Tributes paid to Cirencester College principal Jim Grant

Published by

Peter Davison

Cirencester College has paid tribute to its principal Jim Grant, who died suddenly on Friday (May 12).

The college described him as "a beloved backbone of our community for over thirty years."

Jim joined Cirencester College in 1991 as a history and archaeology lecturer. Later he helped make Cirencester the first college in the country to offer an apprenticeship in archaeology.

In a statement, the college said: "Jim dedicated the majority of his professional life to the college, playing a crucial role in the huge success that it is today.

"Jim joined the college as a lecturer of history and archaeology in 1991, progressing quickly to senior lecturer, then head of faculty, assistant principal, vice principal and then Principal in 2017. He was a friend, coach and mentor for many people, staff and students alike, and his impact on all of us was profound.

"Students were very important to Jim, everything he did was focused on their experience at the College and how he could make it even better. He has overseen significant growth in the popularity of the college in terms of numbers of staff and students.

"Thanks to his efforts leading the redevelopments, the campus is unrecognisable compared to the one he joined all those years ago, a notable recent example being our award-winning Digital Building.

"Our site now demonstrates a strong commitment to ecological sustainability, as well as providing a thriving and vibrant educational environment for our students.

"Jim developed an effective management team who will ensure his vision of widening social mobility and providing outstanding education for everyone, continues on the trajectory he has started. Exemplified in his recent appearances in the media and upcoming visit to Parliament, Jim was a champion for our college, and for the nation’s sixth form sector in general.

"He was a passionate advocate for T-levels and helped make Cirencester the first college in the country to offer an apprenticeship in archaeology.

"He has left a legacy of innovative curriculum development from which many students will benefit.

"Finally, he was also a published author of several works, including multiple editions of a successful coursebook for archaeology students. He will be deeply missed by us all."

Peter Holmes, chairman of Governors said, "Jim will be missed by a great number of people who have worked with him now and over the many years he has given to Cirencester College and its community.

"The governors and the management team are united in their wish to ensure his legacy continues to grow and thrive."

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.