Bridgend College Principal

Bridgend College

Principal

Viv Buckley

Vivienne Buckley This profile is from the 2023 appointment article:

Previously the Deputy Principal of the College, Viv will take up the role of interim Principal and CEO from today, 1 September, following the successful appointment of the College’s current Principal, Simon Pirotte as the first CEO of the newly formed Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) for Wales.

In 2022, Viv was awarded ‘Outstanding Educator’ at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics World Congress leadership summit held in Spain, international recognition of her impact and work within the post-16 education sector and at Bridgend College. Viv was also shortlisted in the Chwarae Teg’s Womenspire Awards in 2021 and won the Leading Wales award for Leadership in the Public Sector.

Viv is a skilled teaching practitioner and leader, having worked in a number of institutions across Wales in both teaching and leadership roles across further and higher education. Viv also has an active involvement in community based arts and theatre, undertaking roles including Artistic Director of West Glamorgan Youth Theatre and as a board member of The Other Room Theatre.

Viv has led the College’s approach to positive behaviour management, with the College recently becoming the first FE institution to be awarded partner status by When The Adults Change, the leading behaviour specialist, led by expert Paul Dix.

https://www.bridgend.ac.uk/first-female-principal-appointed-in-colleges-near-100-year-history/

Previous Principals/CEOs

Simon Pirotte

Simon Pirotte There is no biographical profile on the College's website. This one is from National Theatre Wales.

Simon is Principal and Chief Executive of Bridgend College, rated as ‘excellent’ by Estyn (March 2016). Estyn commented that “the Principal provides inspiring leadership that has had a significant impact on the transformation of the College”. Bridgend College is the highest ranked FE College in the UK in the Times 100 Best Companies to work for 2017.

Simon graduated in Drama and Classics from Aberystwyth University and trained as a Drama, English and Media Studies teacher at Nottingham University. He has a MSc in Management from the University of South Wales.

He has worked in the education sector for thirty years. This includes work in the Higher Education, Further Education and School sectors. He has also worked as a Head of Department in Los Angeles, USA on a year long Fulbright scheme.

Together with his passion for education, Simon is committed to Sport and the Arts. He is a Board member for Sport Wales and a founder member of the Steel Wasp Theatre Company. He was formerly a Director of the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company.

Simon is a Board member of ColegauCymru, a member of Bridgend County Borough Council Public Service Board as well as a Board member of Ystradgynlais Miner’s Welfare Hall.
Simon lives in Ystradgynlais and is married to Kelly and has three children.