Further Education Commissioner intervention reports

Summaries of the FE Commissioner’s intervention reports on FE colleges and the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills’ responses.

The FE Commissioner assesses FE colleges and other institutions that are subject to formal intervention. Formal intervention is triggered if they:

• are rated inadequate by Ofsted
• receive a notice of concern from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) about their finances
• fail to meet ESFA minimum standards
• are found to be at high risk of failure following a diagnostic assessment

Colleges may receive a diagnostic assessment if they:

• have a ‘requires improvement’ rating from Ofsted
• have an Ofsted ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ rating for apprenticeships
• are assessed by ESFA to be in early intervention for financial health

Full details are set out in intervention policy in colleges and expansion of the Further Education Commissioner role.

Following a formal intervention assessment, the commissioner reports to the Apprenticeships and Skills Minister setting out their recommendations for how the FE college or provider can improve.

The Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills then writes to the chair of governors of the college or provider setting out the outcome of the intervention assessment and confirming the next steps.

Reports and ministerial responses

1. FE Commissioner intervention: National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure
   • 24 February 2020
   • Decision
2. FE Commissioner intervention: North Lincolnshire Council
   • 25 February 2020
   • Decision
3. FE Commissioner intervention: St Mary’s College
   • 25 February 2020
   • Decision
4. FE Commissioner intervention: Warrington and Vale Royal College
   • 23 January 2020
   • Decision
5. FE Commissioner intervention: Stoke-on-Trent City Council
   • 22 January 2020
   • Decision
6. FE Commissioner intervention: Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College
   • 5 November 2019
   • Decision
7. FE Commissioner intervention: Brooklands College
   • 15 October 2019
   • Decision
8. FE Commissioner intervention: Hartlepool College
   • 15 October 2019
   • Decision
9. FE Commissioner intervention: Moulton College (June 2019)
   • 15 October 2019
   • Decision
10. FE Commissioner intervention: St Helens College
    • 11 July 2019
    • Decision
11. FE Commissioner intervention: Hadlow College
    • 23 May 2019
    • Decision
12. FE Commissioner intervention: West Kent and Ashford College
    • 23 May 2019
    • Decision
13. FE Commissioner intervention: North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College
    • 22 March 2019
    • Decision
14. FE Commissioner intervention summary report: Macclesfield College
    • 22 March 2019
    • Decision
15. FE Commissioner: review of Cornwall’s post-16 provision
    • 23 May 2019
    • Independent report
16. FE Commissioner intervention: North Hertfordshire College
    • 31 January 2019
    • Decision
17. FE Commissioner intervention: John Ruskin College
    • 22 January 2019
    • Decision
18. FE Commissioner intervention: Easton and Otley College
    • 18 July 2019
    • Decision
19. FE Commissioner intervention: Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College
    • 6 November 2018
    • Decision
20. FE Commissioner intervention: West Nottinghamshire College
    • 2 November 2018
    • Decision
21. FE Commissioner intervention: Northumberland College
    • 11 October 2018
    • Decision
22. FE Commissioner intervention: Ruskin College
    • 12 July 2018
    • Decision
23. FE Commissioner intervention: Moulton College
    • 25 May 2018
    • Decision
24. FE Commissioner intervention: Sunderland City Metropolitan borough council
    • 25 May 2018
    • Decision
25. FE Commissioner intervention report: Barnfield College
    • 11 April 2018
    • Decision
26. FE Commissioner intervention report: Cadbury Sixth Form College
    • 22 March 2018
    • Decision
27. FE Commissioner intervention report: Bradford College
    • 1 March 2018
    • Decision
28. FE Commissioner intervention report: Kirklees College
    • 1 March 2018
    • Decision
29. FE Commissioner intervention report: The Guildford College Group
    • 22 February 2018
    • Decision
30. FE Commissioner intervention report: Moulton College
    • 13 October 2017
    • Decision
31. FE Commissioner intervention report: The Cornwall College Group
    • 25 August 2017
    • Decision
32. FE Commissioner intervention report: Oldham College
    • 25 April 2017
    • Decision
33. FE Commissioner intervention report: Redcar and Cleveland College
    • 20 April 2017
    • Decision
34. FE Commissioner intervention report: Wiltshire council
    • 20 April 2017
    • Decision
35. FE Commissioner intervention report: Stratford-upon-Avon College
    • 3 April 2017
    • Decision
36. FE Commissioner intervention report: City of Liverpool College
    • 30 March 2017
    • Decision
37. FE Commissioner intervention: Huntingdonshire Regional College
    • 28 February 2017
    • Decision
38. FE Commissioner intervention report: Epping Forest College
    • 28 February 2017
    • Decision
39. FE Commissioner intervention report: Hull College group
    • 19 January 2017
    • Decision
40. FE Commissioner intervention report: Hereward College
    • 12 December 2016
    • Decision
41. FE Commissioner intervention report: Tresham College
    • 21 November 2016
    • Decision
42. FE Commissioner intervention report: Lambeth College
    • 3 November 2016
    • Decision
43. FE Commissioner intervention report: Mid Cheshire College
    • 14 June 2016
    • Decision
44. FE Commissioner intervention reports: June 2014 to May 2016
    • 17 August 2017
    • Decision

