Newbury College are currently in Intervention following receipt of a Financial Notice to Improve. The team are working through the requirements to develop a sustainable future for the College.
“Newbury College has been central to the development of thousands of students over the last 76 years and fundamental to the provision of key skills for businesses in the area.
“We are pleased to receive the support of the DfE and FEC to undertake the review and evaluate future options for Newbury College to ensure that its long history is sustainable into the future.
"We continue to be focused on excellence for our students, embedding the key requirements for quality learning and developing skills for our communities providing ‘Careers, not Courses’."
Lee Probert, Principal and Chief Executive
Frequently asked questions:
What is Intervention?
Intervention was triggered by our financial situation and a result of receiving the Financial Notice to Improve (NtI). The Department for Education, who issue the NtI, refers us to the Further Education Commissioner’s (FEC) team for an independent assessment. An Intervention Assessment Report is then issued to us with a list of recommendations. One of the recommendations is to undertake a Structure and Prospects Appraisal (SPA).
Newbury College begins to undertake a Structure and Prospects Appraisal (SPA), in conjunction with the Further Education Commissioner (FEC), to assess the College’s long term financial viability and provide the Board with direction for a sustainable future.
Who are the FEC?
Currently led by Shelagh Legrave CBE DL, the FEC, otherwise known as the Further Education Commissioner, works with FE colleges to improve their quality and financial resilience and is part of the Department for Education. We have worked with them for a few years now.
What is the SPA?
A SPA is a Structure and Prospects Appraisal. It is a systematic process, conducted by the Further Education Commissioner and their team, that assesses the college's ability to maintain financial sustainability and continue the delivery of high-quality education.
What is the point of a SPA?
We want to ensure we are delivering the best opportunities for you, the community, our staff, students, employers and stakeholders. The SPA Process will look at how we maintain our finances, continue to deliver quality learning for our students, and meet the skills needs of our employers. It will enable our Board to decide on how the College proceeds for the future.
What factors will be taken into account for the proposals?
The SPA steering group will agree a set of criteria to help select a recommendation, but the core criteria is set as follows:
- the provision we offer
- how will West Berkshire’s educational needs be met by us and other institutions?
- how will West Berkshire’s economic and business needs be met?
- how will the quality of provision for our current and future learners be sustained and improved?
- how will value for money and sustained financial viability of our college be achieved, and our existing financial liabilities be addressed?
What are the possible outcomes of this SPA Process?
- continue as a standalone organisation
- merger with another Further Education College
- changes to how we currently do things such as internal restructure
- curriculum and/or estates rationalisation
- maintaining the status quo
- becoming an academy
- disaggregation (in which part of the college becomes a separate entity)
- closure (where continued financial viability is in doubt)
What happens because of this process?
At the end of the process the board will:
- have a set of objective, and impartial recommendations for the future structure and provision, based on thorough analysis of available information
- be able to make an informed decision for the sustainable future of the College