lecturer

program manager

administrator

line cook

mentor

Plumpton-College

Firstly, this college is set in such a beautiful location and has some amazing staff members who are dedicated to the students. Where about 4 years ago was a fantastic place to come to work. 
However that is where the positives end. 
The turnover of staff is unbelievably high, with staff leaving without securing another job but reach breaking point that they have no alternative. Senior management see that as acceptable as they can replace with a bright and shiny new staff member, work them into the ground and suck the life out of them until they leave too. 
Consequently staff are then quickly pushed into internal roles to plug gaps or have to take on additional roles (for no extra money) when they are not experienced or qualified to do so. 
Staff are unhappy, miserable and spend most days at breaking point. Senior management seem to enjoy watching this process or seem staff unable to cope. When the reality is that the staff are bullied 

There is a culture of cloak and dagger, fearing for your job if you put one foot wrong or speak up. Once your face doesnt fit then you will be managed out. The pressure put on staff particularly with quality and teaching during observations to achieve grade 1s is humiliating and unnecessary ( as Ofsted dont grade). This is purely an exercise to massage the ego of this person & to prove how successful they are to the Principal.  When actually this couldn't be any further from the truth. CPD sessions for staff who want to improve & succeed are a waste of time and solely a tick boxing exercise. More how not to teach rather than leading by example & frankly embarrassing. 

Moving onto the facilities. Plumpton should have the most amazing facilities, sadly the reality is that these are declining. Parts of the college are dilapidated and not fit for purpose. There is no money to invest in the facilities/animals, but the numbers of students continue to increase. Staff are expected to deliver lessons to increasing numbers in rooms that do not fit the students & still do an 'outstanding'  job. The income generated from the departments with the most students do not see any investment and unable to provide basic IT facilities to support students with their learning & have to fund lesson resources out of their pocket. 

The work load is excessive (not just in a 'teaching' way). Senior staff expect you to work every evening & weekends (if you dont then you obviously are not capable and cannot cope), half terms and even cut short your summer holiday in mid August to endure 2 weeks of more amazing CPD! 

To be honest, if I was a parent of a student here I would be horrified at the experience they received - not caused from the department staff who clearly go over and above but sadly from management who dont want to see the bigger picture or invest to to fix it. 

Overall, a very sad place to work. So if you dont want a life, spend your time being bullied, overworked, underpaid then look elsewhere. That said if your face fits & you can be a senior management clone then, good luck and all the best for the future.

Avoid at all costs. Before the new Principal began, the college used to be a place that put students first and truly cared about their success. It didn't get everything right and was probably too "comfortable" by the time the previous Principal left but at least you had the feeling that the college truly cared about its student's (and staff's) well-being. 

Once the new principal started everything went out the window, students are now just figures in a spreadsheet, staff are just resources to use up and discard once they've had enough of the place. Incompetency is rewarded, especially if you are one of the staff brought in from places where the current Principal previously worked. Competent staff are driven out of the place by the Senior Management Team’s pigheadedness and uselessness, only to be replaced by unqualified, inexperienced staff who inevitably last a few days (occasionally weeks) before they too have had enough and leave themselves.

Staff morale was raised as an issue at the all staff conference last year and no tangible efforts were made by the Senior Management Team to fix it, instead morale has dropped even further as more long-serving, competent staff are driven out of the place. 

The HR department are entirely complicit in the mistreatment of staff and offer no capacity to support staff, instead they are just a hiring-and-firing machine churning out job interviews and adverts.

Regular staff are a god-send to this place and are the only reason that some students leave with a good experience. Layer upon layer of incompetent managers have been added to the staff structure which complete no purpose other than to make life more difficult for the staff that are struggling to do their job every day with no support.

It’s an embarrassing place to work but the Senior Management Team’s refusal to even consider for a moment that they are the problem means that it will probably remain this way for some time. It’s sad that a place with so much history and a reputation for putting students first has now just become a factory for churning out poor to mediocre students, only caring for numbers in order to secure the funding they bring.

Working at Plumpton College has been one of the most unique and rewarding experiences of my career. The institution aims to fosters a culture of genuine care and investment in its staff, by offering meaningful opportunities for both professional growth and personal development. This is championed by senior leadership and line managers alike, through initiatives such as professional coaching, ongoing training in current topics & EDI alongside best practice for both educators and support staff. 

Two aspects that set Plumpton apart are its stunning location and its people. As it is based in the South Downs, the campus offers staff the chance to engage with the outdoors through the year, which is a benefit that enhances both morale and wellbeing. Equally of note are the colleagues across the College, who demonstrate a sincere commitment to each other and share an enthusiasm for delivering the best education possible. This collective passion is seen throughout the college community, which creates a vibrant and supportive environment for both staff and students.

Like many educational institutions, Plumpton faces challenges around workload, particularly during peak periods or when staffing levels are reduced due to annual leave in holiday timeframes. Many roles involve working with complex situations that require time and thoughtful attention, so continued recognition and support in this area are essential.

Ultimately, the most fulfilling aspect of working at Plumpton is the sense of purpose and achievement that comes from contributing to the development and success of both staff and students. 

