Burnley College principal officially suspended

Burnley College’s principal Karen Buchanan has been suspended pending an investigation, a spokesperson has confirmed.

It comes two weeks after the college stated Buchanan was “absent for personal reasons”.

In a new statement to the Burnley Express today, the college said the suspension is “in line with its normal policies and procedures to ensure a fair and transparent process” while an investigation takes place.

The nature of the investigation remains unknown.

Buchanan stepped down from her position shortly before Ofsted inspected the large college earlier this year.

The college has appointed deputy principal Kate Wallace as interim principal post.

The college said today: “Burnley College can confirm that the principal, Karen Buchanan, has been suspended pending an ongoing investigation.

“The college has taken this step in line with its normal policies and procedures to ensure a fair and transparent process. In the meantime, deputy principal Kate Wallace will act as interim principal. We will make no further comment at this time.”

Buchanan began working at Burnley College in 1986 as a part-time lecturer and became deputy principal in 2011 before taking the helm in 2018. 

Meanwhile, Wallace joined Burnley College in 2022 and became deputy principal in 2023.

The 10,000-student college is in a financially healthy position according to its latest 2023-24 accounts, which show a £1.9 million surplus, £21.5 million in reserves and an ‘outstanding’ financial health rating.

Almost 700 people are employed at the college which was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in 2021, and last year self-assessed as ‘outstanding’ on the watchdog’s scale.

It boasts on its website that it is the “number one” college in England for 16 to 18 achievement rates on the government’s most recently published achievement rates table in March 2024, and claims to have held the position since 2018.