Dearne College principal credited with helping the post-mining generation has died aged 73

Chris Morecroft served as principal at the college for four years, from 1998, and continued the work of his predecessor Don Davison who had begun to introduce changes to meet the needs of the community after the loss of the traditional coal industry in the area.

He worked alongside assistant principal Tricia Macredie, who said: “He took over from Don Davison, who started the move towards further education in the Dearne Valley.

"Many people had left school early without qualifications, so it was quite a long road to re-introduce literacy and numeracy, where needed, to get people basic qualifications and move them into access courses,” she said.

One of his achievements was to secure a £380,000 grant for higher education in the Dearne Valley, in 2000, and he also worked with other colleges in the region, eventually achieving a university college in Rotherham.

While at Dearne Valley College, he studied for and was awarded a Masters Degree from Sheffield Hallam university and went on to apply what he had learned to his work on behalf of the college.

During his tenure, the college secured a former working men’s club building in Golden Smithies Lane, which was re-purposed as college premises as the curriculum expanded, to include courses like beautician skills.

He also oversaw the creation of learning workshops, where students were encouraged to attend in less formal circumstances, sometimes learning in their spare time.

"He was a warm, humorous and dynamic person. He was very well-known in Rotherham,” she said.

During his time at the college he lived in Wath and had previously spent time as an education advisor in Rotherham, assisting colleges to develop and maintain high stanards.

After his career in the Dearne Valley, he went on to fulfil other roles, moving on the Worcester College. He was elected president of the Association of Colleges and was involved in work which led to a Higher Education White Paper.

In 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to education.

His funeral takes place in Glocestershire on May 22.