I worked for Plumpton for several years, and experienced numerous changes and challenges. Whilst change is essential to ensure that education keeps pace with the job market, it needs to be implemented with skill and wisdom to avoid damaging the student experience and moral of the staff. 

Sadly, Plumpton College now boasts a bloated management structure with minimal regard for the hard-working staff who are the lifeblood of the organisation. There is an unhealthy obsession with staff restructures, meaning that there is no job security, and employees feel like a mere commodity. This has resulted in an oppressive atmosphere, and a highly toxic work environment. Many of the changes implemented have been ill judged and frankly bizarre. There appears to have been a concerted attempt to eradicate the rich history of the college, and replace it with a catchy slogan which has absolutely no substance whatsoever. Sycophancy is a trait that dictates promotion prospects, and exploitation of staff is rife.

If I could give the place zero stars for its sheer lack of ethics and abysmal leadership, I would. The staff and student body deserve better, and my current employer make this look easy by applying a far more respectful and principled approach. Sad to see this happen, and glad I’m no longer part of this sorry situation.

Working at the college is challenging and demanding to meet the aims of the college and requires all teams to work at very high levels to meet deadlines. Clear focus on supporting and delivering for students providing excellent opportunities, experiences and successful outcomes for them. Staff are generally very supportive of each other and management work hard to communicate well internally with regular staff briefings and use of Sharepoint to facilitate weekly updates. Culture is positive and leadership is ambitious which makes it a good place to work, even if sometimes that means work life balance is hard to come by. The college has been helping in small ways with the cost of living crisis providing staff with periodic food offers; free soup lunches and/or a breakfast treat. When starting I found the induction very thorough and informative, getting to meet the Prncipal on the first day. They operate a buddy system pairing you up with someone who can help you settle in and someone not in your dept. which is a great way to meet people. I've never received a Good Luck card mailed to me the week before starting any job before!!

As of 2015 has come under new management with big ideas on change and improvement. This is currently an ongoing process complete with teething problems (as comes with any new venture).
As a member of staff you have big expectations to meet within a limited timeline, which will not let up from the start of the first term to several weeks after the last term. If you are well organised, with no young children or commitments outside of work then this is doable. Your day does not end at 5pm. Your week may well not end on Friday.
Interaction with students in class and your immediate team will be the highlight of your working life. The senior management team and amount of paperwork, tick boxes to meet, lack of downtime and tight time limits will be the bane of your life (beyond just working life).
Working in education is not easy, wherever you work, and the benefits are what you can make of it.
Things will eventually settle down at Plumpton College, and some days can be spectacular, but right now be prepared for a busy, bumpy ride at full pelt from the get-go.


As a previous employee at the college, under both previous management and current management, the current management really have destroyed what Plumpton once was. Before they got their dirty mitts on the College it was a welcoming atmosphere where teachers, instructors and indeed the students could thrive, there was passion everywhere. This all changed when current management came in, with an iron fist there where restructures after restructures which are still continuing, staff feeling like there is nowhere to turn, so many levels of ‘management’ that nothing ever gets done and as soon as you do speak up you’re gone. Though I left in 2019, nothing seems to have changed. It’s now treated like a poorly run business and not a college. Welfare of students and staff is secondary to money coming in and senior management not being made accountable for the negative impact they have made. Life is so much better post-Plumpton, which is a real shame as it used to be such a fantastic place, well done SMT for destroying what was once a great place. 

If I could give zero stars for management I would. 


What is the best part of working at the company?
Honestly there aren’t many, but some of the other members of staff are great.  

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The expectation to work above and beyond reasonable working hours, the fact that it’s an educational establishment and you have to book time off and the holidays don’t correlate with the council term times. And the complete lack of support in times of need by middle management, all the way up to senior management. The HR department isn’t fit for purpose. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic. If your face doesn’t fit, management will go out of their to trip you up, so you fail and they bully you out essentially 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Expect to have to cover lessons they aren’t on your timetable, taking away any chance to plan lessons or work towards your qualifications, you’ll be expected to do they in your own time, as the whole place is so short staffed, it’s amazing they can still run.

Plumpton College is undergoing a significant change that is long overdue.

An organisation can't deliver what it needs to by doing what it's always done in the way it's always done it. At the heart of everything that is being changed at the college is what it will mean for the students who are placing their future in our hands. If you are passionate about your subject (teaching/instructing) and believe that students learn the most when they are pushed slightly outside of their intellectual comfort zone in a supportive environment, then the future Plumpton is where you should be looking to.

Under new management, some people with nowhere to hide are feeling the pressure. But i'd strongly recommend that anyone who likes a challenge and want to be part of the re-birth of a great college should take a look at the opportunities here.

I'm looking forward to some new teachers coming in to really push standards up.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Lecturer 2 salaries reported	£33,103 per year
Program manager 3 salaries reported	£37,534 per year
Administrator 3 salaries reported	£25,440 per year
Line cook 3 salaries reported	£30,071 per year
Mentor 2 salaries reported	£28,039 per year

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