Senior Management Team at Plumpton

He went on to study animal science at Reading University, and it was after a short period of employment in both the animal and agricultural industries, he decided to forge a career that would combine his passion for the natural environment with education. Having previously worked at other land-based colleges, including Brinsbury and Hadlow, Jeremy was appointed as the head of Cannington College in 2008, a successful land-based college in Somerset. He was known amongst his peers as the driving force behind its success. 
 
Plumpton attracts students from across the South East to study a range of land-based courses from entry to masters level. With the most extensive college estate in the country, an all-important role of the college is bringing those real-life experiences to life for students, modelling best current and future practices in all aspects of sustainability and land management. 

James' background lies in operational management and has overseen several major projects that have facilitated the college's continued growth. 

James has a BSc Hons in Geography and is a trained investigator, project manager and risk assessor. He also held a commission in the HM Forces, Army, which gave him the foundation to excel in incident management and contingency planning.

James leads a team of managers within the college who provide most of the infrastructure and services supporting our staff and students.

Since gaining this initial experience, she has completed her teacher training qualification and maintained her passion for ensuring that all students, including those with high needs, have access to the best quality education, intervention, and support to secure their success and develop their independence. 

Throughout her career, she has undertaken roles where she can make a personal impact on students, either through her own delivery of outstanding lessons or strategically managing initiatives across the teams she has led. She has undertaken a range of leadership positions within both the retail and further education sectors. Before joining Plumpton College in 2016, she was Head of Studies for English & maths, Travel and Tourism and Hospitality. 

Phaedra is responsible for leading the support functions at Plumpton College, which ensures that learners are supported holistically and given the right opportunities to achieve their full potential. Phaedra is passionate about supporting learners while they study at College and advocates for ensuring all learners have an outstanding experience during their time with us.

Phaedra focuses on providing learners with as many opportunities and experiences as possible to raise their ambitions. She oversees the Personal Development, Inclusive Learning Development, English & maths, 14-16 and Safeguarding and Wellbeing teams.

“Leadership is not about being in control, but about empowering others to reach their full potential.”

Before joining Plumpton College, Jo worked as a teacher at previous South East colleges. Jo is a graduate of Brunel University London, where she studied for a degree in Sports Studies & Leisure Management before gaining her PGCE PE and MA from the University of Brighton. 

Every day is a learning day, and Jo is known for her passion, drive, energy and clear-sighted approach to providing students with what they need to succeed and building their skills and confidence, giving them the routes to their dream job or University place as well as giving them the tools, they need to be able to make a positive contribution to their local communities.

Sarah graduated with a BA (Hons) in Business, with a focus on organisational analysis and business change. She holds a CIPD Certificate from the University of Greenwich (2000) and became a MCIPD member in 2006. With over 25 years of HR experience, Sarah has worked with organisations including the Metropolitan Police Service, Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, and RSA, specialising in employee engagement, change management, and HR strategy. This breadth of experience has enabled her to effectively support the organisations she has worked with.

Since joining Plumpton College, Sarah has been pivotal in shaping its culture, fostering trust, support, and empowerment, which has contributed to high staff retention and therefore a consistent student experience. She provides expert advice and support to colleagues, helping them achieve both strategic and operational goals while mitigating risk. Her strong business acumen, combined with her extensive background in HR management, recruitment, retention, employee relations, policy interpretation, employee engagement, and employee wellbeing, has enabled her to build strong and trusted relationships with senior leaders, governors, staff, and managers.

Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) and trained with KPMG in Reading specialising in Owner Managed Businesses. He started his career in industry working for Centrica and British Gas before moving to the public sector to take up a Finance Director role spanning Surrey & Sussex.

Paul has worked for household names such as The Body Shop & Gousto and also brings public sector experience having worked for USS which is the pension and investment scheme for Universities.