Northampton College: Transforming an employee value proposition
- Cal Irish
- Dec 9
- 2 min read
No of Staff: 663
The team at Northampton College, with their ECC Project of the Year 2025 award
How a pay overhaul sparked fairness, trust and growth
When Northampton College looked at its pay structure in 2024, it saw familiar sector challenges: outdated grades, limited career progression and a system that risked inequity. But instead of patching the problem, the college aimed higher. The mission? Invest in staff, boost teaching quality and secure the college’s future.
A bold, people-first approach
Partnering with ECC, the college put transparency and engagement front and centre, guided by the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. Every single one of the 165 roles was rewritten and assessed using ECC’s sector-specific FEDRA scheme. Careful benchmarking, equality impact assessment and financial modelling meant decisions weren’t just fair, they were sustainable for the college.
Results that speak volumes
The changes were immediate and tangible. Hundreds of staff received upgraded grades, and inequities, such as gender pay gaps, were addressed. Appeals stayed under 2.5%, recruitment surged with applications increasing by 52%, and student numbers climbed, proving the impact extended beyond the staff room and into the classroom.
Why it worked
The key was simple: put people first. By engaging staff and unions, applying a rigorous evaluation framework and communicating openly, trust in the process grew. Decisions weren’t just made, they were understood and largely accepted. The new system rewards staff fairly and positions the college to attract talent and tackle sector challenges head-on.
The takeaway
Transforming pay and grading isn’t just a technical exercise. It’s a strategic move. Northampton College proved that when fairness, transparency and robust processes drive change, the results ripple across the entire organisation, from staff satisfaction to student success and sector leadership.
Northampton College’s Transforming an Employee Value Proposition project won ECC’s Project of the Year 2025.
Jan Hutt, Deputy Principal - People & Culture
FEDRA is the only job evaluation scheme that works in further education. This project was about equity, competitiveness and commercial decisions around benchmarking, but with a legal and moral perspective.
