Welcome to Extraordinary Learning

At Activate Learning, we take pride in being a trusted anchor partner embedded in the heart of the various communities we serve, actively contributing to their growth and prosperity.

A message from Gary Headland DL, CEO

Every day I am inspired by our extraordinary staff and remarkable students and apprentices, whose commitment and passion lie at the core of everything we do.

We exist to do more than educate. We aim to create extraordinary learners and apprentices, ready to embrace ambitious careers and to serve communities by delivering transformative education aligned with local, regional and national priorities. 

Working closely with employers and other stakeholders, we ensure our learning provision across our eight colleges over three counties, plus our award-winning online provision, addresses real-world needs, enabling us to deliver not just qualifications, but impactful, relevant experiences. Our new five-year strategy builds on our legacy of excellence and bold ambition. Co-designed with input from employers, stakeholders, students, staff and the Board of Governors, it provides a clear path forward.

Anchored in our mission, grounded in evidence and focused on delivering extraordinary outcomes, Extraordinary Learning is a plan that speaks to our collective purpose: empowering extraordinary students and apprentices, supporting our staff and creating meaningful value for employers and communities alike.

I’d like to offer a huge thank you to everyone who has helped to shape this strategy, and to those who will help to deliver on it over the next five years. 

Extraordinary Learning

At Activate Learning, we take pride in being a trusted anchor partner embedded in the heart of the various communities we serve, actively contributing to their growth and prosperity

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Our vision and purpose

Our Vision: Through our people, we will be an extraordinary provider of learning for the learners, apprentices, employers and communities we serve. We strive to be a transformative force in education, continually innovating to deliver outstanding learning that meets the evolving needs of our learners, apprentices, employers and communities. We are committed to driving excellence, embracing change and creating lasting impact for every stakeholder we serve.

Our Purpose: To deliver consistent, high-quality education and training that meets local and national skills needs and makes a difference to the learners, apprentices and communities we serve. We do this by igniting confidence in our learners, expanding opportunities for all, energising our communities and generating prosperity in the regions we serve.

This purpose statement captures why Activate Learning exists: To empower people of all ages through education, fuel personal and economic growth and contribute positively to society. It reminds us that every initiative we undertake and every lesson we deliver should ultimately help learners to realise their potential and improve their lives.

 

Our Commitment to an Extraordinary Workplace

At Activate Learning, we are dedicated to fostering an extraordinary mindset in our staff and building an inclusive, supportive culture where everyone can thrive. We invest deeply in our people so our colleges and training providers become outstanding places to work and grow. By co-creating a positive environment that attracts, develops, and retains talented colleagues, we ensure our values are lived every day, with a strong focus on wellbeing, equity, and continuous professional development.

Our learning philosophy underpins how we support and nurture our teams, helping every colleague learn, progress, and succeed in a safe and encouraging space. We want everyone to feel a true sense of belonging and purpose, to have their voice heard, and to understand how they contribute to our mission. By enabling our people to be at their best, we strengthen our position as an employer of choice and drive better outcomes for our learners and apprentices.

 
 

Strengthening the Pathway from Education to Employment

We are committed to strengthening the links between education and employment so that every young person leaving Activate Learning has clear, meaningful routes into high-growth and high-need sectors. By working closely with employers, industry councils, and local enterprise partnerships, we ensure our curriculum remains current, relevant, and aligned with emerging workforce demands.

We develop programmes and qualifications in priority areas such as digital technologies, engineering, healthcare, and green industries, while embedding real-world learning through industry projects, work placements, and mentorship opportunities. Through this approach, Activate Learning plays a vital role in addressing regional and national skills gaps supporting businesses with the talent they need and acting as a catalyst for economic growth.

Transforming our approach to adult education

We will reimagine how we deliver education for adult learners, making it more accessible, flexible and responsive to their needs. This includes broadening our range of courses for adults, from foundational skills to higher-level qualifications and offering more flexible learning options such as online and hybrid  programmes, evening or weekend classes and short courses that fit around work and family life.

Building on the success of our award-winning Activate Learning Online provision, we will continue to remove barriers that adult learners often face, by providing supportive, personal and technology-enhanced learning environments. We will also strengthen partnerships with local employers and community organisations to ensure our adult education offer is closely linked to the needs of our local economies, helping individuals reskill or advance in their careers. By transforming adult education, we aim to empower more adults to engage in lifelong learning, which in turn drives social mobility and fulfils our commitment to transforming lives at every stage.

Expanding and Strengthening High Needs and SEND Provision

Activate Learning has a proud reputation for excellence in its high needs and SEND provision, consistently earning Good with Outstanding features for specialist programmes and support in our last three Ofsted inspections. Over the next five years, we will build on this strength by significantly increasing the capacity of our high needs provision-welcoming more learners who have SEND or require additional support, and ensuring we have the expertise and infrastructure to help them thrive.

We will invest in specialist staff, enhanced training, and high-quality resources to maintain and elevate the standard of support we provide. Our campuses will continue to be fully accessible, inclusive, and nurturing environments for learning. By working closely with local authorities, schools, and parents, we will identify needs earlier and create smoother transitions into college. Expanding these opportunities reaffirms our commitment to transforming lives through learning for every individual, regardless of circumstance.

Growing and Strengthening Our Surrey Colleges

Since welcoming our Surrey colleges into Activate Learning in 2019, we have remained committed to unlocking their full potential as vibrant centres of learning, skills development, and opportunity. Over the next five years, we will focus on increasing student and apprenticeship enrolment, broadening curriculum offerings, and enhancing the overall quality of provision across our Surrey campuses.

Our goal is for Guildford College, Merrist Wood College and University Centre, and Farnham College to flourish with their own distinct identities, while contributing to the strength and impact of the wider Activate Learning group. By growing our Surrey colleges, we aim to extend our mission into new communities, ensuring more learners and apprentices across the region have access to the extraordinary learning experiences that define who we are.

Ensuring Long-Term Financial Sustainability

Securing the long-term financial sustainability of our organisation is essential to delivering our strategic ambitions. We will maintain a strong and resilient financial position that supports every aspect of this strategy, ensuring we can continue to offer high-quality education and services despite external challenges.

By safeguarding our financial health, we protect our ability to expand opportunities for learners, support our staff, and confidently deliver on every goal outlined in this plan.

Our core values guide our culture, decision-making and daily actions. They represent what we stand for as an organisation and are integral to our Learning Philosophy and strategy.
We are committed to living these values in all that we do:

At Activate Learning, passion and dedication drive every interaction,
decision and initiative. Our commitment ensures excellence in teaching, learning and support, positively impacting learners, apprentices, staff, employers and the wider communities we are part of.

Inclusivity, respect and fairness are at the heart of our culture. We recognise and celebrate diversity, creating environments where our students and
people feel valued, respected and empowered to contribute and succeed.

Integrity, openness and trust underpin all our actions. By operating transparently, ethically and responsibly, we build and maintain trust among learners, staff, partners and the wider community, establishing Activate Learning as a reliable and respected education provider that always does the right thing.

Through our award-winning Learning Philosophy, we empower our learners and apprentices to overcome barriers, realise their potential, and achieve aspirations
they might not have imagined possible. Using our partnerships with employers and stakeholders, we support our learners and apprentices to transition seamlessly into successful careers.

We foster a culture of innovation, curiosity and continuous improvement. Embracing change and striving for excellence, we remain responsive to evolving educational and economic landscapes, ensuring our educational provision stays relevant, impactful and future-focused.