New principal announced for Wirral Met College
by Educate Magazine March 27, 2023 · Appointments
Gill Banks will join Wirral Met College as principal on 1 August, following the announcement last year that Sue Higginson OBE is due to retire from her post as principal and CEO of the college in July.
Gill is joining from the City of Liverpool College, bringing with her a wealth of experience gained in the further education sector over a 28-year period. She first started as a teacher at Preston College in 1995 before moving to Southport College as a curriculum leader.
Gill then progressed to assistant principal and later vice principal of curriculum at The City of Liverpool College, before leaving in 2014 to join Knowsley Community College as deputy principal before becoming principal.
During that time, she oversaw the merger of Knowsley and St Helens colleges before moving to West Midlands and Coventry College, where an appointment as Interim CEO quickly followed.
Prior to her career in the FE sector, Gill has worked in travel and tourism and spent over 11 years in the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
Gill joins Wirral Met College from The City of Liverpool College where she is currently the deputy principal. She said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been offered the role as principal and CEO and I am excited for the opportunity to work with colleagues and students to build on the excellent reputation Wirral Met already holds.
“It will be a privilege to be a part of a college which is at the heart of its community and which serves the Wirral and the City Region so effectively.”
Chair of Governors, Tim Kelly, said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of our next principal and we are looking forward to welcoming Gill when she joins us in August, as our new principal and CEO.
“Our college is central to community life, as we support around 10,000 students each year and in the last 11 years, we have achieved transformational change working with and for Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region.
“We look forward to working with Gill as she takes this forward and are grateful for the outstanding leadership that Sue has provided as principal and CEO over the last 11 years, thank her for her commitment to the college and wider public service and wish her a long and happy retirement.”
