The principal of LeSoCo in south east London is to stand down at the end of the academic year, the college’s governors have announced.

Maxine Room has been in the role at the 17,000-learner college, which has a current Skills Funding Agency allocation of £26.2m, for five years, and oversaw the merger which joined Lewisham College with Southwark College in 2012.

Ms Room also presided over an Ofsted inspection last November which resulted in a grade four “inadequate” rating in January, and has previously maintained that she planned to stay in post, despite criticism of the college in a follow-up inspection and the loss of an appeal against the grading.

She also pledged not to resign after FE commissioner Dr David Collins reported that he had identified “weaknesses” in leadership and governance at the college.

A spokesperson for the board of governors said: “LeSoCo is today announcing that after five years as Principal of Lewisham and then LeSoCo, Maxine Room CBE has decided that at the end of this academic year she will retire from her post as Principal and CEO, although she intends to remain active in the FE sector.

“Maxine led the successful merger between Lewisham College and Southwark College and has led on the transformation of both Colleges into one vibrant, ambitious and enterprising college – LeSoCo. The governing body is very grateful for the commitment, passion and leadership that Maxine has shown during her time as Principal.

“We will now begin the search for Maxine’s successor, who we hope to have in place by the beginning of the 2014/2015 academic year.”

Ms Room has yet to comment.

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10 Comments

  1. R.Slicker

    What a tragedy to see the demise of this great and inspirational leader, who was just hitting her stride as a cost-cutter. Maxine lead the repositioning of LeSoCo in terms of OFSTED ratings, which is surely one of her lasting legacies. From the start she made her mark, cutting wasteful provision such as the Lewisham College nursery and strengthening the upper – and underpaid – echelons of college management. How brave of her to shake off the shackles of grammar and convention, calling the newly merged college LeSoCo. A name which seemed to blend echoes of a minor African republic with the branding of a chain of pan-european brasseries. Then there was her visionary embracing of the Gazelle group and her inspired development of an inspirational entrepreneurial curriculum which could have done so much to rescue local youth from the gutter. Alas we weep for her passing. We will not see her like again.

  2. Dipun Dacova

    This is indeed a tragedy and yet another blow to FE. Through her unwavering determination to drive entrepreneurialism and to focus on English and maths as the basic employable essentials for young people, Maxine’s direct leadership has brought these to the forefront and has ensured they feature so prominently in the recent Ofsted report. She will be truly missed.

  3. R. Sullivan

    I’ve noticed that any comments that challenge this article and the principal have been deleted. In your ‘about’ section you claim to offer a ‘mixture of views.’ What about a mixture of opinions? Makes one wonder if this publication has an agenda. I wonder if this comment will be deleted too.

  4. Andrew Kenworthy

    Maxine is a fantastic leader irrespective of fe. There are lots of other sectors such as health that will welcome the opportunity to take on such a talent.

  5. I can’t believe what I’m reading: the support for Ms Room.

    Maxine Room and Tom Kay were wrecking ball of Southwark College. They coveted the Waterloo centre of Southwark College: arguably one of the best locations in London.

    I’m glad the Waterloo centre is out of their reach now. Southwark college students and staff were treated with utter contempt in the merger. Room and Kay were a sad, sad chapter in the story of Southwark College.

    • ofsted are coming...hide!

      @ Andrew Kenworthy – So was Sadam Hussien, irrespective of all he had done, but we have to draw the line somewhere Andrew, these people were deluded and arrogant. They steamrolled their way introducing irrational polices and changes that virtually ruined the fantastic reputation that the college had prior to Room’s appointment. I would like to see you employ either of them Andrew, it would not be long before you’d be echoing LB’s comments!