The UK’s leading journalism training college has appointed a panel of experts to help shape its courses.

News Associates was named the overall top performing journalism school by the National Council for the Training of Journalists at last month’s Journalism Skills Conference.

Now it has created an editorial advisory board with more than 160 years’ combined experience in the industry to help shape training at its centres in London and Manchester.

It will be headed by Graham Dudman, former managing editor of The Sun and most recently editorial development director at News UK, and will also include former Norwich Evening News editor Claire Gillingwater, left.

Also on the panel are former Sky News managing editor Simon Cole, former Manchester Evening News editor Paul Horrocks, David Parsons, the executive editor of national press agency Sportsbeat and Simon Pearson, obituaries editor of The Times.

The board’s remit will be to provide counsel, insight and advice to heads of journalism Rachel Bull and Andrew Greaves.

Said Graham: “I was delighted to be asked to chair this board which contains such distinguished names.

“We will ensure the remarkable high standards achieved at News Associates are maintained and improved and that every trainee experiences a wide range of journalistic skills making them ready for work.”

News Associates managing editor James Toney added: “The editorial advisory board will provide rigorous challenge to our team to ensure they are delivering courses that are always reflective of current industry practice.

“Their advice will be invaluable as we constantly reshape and refine what we deliver to our trainees preparing them for success in the fast-moving media world.”