Leadership Team | South Bank Colleges
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South Bank Colleges is part of London South Bank University Group and comprises Lambeth College and London South Bank Technical College

Fiona Morey

Executive Principal

Fiona is proud to be Executive Principal of South Bank Colleges, consisting of Lambeth College and London South Bank College, part of the London South Bank University group, and places great value in the role the College plays in supporting those that live and work in South London. Fiona values the pioneering partnership with the LSBU Group and the vision to provide lifelong learning and continues to build on the vital role that the College plays in transforming lives.

Fiona has worked in Further Education in London and the South-East for over 25 years, initially as a Lecturer in Creative Arts and more recently in a number of senior leadership roles at Abingdon & Witney College and Aylesbury College, where as Deputy Principal Curriculum and Quality she supported the merger of Amersham and Wycombe College creating the newly formed Buckinghamshire College group (BCG).

While at BCG Fiona was a board member of Buckinghamshire Education and Skills Training, a partnership with Buckinghamshire New University, and was a board member of the Bucks UTC. Fiona is also a member of Laser Awarding Body Corporation and Chair of the Quality Committee. Fiona sits on the Education and Training Foundation Group for Technical Education and has recently visited Denmark as part of a Gatsby Foundation visit exploring vocational education models in Europe.

Fiona is undertaking postgraduate studies on Professional and Technical Education and is a member of the Society for Education and Training and the Chartered College for Teaching. Fiona is committed to supporting the continued professionalisation of the sector and raising the profile of Further Education and the role it plays in transforming lives.

Wayne Wright

Principal - LSBTC

Wayne has spent his entire career within the FE sector. He is a qualified teacher and taught business studies on vocational and professional courses as well as delivering A levels in economics and politics at two FE colleges. Wayne has also worked at organisations closely linked to the FE sector including the Department for Education, the Learning Skills Council, the Learning Skills Development Agency and a local authority. He has also worked for the Prison Service as a senior educational adviser. Finally, Wayne has acquired a great deal of experience as a college manager, having previously served as deputy principal at two other FE colleges.

Wayne is a passionate advocate for education for all and has strived to ensure that that all learners, irrespective of their starting point, achieve to the best of their ability. Throughout his career, Wayne has championed the rights of students to play an active role in their education. He has also been a strong advocate of developing staff, many of whom have gone on to achieve success in their careers.

Wayne has had extensive curriculum development as a teacher, policy maker and adviser as well as introducing new qualifications. These have included GNVQ, Curriculum 2000, A levels and Diplomas. Wayne has been involved in delivering training programmes to support the implementation of T levels.

Wayne is proud to be working at South Bank Colleges and to be leading London South Bank Technical College. He will work tirelessly to ensure that all students attending the college achieve and excel to the best of their ability. Wayne is also excited by being part of LSBU Group and believes that more students will have the potential to progress onto higher education courses as well as achieve higher level levels to further improve their employment prospects.

Monica Marongiu

Principal - LC

Monica has been working in the Further Education sector for 15 years, first as a teacher, then as a Curriculum Manager and Head of School and more recently as a member of South Bank Colleges Leadership Group. She is passionate about education and the transformative power it has on people.

Monica has a proven track record of improving English and maths results - subjects which she is very passionate about and has specialised in. As a senior leader, she strives to provide inspirational leadership across the whole college and has a keen interest in teaching and learning and inspiring students to discover their purpose and potential. During her career as a teacher and a manager she has won different awards including “Excellence in Teaching and Learning by an Individual”, “Excellence in Teaching and Learning in a Team”, “Manager of the Year” and “Employee of the Year”.

Becoming an inspirational leader is her lifetime pursuit and she works on this every day through a process of critical self-reflection, listening and learning from others, training and experience.

Monica is proud to work at South Bank Colleges, and to lead Lambeth College. Monica considers it a tremendous privilege to work with dedicated and committed colleagues, who are just as passionate as she is about the importance of education in South London and within the local Lambeth community.

Chris Knell

Vice Principal, Finance and Performance

Chris Knell has joined South Bank Colleges as Vice Principal, Finance and Performance, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his distinguished career in finance and management. Chris is a Chartered Accountant, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Royal Society of Arts and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Chris's previous role was with Plumpton College Group, where he served as Finance Director. Plumpton College, renowned for its expertise in land and environmental education, boasts a 2,500-acre estate within the national park. During his tenure, Chris also managed One Garden Brighton, leading the restoration of Stanmer Park's 300-year-old walled garden, which earned accolades including the Sussex Heritage Trust Award and the South Downs Award.

