We're delighted to welcome Alison Longden as our Head of Learning, completing our new look leadership team.

Who is Alison Longden?

Headshot of our Head of Learning, Alison Longden

Alison joins us having spent over seven years at Northern College where she led the Higher Education and Teacher Education programme. Passionate about education for social justice and digital inclusion, she successfully developed and grew the curriculum offer, ensuring the values of education for a social purpose underpinned all working and teaching practices. 

This included the development of innovative blended learning across a range of levels from unaccredited to Higher Education, receiving a number of commendations from validating and quality assurance organisations. 

With Neil Calvert joining earlier this month as our CEO and Principal, alongside Nina Valvi, who joined earlier this year as Head of Business Development, the new team is now in place.

Alison said:

I’m extremely excited to have joined the College at such a key moment, particularly as education will play such a crucial role in a post covid-19 recovery. I can’t wait to meet as many people as possible from across the co-op sector to learn about what they need from us and explore how we can help them.

Neil Calvert, our CEO and Principal said:

I’m delighted to welcome Alison as our Head of Learning. Her appointment is a key piece in the jigsaw, and she brings a wealth of educational experience in development, delivery and quality assurance. This will be invaluable as the College team, with its blend of recently appointed and more established colleagues, looks to build on excellent foundations to provide a new and enhanced learning offer within and beyond the co-operative movement.


Keep up with all the latest developments at College HQ by signing up to our newsletter. You'll be the first to hear about new courses, events and news from our projects across the UK and around the world.

Sign up to our newsletter