Two senior leaders suddenly exit north east college 

Pair won’t return ‘for the foreseeable future’, staff told

Pair won’t return ‘for the foreseeable future’, staff told

Exclusive

A north east college principal and a deputy have unexpectedly left their posts. 

Tyne Coast College principal Mandy Morris and vice principal Diane Turner were allegedly escorted off campus last week in what has been described as an “internal staffing matter”.

An email to staff, seen by FE Week, said: “The principal and vice principal will not be available for the foreseeable future.” [See update at end of article]

The college group has refused to give a reason for their departure or say whether the pair are under investigation. 

A spokesperson for Tyne Coast College said: “We can confirm there is no police related issue involved. This is an internal staffing matter. It would not be appropriate to comment further.”

Jon Bryan, northern regional support official for the University and College Union, told FE Week: “UCU representatives learnt the news regarding senior staff at Tyne Coast College on Monday [July 23] afternoon, at the same time as all staff members via an email. We have no further information.”

He said that two hours after the Morris and Turner email, UCU was told about a “number of our members who were faced with redundancy and would have no job to return to next term”.

“We have concentrated our time and efforts on representing our members over the last few days, as this was a shock to some people, coming so late in the academic year,” Bryan added.

A spokesperson for Tyne Coast College said seven posts are up for redundancy “following completion of the curriculum plan and budget setting exercise”.

UCU members at the college have threatened strike action multiple times in recent years. 

Tyne Coast College was formed in August 2017 following a merger between South Tyneside College and Tyne Metropolitan College.

The college, led by CEO Lindsey Whiterod, teaches almost 10,000 students, employs over 500 people and sponsors an academy trust. It is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted while financial health is rated ‘requires improvement’, according to latest accounts.

Morris has over 30 years’ experience in education, including at Stockton Riverside College and Redcar and Cleveland College. She joined Tyne Coast College as interim principal in December 2021 before accepting a permanent role in 2022.

Turner joined the college in May 2022. She previously worked at education providers including Redcar and Cleveland College, Education Partnership North East, Middlesbrough College and Learning Curve Group.

[UPDATE: On Monday July 7 the college emailed staff again to announce that Mandy Morris will be leaving Tyne Coast College on July 18, 2025, and that Diane Turner left Tyne Coast College on June 30, 2025. The college has not provided a reason for their departure.]

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Plan for change funding to drive green construction skills

The government has launched a new plan for change to address the skills deficit in the construction industry, providing...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Reshaping the New Green Skills Landscape

The UK government is embarking on a transformative journey to reshape its skills landscape, placing a significant emphasis on...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Safe to speak, ready to act: SaferSpace targets harassment and misconduct in education 

In an era where safeguarding and compliance are firmly in the spotlight, education providers face a growing responsibility: to...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Screening for the cognitive needs of apprentices is essential – does it matter if the process is engaging?

Engagement should be the first priority in cognitive assessment. An engaging assessment is an inclusive assessment — when cognitive...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Colleges

College staff scholarships announced to tackle antisemitism

Long-awaited £7m training contract will also help colleges navigate 'difficult' conversations on Israel-Gaza conflict

Anviksha Patel
Colleges

MP criticises college group after another campus sale

WCG has now closed two sites since it merged in 2016

Josh Mellor
Colleges, Long read

Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

As social media algorithms fuel intolerance and binary thinking, college staff increasingly find themselves dealing with the fallout. Jessica...

Jessica Hill
Colleges, FE Commissioner

NTI for Newbury College from ‘serious cashflow pressures’

PFI costs and delayed asset sale trigger concerns over cash

Anviksha Patel