An east London training provider is fighting to keep its adult learner loan contract after receiving a rare ‘urgent improvement’ Ofsted judgement last month. Adult training centre Eden College, based in Romford, received the lowest grade for its leadership and governance in a report published on July 24, which described “overwhelmed” senior leaders and learners falling behind. Staff, including middle managers and tutors, did not keep accurate records, leaving leaders and governors without a precise understanding of the provider’s strengths and weaknesses, inspectors found. Days after the inspection report was published, Department for Education (DfE) officials sent the company a ‘notice of intention to take contractual action’. Owner Freda Jacobson has now asked the DfE to monitor the training provider’s improvement in the coming months instead of immediately terminating its contract. FE Week understands the provider has suspended new starts. DfE guidance on intervention at ITPs which have been assessed as ‘urgent improvement’ by Ofsted says the department will “typically terminate” their contracts after offering an opportunity to make representations. But officials may issue “strict contractual conditions” where there is evidence that “rapid and robust” quality improvement can be made. According to adult skills fund performance and management rules for both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years, the department’s policy may also include reducing or removing a provider’s allocation if an Ofsted grade is inadequate. In the 12 months from the introduction of the new Ofsted inspection framework in November 2025, officials will “evaluate each case according to its own circumstances”. ‘Leaders feel overwhelmed’ In their report, Ofsted inspectors said learners were falling behind due to insufficient management oversight of progress, attendance and achievement. The Ofsted report, published on July 24, said: “Key management responsibilities are concentrated among a few staff, and middle managers and administrative staff lack the confidence and skills to analyse and report information accurately. “As a result, senior leaders feel overwhelmed and unable to monitor the provision effectively or drive sustained improvements quickly,” the report added. Jacobson said Eden College has reflected on the inspection findings and is “committed to implementing all recommendations” to improve its provision. These include “strengthened” procedures around attendance monitoring, governance arrangements, and teaching oversight. The owner added that she found the inspection process “very difficult”. The inspection was paused on day one, and resumed three days later. At the time of the inspection in June, Eden College of Human Resource Development and Management Studies Limited, or Eden College, had 114 adult learner loan-funded students across England, training in childcare and health and social care, at levels 3 to 5. Other students were on study level 3 diplomas in gym instructing and personal training, alongside level 3 awards and courses in special educational needs, and beauty and micropigmentation. The provider opened more than 25 years ago and is owned by Jacobson, who also runs Edenberries Day Nursery and Pre-School on the same site. Ofsted graded Eden College’s teaching as ‘expected standard’, noting its “carefully planned” curriculum, knowledgeable tutors, and good preparation for their professions. ‘Too many’ missing learning However, inspectors also rated achievement, participation and development, and inclusion as ‘needs attention’. At the time of the visit, almost three quarters of learners were “behind with their studies” and a few learners had made “only limited progress” several months after their expected completion dates. Leaders did not set high expectations for attendance, with “too many” missing learning and making slow progress, the inspectorate found. While staff generally understood the needs of individual learners, extra support for learners with barriers was implemented inconsistently, with one group of beauty skills learners not receiving the additional English language support they needed. However, learners studied in “supportive and welcoming” environments, valued tutors’ personal support, and spoke positively about the flexibility of training programmes. This year’s inspection follows a 2024 inspection that downgraded Eden College from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ over “significant disruption” to some learners’ studies and poor tracking of learners’ progress. Department for Education funding data shows the training provider had an approved facility for advanced learner loans and bursaries of more than £300,000 per year for the last four years. However, the most up-to-date reconciled funding figures suggest the business accessed loans and bursaries of only £18,664 in 2022-23 and £17,891 in 2023-24. Eden College also had an adult education contract with the Greater London Authority, earning £194,578 in 2021-22 and £257,000 in 2022-23. This ended following the launch of the GLA’s new Jobs and Skills for Londoners contracts in 2023. The company is currently listed as suspended from new starts on the apprenticeship provider and assessment register. It joined the register in 2017, but is understood to have stopped delivering apprenticeship training in 2023.