About Hereford Sixth Form College.

REMOTE BOLIVIAN VILLAGES might not have much demand for IT managers but Hereford Sixth Form College's Andy Gray was able to help in other ways when he went to the South American country as part of a team of volunteers including doctors, nurses, dentists and a midwife.

With Gray acting as deputy expedition leader and radio communications officer, the aim of the excursion was to dig clean deep-water wells for Amazonian communities. He says: "We provided a number of wells in two major villages and also the first proper medical and dental treatments that many of the people had ever had.

"Villagers came by foot and by horse and some had travelled for days to reach us. We donated school books and equipment to five villages that didn't even have chalk for the blackboards."

The college is happy to back such efforts, earning it a top positive score of 78% among small bodies for making a difference to the world. In the UK, it grants the cathedral city's string orchestra and police choir free rehearsal space, prompting employees to say it is also doing its bit for the local community (69%, another top score).

Low staff absence (on average, 2.4 sick days a year) is testimony to the loyalty of the workforce, and the institution has the best scores for employees not being disruptive (75%) and supportive managers (80%).

Dr Jonathan Godfrey, the principal of 11 years, has been praised by Ofsted for "excellent leadership". Staff concur, ranking the college fifth overall for leadership. Godfrey inspires staff (73%), who say senior managers are always ready to listen (70%).

www.hereford.ac.uk