About NCG

NCG’s mission is to ‘enable social mobility and economic prosperity through exceptional education’ and we exist to create life-changing opportunities for individuals that strengthen the prosperity of their local communities.

Who we are

Our commitments to our community

We are committed to creating inclusive communities of excellent learning and teaching which benefit from sharing best practice developed across the seven learning organisations which are NCG. Together, our colleges and partners are creating the workforce of the future by enabling all people, regardless of their background, to develop the skills that our local communities need to be successful and sustained. We oversee the activity of seven UK colleges including Carlisle College, Kidderminster College, Lewisham College, Newcastle College, Newcastle Sixth Form College, Southwark College and West Lancashire College.

Our Strategy to 2030

Accountability Statement

NCG exists to create life-changing opportunities for individuals that strengthen the prosperity of their local communities. Together with our seven colleges, we are bound by our mission to ‘enable social mobility and economic prosperity through exceptional education’.

NCG Group Accountability Statement

Our Colleges

Strategy to 2030

Our Strategy Towards 2030 sets out our ambitions and our underpinning objectives and values.

Strategy to 2030

NCG Governance

NCG is governed by a Corporation Board, which exists to help ensure the effective running of the organisation at all levels.

Ofsted performance

Read our latest Ofsted report where NCG was rated as "Good".

Liz Bromley

Chief Executive Officer, NCG

Before joining NCG in the summer of 2019, Liz worked in Higher Education for more than 20 years, holding senior roles at the Open University, Salford, Goldsmiths and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) where she was Deputy Vice Chancellor.

Lisa Sproats

Chief Finance Officer, NCG

Lisa has been part of NCG for 14 years, as it has grown from two colleges to the group of seven colleges it has become today. In this time, Lisa has held a variety of roles in the finance team which have equipped her to now lead the finance function across the Group.

Steven Wallis

Executive Director, Quality, NCG

Steve joined NCG in April 2018 and is responsible for the Group’s education and training performance, quality frameworks, and continuous improvement. Steve is also Chair of NCG’s Safeguarding Council, Policy Council, and is executive lead for NCG’s apprenticeship provision. 

Scott Mulholland

Chief Information, Data and Estates Officer, NCG

Scott’s education career began in 1997 as Head of Student Administration at the Robert Gordon University where he also completed a MSc in E-Business. Digital transformation and the evolution of the smart campus have been a strong interest ever since.

Tony Lewin

Executive Principal, NCG

Tony joined NCG in 2015 as Principal of Newcastle College and became Executive Principal in 2021. He has responsibility for several NCG colleges and leads on a number of strategic areas across the Group, including the Leadership Hub and our environmental commitments.

Cat Lewis

Principal, Kidderminster College

Cat is an ambitious educational leader who joined NCG in 2017, after holding senior roles at Heart of Worcestershire College and Stratford upon Avon College. With a genuine passion for empowering students and communities through education, she has been the Principal of Kidderminster College since 2021.

Gerard Garvey

Executive Principal, NCG

Gerard joined NCG as Principal at Newcastle Sixth Form College in 2015, having worked at a number of high performing sixth form and General Further Education colleges. He now holds the role of Executive Principal, with responsibility for several NCG colleges and strategic areas, particularly focusing on the development of people and culture.

Simon Ross

Principal, Newcastle Sixth Form College

Simon joined the senior team at Newcastle Sixth Form College in 2016 and has undertaken a number of roles during his time here at NCG.

Sarah McGrath

Principal, Carlisle College

Sarah has over 20 years of experience in Further Education and is passionate about the difference it can make to people's lives. She became Principal of Carlisle College in 2021 and is driven by widening participation and improving life chances of the people of Carlisle and beyond.

Jane Button

Principal, Southwark College

Jane joined Lewisham College in December 2020 with a commitment to inclusive education and supporting those with significant social barriers to learning. She has over 20 years of experience in curriculum and support services management and was recently appointed Principal of Southwark College.

Jon Ridley

Principal, Newcastle College

Jon was appointed Principal of Newcastle College in 2024 but has been a member of the Principalship team since joining NCG in 2016. In 2021, he became Deputy Principal and a member of NCG Executive, leading on higher education. Passionate about the power of education to transform lives, Jon leads on NCG’s Higher Education Strategy to 2030.

Kidderminster College Officially Opens Green Technology Centre

23 June 2025

Kidderminster College Unveils £4million Green Technology Centre

A state-of-the-art Green Technology Centre was officially opened at NCG’s Kidderminster College last week.

2 July 2025

NCG Colleagues Gather for Annual Leadership Summit

Hundreds of colleagues from across NCG gathered at the fifth annual Leadership Summit, an event designed to encourage collaboration and innovation amongst current and future leaders.