South Devon College Vice Principal collects her OBE at Buckingham Palace

SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE Vice Principal & Deputy CEO Pat Denham has been to London to collect her OBE for Services to Education in the Queen's 2012 Jubilee Birthday Honours list.

She received her OBE from Prince Charles at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, in a ceremony last week. Pat said of her presentation; 

"My visit to Buckingham Palace and the opportunity to be presented my award by Prince Charles was an unforgettable experience. I am delighted and extremely proud to accept this Honour, not just for myself but for all the committed, passionate and inspirational people it is my privilege to work with at South Devon College."

Pat has worked tirelessly in Further Education for over 30 years, progressing from front line teaching, lecturing, examinations, curriculum and support management roles through to Director of Quality, Vice Principal and Deputy Chief Executive positions in the South West of England. 

Also a part time Ofsted Inspector for over 10 years, she has combined the critical attributes of knowledge, care and commitment to make the difference at all levels for further education learners. As College nominee, she has led both Bridgwater and South Devon Colleges to outstanding levels as reflected in Ofsted reports, and achieved national best practice recognition. 

Her commitment to actively seeking out, listening to and acting on user feedback has resulted in South Devon College receiving the highest learner satisfaction score for any further education college in the South West; as well as recent top scores for student success rates and higher education learner satisfaction. In her spare time, she has also supported Brixham College as a Trustee, contributing her expertise towards the school's development, continuing improvement and locality working.