THE new head of Weymouth College says the college is getting back on track after it was given the lowest rating by Ofsted due to its financial crisis and failures by previous leaders to deal with problems.

Nigel Evans, who was made acting principal after Liz Myles was suspended last November, made reassurances that the college was being turned around with new leaders at the helm and the financial predicament was being addressed. It was revealed on Wednesday that Ms Myles, who took over in 2012, had ‘resigned due to retirement’.

She is criticised in the report for ‘ill considered’ strategic decisions which impacted on the finances.

The ‘inadequate’ rating by Ofsted means inspectors will return to check on progress.

Staff are devastated as the college has been given a ‘good’ rating for others areas including teaching and learning, and has been commended for considerable improvements made since the last inspection in 2013 when it was given a ‘requires improvement’ rating.

But the report highlights ‘poor strategic management and failure by governors to hold the previous principal and other senior managers to account’ in monitoring the financial performance which led to a ‘significant budget deficit’.

The report also criticised course planning which did not take into account whether courses were viable, and picks up on the few learners on AS-level programmes who do not make good progress.

Mr Evans, who is among the new faces in the college’s senior leadership team, said ‘rapid’ progress had been made both financially and academically in the last few months. There has been a shake-up of the governing body with a new chairman and deputy, and new members bringing a range of expertise to the board. Former chairman of governors John Brewster resigned at the end of last year but stayed on until January.

Mr Evans said more than £1 million had been saved as efforts are made to get the budget back on track, with only a handful of job losses.

The Further Education Commissioner is said to be encouraged by progress and has frozen the review the college was under.

The Echo reported at the time of the Ofsted inspection how staff had been told to expect a poor mark due to the financial state.

The report says ‘profligate’ spending up until the end of 2013/14, combined with missed opportunities for income generation, led to a ‘very substantial’ budget deficit.

It adds: “Strategic planning is poor and does not take sufficient account of the college’s current financial plight in setting a realistic vision to achieve stability and sustainability, now and in the future.

“Reductions in staffing and the turmoil caused by a number of restructures have, until recently, exacerbated the problems caused by the lack of proper financial checks and balances.”

It goes on to criticise governance for being ‘inadequate’ and that procedures to monitor the financial status failed to identify the implications of major expenditure carried out by the principal.

The report adds: “The previous lack of experience and competence of senior leaders in managing the college’s finances has now been significantly addressed through the appointment of suitably qualified and experienced staff.”

 

'We will resolve this'

Acting Principal Nigel Evans said: “The whole college is very disappointed with the overall inspection grade awarded.

“The corporation, the senior team and all of the staff and students are extremely proud of the progress this college has made since its last inspection, and those achievements have included 2 AoC Beacon Awards.

“Achieving a grade 2 ‘good’ for outcomes for students, and a grade 2 ‘good’ for teaching, learning and assessment on top of grade 2s for all of our curriculum areas inspected is a resounding tribute to all of the hard work and dedication of our staff, and the fantastic efforts of our students.

"We would urge everyone to read the Ofsted report for a real view of the academic performance of Weymouth College.”

He added: “We are not going to gnash our teeth or wring our hands or because of this setback.

"We are clearly a ‘Good’ college which has undergone some significant leadership and management issues. We have resolved many of them and we will resolve the rest.

"Then Ofsted will return to re-inspect, and we will be working extremely hard to ensure staff and students are justly rewarded and the College achieves the grade 1 ‘outstanding’ for overall effectiveness it truly deserves.

“The College’s main priorities are to continue to address its financial position and to continue improving teaching, learning and assessment for the benefit of its students.

"With the progress that has already been made, and the positive experiences of our students, the prospects for 2015/16 are very exciting.”