Long-serving principal Chris Nattress is set to retire after steering Lakes College out of government intervention.
He will be succeeded on December 1 by Mark Fell, currently executive principal at Milton Keynes College.
Nattress (pictured above) joined the college in West Cumbria in 2009 as a deputy before taking up the top job in 2013.
The college has doubled in size since Nattress started but it hit cashflow issues in early 2024 mostly due to student number shortfalls that required a £1.5 million emergency government loan.
A new chair was appointed to the college in August 2024 and the college’s financial notice to improve was lifted in June 2025 after a period of FE Commissioner intervention.
Nattress, who was presented with a lifetime achievement accolade in the Pearson Teaching Awards this year, said he was “immensely proud” of what has been achieved at the college during his time.
He said: “I have been very fortunate to work with fabulous colleagues and partners who have always supported me in seeking ways to improve opportunities for everyone in West Cumbria to thrive and prosper.
“Amongst many highlights, visiting Buckingham Palace to receive the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for our work, opening our Construction Skills Centre and the National College for Nuclear Northern Hub, and working with key employers and organisations in our area to more than double the size of our college do stand out.”
His replacement, Fell, has more than 20 years of experience in the FE sector.
Fell said: “I am delighted to be joining Lakes College as principal and have been working closely with Chris and the executive team over the last few weeks to ensure a seamless transition and I can’t wait to get started. I’ve been inspired by the commitment of the staff in supporting our students to succeed and progress. I now want to help further progress the College to be at the absolute forefront of technical, vocational and professional learning.
“Further education is entering an era of change, with the government white paper, the Ofsted and apprenticeship reforms, but what won’t change is our college playing a crucial role within our local community and beyond. Our approach to learning will be around raising aspiration, supporting skills development and ensuring that we meet the needs of stakeholders locally, regionally and nationally.”
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