With extensive experience in the education sector, Chris has been instrumental in achieving significant accomplishments, such as Plumpton College winning the Queens Award for Higher Education and being named Apprenticeship Provider of the Year.

Chris continues to serve as the Treasurer of the South Downs National Park Trust, overseeing a national park that spans over 400,000 acres across Hampshire, West Sussex, and East Sussex. His prior roles include Finance Director at The Children's Society and Assistant Director of Finance at Barnardo's, where he provided financial leadership during periods of significant change and restructuring.

Chris has also been a prominent figure within the Institute of Directors, serving as Vice Chair for the Young Directors Forum in Central London. He was a founding member of the forum and represented the UK at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit in Mexico in 2012.

Claudia Forbes

Director of MIS & Funding

Claudia Forbes is an experienced leader in education management, joining South Bank Colleges as Director of MIS and Funding. With over two decades of experience in the further education sector, Claudia has held a variety of key roles, most recently serving as Director of MIS & Exams at Working Men’s College. Her career has spanned roles across supporting adult on line learning, student enrolment, student financial support, exam management, and data compliance making her well-versed in both operational and strategic management within education.

Claudia holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Information Systems from the University of Greenwich. She is passionate about ensuring that data management systems not only support but also enhance the learning experience for students. In her current role, she oversees the management of funding and information systems to ensure efficiency, compliance, and the optimal allocation of resources within the college.

Claudia’s leadership is focused on creating streamlined processes that drive student success and ensure the college meets its funding and reporting requirements, while also supporting the wider goals of South Bank Colleges.

Clare Dignum

Director of Teaching & Learning

Clare has been working in education for 25 years, starting within the school sector and then moving into Further Education 16 years ago. She has worked as a teacher, a curriculum manager, Teaching & Learning Manager and now in her current role is Director of Teaching & Learning and member of South Bank Colleges Leadership Group.

Clare is interested in pedagogy and how best to develop teachers’ practice through professional development. At the core of her principles is the belief that we can all develop and improve; regardless of how experienced we are, we are all a ‘work in progress’. She believes that creating a culture where we all see ourselves as learners and where we have the confidence to reflect on and be honest about what we find hard, to take risks and to try new things is integral to building a strong and successful college - one where teachers can help students to achieve and progress with the skills and qualifications needed for their next steps.

As an English specialist, she is also passionate about the importance of students developing their English & maths skills in both their discrete provision and on their main programme of study. She sees this as the key way to empower students with the skills and confidence needed to play a happy and healthy role in society.

Clare is fully committed to the principles of FE and proud to be a part of the exciting journey which Lambeth College is on.

Kathy McCormack

Director of Marketing and Student Recruitment

Kathy has worked in Further Education marketing and student recruitment for over ten years and has more than 27 years of experience in marketing and sales across a variety of sectors and disciplines. Strategic management and leadership are a passion for Kathy and she developed extensive skills and knowledge working in B2C and B2B environments. Kathy has worked in a variety of management and leadership roles including Creative New Product Development, Client Management, Communications and Consultation, Sales and Marketing.

Kathy holds an MSC in Management and Leadership from the University of Portsmouth in addition to a Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Management (CMI) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (CIM).

Kathy brings a diverse range of experience to South Bank Colleges. She is dedicated to supporting students in south London, of all ages, to be ambitious and to engage in learning that enables them to thrive in any career they wish to pursue.

Elaine Smith

Director of Student Engagement and Well-Being

Elaine has over 15 years’ experience in the FE sector in London. She is a qualified teacher, specialising in Mathematics. Elaine has a wide range of experience in the sector including, leading curriculum areas, college safeguarding, student services, quality assurance, additional learning support, MIS development, Timetabling, exams and teaching and learning.

Elaine has acquired a great deal of experience as a senior manager and has worked most recently as operations manager in a medium sized FE college, leading on innovation, the complete student experience and English and maths. Elaine has successfully led on digital transformations within the role, Including the introduction of a parent portal which reached 75% of parents regularly.

Elaine is an advocate for further education and the opportunity and personal development lifelong learning provides to young people and adults. Elaine firmly believes that everyone is entitled to education and that it is never too late to take the step to learn something new.

Elaine is passionate about staff development and has a proven track record of developing her teams and the members of those teams to be the most efficient, productive and motivated they can be.

Elaine is excited and very pleased to be working at South Bank Colleges during it’s time of growth, change and innovation. Elaine looks forward to supporting student engagement and wellbeing as part of the college group and taking it from strength to strength.