Hull College Principal & CEO Debra Gray Awarded CBE in New Year Honours

Debra Gray, Principal and Chief Executive of Hull College, has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the New Year Honours List, in recognition of her services to education.

The CBE is awarded to individuals who have made a sustained and significant contribution at national level, demonstrating exceptional leadership and impact within their field.

Awarded an MBE in 2020, Debra Gray is a highly experienced education leader whose career spans further and higher education. She is recognised for leading complex institutional recovery, strengthening governance and culture, and championing high-quality, inclusive education. Her work is underpinned by a strong moral purpose and a belief in further education as a civic good, particularly in places facing long-standing disadvantage. She is also completing a doctorate focused on the future readiness of Further Education in the context of digital and industrial change.

Since joining Hull College as Principal and CEO in April 2022, Gray has led a period of rapid and sustained improvement. She took up post shortly after the college received its second consecutive ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement from Ofsted and while the organisation was subject to prolonged government intervention.

Following a full Ofsted inspection in October 2023, Hull College was judged ‘Good’ overall, with ‘Outstanding’ grades for adult learning programmes and personal development. In the same year, the college successfully exited government intervention after more than seven years, marking a decisive turning point in its stability, performance and future direction. In November this year, the college was also the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education - one of the highest national honours available to UK colleges and universities.

Central to this progress has been the work of the Hullraisers, the collective name for Hull College’s staff and leaders, whose commitment and belief in the college’s purpose have driven improvement at pace. Under Gray’s leadership, Hull College has re-established itself as a confident anchor institution at the heart of the city, strengthening its contribution to skills development, social inclusion and economic regeneration across Hull and the Humber, while gaining national recognition for innovation in digital, sustainability, and inclusive practice.

Reflecting on the honour, Debra Gray said: “I am deeply honoured to receive a CBE for services to education. While my name appears on the citation, this recognition belongs to the incredible teams I have worked with throughout my career, and especially to the amazing Hullraisers.

“Leaders are only ever as good as the people they work with, and I have been privileged to stand alongside some of the very best in further education. Together, our Hullraiser team has restored trust, raised standards, and rebuilt pride, driven by a shared belief that background should never determine opportunity.”