What made you join Eastern Education Group?
After not doing well at school, my father gave me an ultimatum of getting a job or doing a course at college. Consequently, I found myself enrolling on the Junior Secretaries’ Course, led by Enid Marsh in September 1975. I loved it! With Mrs. Marsh’s expert tuition, I developed my shorthand and typing skills from nothing. I remember a warm and friendly environment which made learning fun and relevant, although back then it was manual typewriters and carbon copies! We would hang onto her every word when she told us her Second World War stories.
Do you have any special memories from your time with us?
Honestly, without Enid Marsh and West Suffolk College, I would not have been able to achieve what I have. The shorthand and typing always came in handy. Two of the best skills I have ever learned. Above all, the College gave me a sense of purpose, drive and confidence – something that school was not able to do.
Do you have any other connections to EEG?
Worked with senior management and Governors on quality improvement in recent years
What did you go onto to do after College?
My first job after college was as a secretary at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. It included operating the Telex machine, sending and receiving messages to and from the bases from the scientists and support staff overwintering there. I then moved to work as a medical secretary, where my shorthand came in very useful. In the 1980s, I decided to retrain as a teacher in further education – time to get my maths GCSE at another local FE college before they would accept me. After a year at what was then Garnet College in London and passing my PGCE successfully, I joined a team of secretarial teachers at Cambridge Regional College (formerly CCFE) in September 1984. In effect, I became a Mrs Marsh!
After 20 or so years in further education and reaching senior management level, it was time for a change, and I joined Ofsted as a full-time Her Majesty’s Inspector for further education and skills, working mostly in the East of England but also nationally. When I retired from Ofsted in 2017, I continued to support quality improvement for the further education sector through my own consultancy company, working with many regional providers, including West Suffolk College. Now, I am more or less fully retired, but I keep my hand in as a Governor at a sixth form college in the region.
Is there a message you would like to share as we celebrate our 100 years of history?
I congratulate the staff, governors and the College on all that has been achieved for students in the region. You change lives and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Lastly, do you have any advice for future students and staff at EEG?
Savour your time at college and work hard. You get out what you put in, and it’ll be over in a flash!
