Portsmouth principal vows to battle for college cash boost after taking on new national role

Portsmouth College principal Steve Frampton at Buckingham Palace when he was awarded his MBE

Steve Frampton is readying himself for a year-long campaign that will see him lobbying government ministers on behalf of the UK’s cash-strapped colleges.

It comes after the 60-year-old veteran educator was appointed the president of the Association of Colleges – a role he takes up in August.

Mr Frampton will represent the voices of more than 300 college leaders nationwide, acting as their ‘ambassador’ to central government.

And it’s a role he said he was determined to make the most of, delivering much-needed additional support for colleges.

In particular, he will be lobbying education chiefs in Whitehall to end crippling cuts to colleges, which have been struggling financially.

Speaking to The News, the Portsmouth College principal said: ‘The sector hasn’t had a real-term increase in funding for 10 years.

‘We are worse off now every year than we have been for a decade. So funding is massive for us.’

Mr Frampton, who is due to retire from Portsmouth at the end of August, said he wanted to boost teacher recruitment – and critically to keep people in the profession.

He said: ‘We have a perfect storm in terms of teacher recruitment and retention on our doorstep and it’s just going to blow right across us for three to five years.

‘So we need more innovative approaches to retain and recruit talented, motivated staff into education.’

Other key priorities for him during his one-year tenureship include battling to give pupils a greater voice nationally, and improving the mental and physical well-being of college students.

He also wants to ensure that the education watchdog Ofsted is ‘fit-for-purpose’, taking a more ‘holistic approach’ to assessing schools, not based on data but on the way pupils progress and develop.

Speaking of his new position, he said: ‘I’m really flatter and hugely excited. It’s the one role that makes it a little easier to leave this incredible job that I’ve had.’

Mr Frampton has worked in colleges across Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth for 38 years.

He started his role at Portsmouth College, in Tangier Road, Copnor, in 2005, introducing innovative new college timetables. He has also been the director of several charities, including Pompey in the Community.

Simon Barrable will become Portsmouth’s new principal.