New Year's Honours for Hull College's inspirational leaders

PRAISE FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND DIGITAL DIRECTOR

- By COREENA FORD [e-mail] @HullLive

HULL College has launched a double celebration after its leader and a pivotal director were named in the New Year's Honours List.

The principal and chief executive Debra Gray, has been awarded a CBE in the King’s Awards, in recognition of her services to education. And executive director of digital transformation Deb Millar has been awarded an OBE.

Debra CBE comes five years after she was awarded an MBE, and recognises her for leading complex institutional recovery, strengthening governance and culture, and championing high-quality, inclusive education. She is also completing a doctorate focused on the future readiness of Further Education in the context of digital and industrial change.

Since joining Hull College as principal and CEO in April 2022, she has led a period of rapid and sustained improvement. She took up post shortly after the college received its second consecutive “Requires Improvement” judgment from Ofsted.

Following a full Ofsted inspection in October 2023, Hull College was judged “Good” overall, with “Outstanding” grades for adult learning programmes and personal development. In the same year, the college exited government intervention after more than seven years, marking a decisive turning point.

This November the college - which set a world record in October - also received a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education, which is recognised as one of the highest national honours available to UK colleges and universities.