Laurence Frewin
Life at the College South Devon College was originally founded in 1931. After a period in the doldrums, it has become one of the most successful Further Education Colleges in England. Anita Newcombe dropped by for a chat with its ambitious new Principal & CEO.
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’ve arrived at the smart campus at Vantage Point in Paignton that was opened in 2006. South Devon College has been providing Further Education for the best part of 90 years and has offered Higher Education courses for nearly 40 years. I park up in a reserved space and head to reception to pick up my security pass, before being escorted to Laurence Frewin’s office. Luckily I have nothing to fear from being sent to the Principal today (wasn’t always the case!). Laurence Frewin took over the helm from Stephen Criddle, who retired around six months ago, but he has been working at the college since 2010. In that time, he’s seen the building of the University Centre, the SW Energy Centre and the Hi-Tech & Digital Centre take place. Chatting in his office at Vantage Point he tells me, “We are really proud of what we have achieved over the years – twenty years ago this was a failing college in financial difficulties and it’s really thriving now.” And it’s clear that it really is thriving. On my brief walk through the building today, I am aware of a great buzz, a sense of purpose, with lots going on. It’s no easy thing to work here. 10,000 students a year arrive, attracted by the vast array of courses on offer as well as the support promised by a passionate and talented team dedicated to helping students to achieve their potential. Laurence says, “That’s the bit I love.” Now I want to know what background Laurence had to prepare him for the rigours of this post and how he has been so successful in attracting investment and creating effective partnership working programmes. He tells me, “When I started I was Vice Principal Corporate Services and was responsible for everything that was not teaching, including: funding, finance, estate management and people.” Laurence’s father had been in the Met Police but the family moved near to Uffculme in Mid-Devon when he was 16 years old. He joined NatWest at the age of 18 on an accelerated management development programme (a bit like an apprenticeship). He gained valuable commercial
12 | April/May 2020
skills and successfully rose through the ranks. However, something was missing. He tells me, “I loved the job but I definitely wanted something more meaningful.” While still at NatWest he met Victoria at Rotaract (a junior version of Rotary) in Cullompton. They later got married in Kentisbeare and initially lived in Exeter, where Victoria worked as a secretary. Over the years they’ve had three children: Isaac who is now 23, Scarlet who is now 21 and Lily who is now 17. Laurence first got involved with schools via NatWest, becoming a school governor and also working with the Prince’s Trust as a mentor supporting Head Teachers. It was at this point that he realised that his financial and commercial knowledge as well as his people skills put him in an excellent position to help schools. He explains, “It was a great moment when I realised that my skills were transferable – I really didn’t want to die a bank manager – I wanted to make a difference.” He started his move into the education sector as Schools Business Manager for Bristol City Council, working as a team of three supporting nine primary schools and gaining valuable experience. Next, he took up a post as Business Manager for a secondary school in Bristol, which had serious financial difficulties and a new Head Teacher. Laurence reshaped its support services and applied some rigour around its building project management, finally leaving the school, after three years, with some nice surpluses. It felt good to do such rewarding work.
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