Principal appointed to lead Easton College
9th January 2026
Easton College is entering an exciting new chapter with the appointment of Mathew Scott as college Principal.
In his new role, Mr Scott will lead teaching and learning, drive curriculum development, and oversee the day-to-day management of Easton College, ensuring students continue to benefit from outstanding educational opportunities.
Jerry White will continue in his role as Principal and Chief Executive of City College Norwich, Easton College and Paston College, operating as a college group.
Mathew Scott, Principal of Easton College
Mr Scott has been part of the college group for the past 24 years. He started his career at City College Norwich as a lecturer in Business and Marketing. Mathew went on to lead initiatives in Quality Improvement and Curriculum Management before stepping into his most recent role as Director of Land Based Industries, Inclusive Learning, Sports, and Public Services, based at Easton College.
Mr Scott's passion for creating opportunities that blend academic excellence with real-world skills has been a constant thread running throughout all of these roles, helping learners thrive in industries that are constantly evolving.
Mr Scott will also take on leadership for the cross-college Inclusive Learning provision.
Mr Scott said:
It is a real privilege to lead Easton College. Our focus is to continue creating new learning opportunities that benefit not only our students but also local employers and the wider region.
By working in partnership with businesses and community organisations, we will ensure that Further and Higher Education at Easton College remains relevant, inclusive, and impactful - helping our learners thrive while supporting the growth and sustainability of the communities we serve.”
The appointment of Mr Scott forms part of important changes to the college group Senior Management Team, designed to strengthen leadership and support our continued transformation.
Following a period of interim arrangements, a comprehensive review of the senior structure was undertaken to ensure it reflected the size and ambitions of our organisation today. This process has supported the creation of a new leadership structure which is cost neutral against our college budget, with no increase to spending on the senior team.
The new structure is built around three key pillars essential to the success of the college group:
- Outstanding learning opportunities for the community
- Excellent facilities and infrastructure to support those experiences
- Strong financial foundations to enable continued investment
To deliver on those priorities, three Chief Officer roles have been introduced, each responsible for one of the pillars. These are alongside the three new Principal positions to provide clear and visible leadership for each of our colleges, while also overseeing key cross-group functions such as Inclusive Learning.
In addition to Mr Scott’s role at Easton College, Lucy Whitwood has been appointed as Principal of City College Norwich, and Tom Smith as Principal of Paston College.
Jerry White, Principal and Chief Executive, said:
These changes mark an exciting step forward in our journey to become “future ready” and I am delighted to have Mat, Lucy and Tom leading our three colleges. They will enable us to celebrate the unique strengths of each college within our group while continuing to evolve and deliver exceptional education and training for our communities.”
In addition, other key roles within the senior team have been evolved with a new Executive Director for Business Development, Apprenticeships and Adults bringing all our key functions related to employers together, and a Vice Principal for Safeguarding, Inclusions and Student Services supporting our students in a variety of ways to succeed at college. The importance of our support services in Human Resources and in IT, Digital and Registry functions have also been consolidated in Executive Director roles,
Recognising the importance of financial sustainability, the college is also establishing a new senior leadership role focused on driving our commercial strategy and increasing non-governmental income, ensuring investment in students and staff.