Age 16-18
Gerry McDonald CBE, Group Principal and CEO of New City College has been recognised for services to further education in the New Year Honours 2025.
A longstanding, influential leader in further education, Gerry McDonald is a constant and proactive advocate for the wider skills sector, regionally and nationally.
Gerry has driven the growth and success of New City College from the initial merger of Tower Hamlets and Hackney colleges in 2016, to what is now an influential seven-college group, attracting around 20,000 students each year across the East London and Essex regions.
His determined commitment to the quality of teaching and learning has led to significant improvements in student outcomes in the colleges which have successively merged to become part of NCC.
Holding key board positions at the Education & Training Foundation, the Association of Colleges and the Greater London Authority, as well as the FE Commissioner’s advisory group, Gerry is a firm ambassador for the further education and skills sector. Alongside all this, Gerry continues to teach at New City College; making sure that strategy is always focused on benefiting students in the classroom.
As his CBE honour was announced on 30 December 2024, Gerry said: “I am deeply humbled to have received this honour and I am grateful for the recognition it brings for the further education sector.”
Gerry never forgets that his and his team’s actions are central to the lives and aspirations of the communities he serves. In short, he lives by the axiom, ‘Students First’.