Closed interventions

1. FE Commissioner intervention: Bracknell and Wokingham College
   • 1 March 2019
   • Decision
2. FE Commissioner intervention: Prospects College of Advanced Technology
   • 1 March 2019
   • Decision
3. End of FE Commissioner intervention: Essex county council
   • 25 May 2018
   • Decision
4. End of FE Commissioner intervention: Gateway Sixth Form College
   • 25 May 2018
   • Decision
5. End of FE Commissioner intervention: Richmond upon Thames College
   • 13 October 2017
   • Decision
6. End of FE Commissioner intervention: Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College
   • 13 October 2017
   • Decision
7. End of FE Commissioner intervention: Wakefield district council
   • 13 October 2017
   • Decision
8. End of FE Commissioner intervention: Stafford College
   • 23 June 2017
   • Decision
9. End of FE Commissioner intervention letter: Stanmore College
   • 19 April 2017
   • Decision
10. End of FE Commissioner intervention: Canterbury College
    • 19 April 2017
    • Decision
11. End of FE Commissioner intervention: West Sussex county council
    • 21 March 2017
    • Decision
12. End of FE Commissioner intervention letter: Warrington Collegiate
    • 28 October 2016
    • Decision

Published 19 October 2016
Last updated 25 February 2020 + show all updates

1. 25 February 2020

   Added FE Commissioner interventions for North Lincolnshire Council and St Mary’s College.

2. 24 February 2020

   Added ‘FE Commissioner intervention: National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure’.

3. 7 February 2020

   Added FE Commissioner intervention reports for Warrington and Vale Royal College and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

4. 5 November 2019

   Added ‘FE Commissioner intervention: Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College’.

5. 15 October 2019

   Added intervention reports for Brooklands College, Hartlepool College and Moulton College.

6. 11 July 2019

   Added ‘FE Commissioner intervention: St Helens College’.

7. 23 May 2019

   Added FE Commissioner intervention reports for Hadlow College and West Kent and Ashford College.

8. 22 March 2019

   Added ‘FE Commissioner intervention: North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College’ and ‘FE Commissioner intervention summary report: Macclesfield College’.

9. 8 March 2019

   Added the FE Commissioner’s review of Cornwall’s post-16 provision.

10. 1 March 2019

    ‘FE Commissioner intervention: Bracknell and Wokingham College’ and ‘FE Commissioner intervention: Prospects College of Advanced Technology’ moved to closed interventions.

11. 7 February 2019

    Added reports and ministerial responses for Easton and Otley College, John Ruskin College and North Hertfordshire College.

12. 2 November 2018

    Added ‘FE Commissioner intervention: West Nottinghamshire College’ and ‘FE Commissioner intervention: Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College’.

13. 11 October 2018

    Added ‘FE Commissioner intervention: Northumberland College’.

14. 12 July 2018

    Added FE Commissioner intervention report: Ruskin College

15. 25 May 2018

    Added FE Commissioner intervention reports for Moulton college, PROCAT, Sunderland council. Moved Essex county council and Gateway Sixth Form College to closed interventions.
16. 11 April 2018

    Added FE Commissioner intervention report: Barnfield College

17. 22 March 2018

    Updated page text to reflect the expansion of the FE Commissioner role.

18. 22 March 2018

    Added FE Commissioner intervention report for Cadbury Sixth Form College.

19. 1 March 2018

    Added FE Commissioner intervention report for Bradford College.

20. 1 March 2018

    Added FE Commissioner intervention report for Kirklees College.

21. 22 February 2018

    Added FE Commissioner intervention report: The Guildford College Group.

22. 8 February 2018

    Added FE Commissioner’s intervention reports on The Cornwall College Group, and Bracknell and Wokingham College, and the Skills Minister’s responses.

23. 13 October 2017

    Added Richmond upon Thames College, Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, and Wakefield metropolitan district council to ‘Closed interventions’ list.

24. 19 July 2017

    Added FE Commissioner’s intervention report on Moulton College and the Skills Minister’s response.

25. 6 July 2017

    Added a letter ending FE Commissioner intervention for Canterbury College. Added a report and letter for Wiltshire council, Redcar and Cleveland College and Oldham College.

26. 23 June 2017

    Added letter ending FE Commissioner intervention for Stanmore College and moved ‘FE Commissioner intervention report: Stafford College’ to ‘closed interventions’.

27. 12 April 2017

    Added FE Commissioner’s intervention reports on Essex county council and Stratford-upon-Avon college, and letter ending FE Commissioner intervention for West Sussex county council.

28. 24 March 2017

    Added FE Commissioner’s intervention reports on Huntingdon College and the Skills Minister’s response.

29. 17 March 2017

    Added letter ending FE Commissioner intervention for Warrington Collegiate.

30. 16 March 2017

    Added FE Commissioner’s intervention reports on Tresham College and Epping Forest College and Skills Minister’s responses.

31. 24 February 2017

    Added the FE Commissioner’s intervention report on Lambeth College and the Apprenticeships and Skills Minister’s response.

32. 23 February 2017

    Added Hereward College FE Commissioner assessment summary.

33. 16 February 2017

    Added Canterbury College FE Commissioner assessment summary.

34. 10 February 2017

    Added the FE Commissioner’s intervention report on the Hull College group and the Apprenticeships and Skills Minister’s response.

35. 19 October 2016

    First published.

Contents