Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe Chichester College Group is keeping tight-lipped over the long-term absence of its chief executive, who remains away from his post as the new academic year begins. Andrew Green, who has held the top job since 2021, has not been working at the group since December last year. The college has refused to explain the reasons for his eight-month absence or say when or if he will return. Green has remained active online, promoting an executive leadership coaching business he co-founded and attending events for Culture Shift CIO, a charity that he chairs. But he remains missing from the college as the 2026-27 academic year gets underway. A college spokesperson told FE Week it had a policy not to comment on individual matters, including for the accountable officer of the organisation. “As an employer, we owe all employees a duty of privacy regarding any leave of absence,” they said. The spokesperson confirmed that the group’s deputy chief executive, Vicki Illingworth, continues to undertake the statutory duties of the chief executive and accounting officer. “Appropriate arrangements remain in place to ensure that the group continues to operate effectively and deliver high-quality services to the communities it serves,” they added. Mysteriously absent Chichester College Group teaches close to 23,000 students and employs 2,400 staff across nine campuses. It received £126 million last year, £97 million of which from public funding body grants, according to its 2025 accounts. Green took over from Shelagh Legrave in 2021, when she left to become FE Commissioner. He first joined Chichester College in 2010 as deputy principal, and became executive principal at the institution in 2017 following a merger with Crawley College (formerly Central Sussex College). Green also served as interim chief executive of Greater Brighton Metropolitan College in 2020, before it merged with Chichester College Group in 2022. The group’s latest accounts show that Green was paid a basic salary of £180,000 in 2025, with £4,000 in benefits in kind and £52,000 in pension contribution. Green has been missing from the college since December 3, when Illingworth became interim accounting officer and began to lead governing board meetings on his behalf. Illingworth explained in an all-staff email on December 10 that Green had taken a “leave of absence” and she would cover his duties until further notice. A source close to the college said staff have not been told the reasons for Green’s absence. Another senior leader at the group, chief commercial officer Dan Power, also took a period of leave this year before mutually agreeing with the college to stand down at the end of June. The Department for Education and FE Commissioner’s office declined to comment. Green also declined to comment.
Anon 17 August 2026 Why do people deserve to know? CEOs have a right to privacy too. I’m more concerned that FE Week continuously focuses on situations like this where personal issues may be involved but continually ignore CEOs that are seriously breaking the rules and treating their staff and students abhorrently. That wouldn’t be because of the correlation between the aforementioned CEOs and the people that FE Week journalists have drinks with at the AoC Conference, would it?
hugo clement 20 August 2026 This is tax payers money so the college is accountable to tax payers (ie us). The college should be fully transparent. Colleges and councils often seem to forget this. Especially West Sussex Council where the college is based which runs on nepotism.