New leader chosen for Norfolk’s biggest college

30th May 2022

Paston College has appointed Jerry White as our new Principal. Mr White will start the role on 1 August, ahead of welcoming around 10,000 students and apprentices back to Easton College, Paston College and City College Norwich in September.

Current Deputy Principal Jerry White steps up to the top job this summer. Jerry joined City College Norwich in 2009 and has been Deputy Principal since 2013, playing a leading role in education in Norfolk and across the region. 

Andrew Barnes, Chair of Governors at the College said: ‘Following a national search, a strong field of applicants and a rigorous interview process, we’re delighted to have appointed Jerry. He will take on the leadership of our college at a time of great change in the education sector and the economy bringing both challenges and opportunities. We’re confident that Jerry, with the support of the strong and committed teams across our college communities, will ensure that we continue to develop and provide the very best teaching and learning experience for students and apprentices.

Jerry has brought to the college a wide range of educational experiences.  He began his career as a university lecturer – his academic background is in Sports Psychology – before moving into management in Adult and Community Learning where he was deputy head of service for the Norfolk Adult Education Service (now Norfolk Adult Learning). He has also served as a Governor at three different Norfolk schools over the last 15 years.  As a sector leader, Jerry currently chairs the Norfolk Post-16 SEND Learning Group and the Association of College’s national Policy Group for Teaching and Learning, helping to shape education policy both locally and nationally.

Jerry White said: ‘I am delighted to be asked to take on this role, within a College that has a proud tradition of learning reaching back more than 400 years. I grew up and have lived most of my life in Norfolk, and I am looking forward to continuing to enhance the amazing contribution the College makes to the lives of the county’s people, businesses, public sector and our broader communities.’

Jerry will succeed Corrienne Peasgood OBE who retires at the end of July after 25 years at City College Norwich. She led the 2017 merger with Paston College and the merger with Easton College, the home for land-based learning in Norfolk, in 2020. Under her leadership the college has achieved strong results and external validation. Easton College went from an ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted rating in 2018 to a ‘Good’ result in 2021, matching the continued strong performance from Paston College and City College Norwich.