milton Keynes College Group.

To find out more about Governance at Milton Keynes College Group, visit Governance – MK College