College silent about exit of principal before Ofsted visit

Staff 'left in the dark' by 'ongoing absence' of Burnley boss

Staff 'left in the dark' by 'ongoing absence' of Burnley boss

A college principal has mysteriously left her post – and leaders and governors have refused to say who is running the institution.

Karen Buchanan (pictured) began working at Burnley College in 1986 as a part-time lecturer and became deputy principal in 2011 before taking on the top job in 2017.

But FE Week understands she left the position just before an Ofsted inspection from March 11 to 14.

Rumours about her sudden departure have been swirling ever since, but the college has so far refused to give a reason for Buchanan’s exit, say whether she will return, or confirm who is now leading the college, which receives over £33 million in public funding annually.

Staff have been “left in the dark”, said University and College Union north west regional official Matt Arrowsmith.

He told FE Week: “UCU is increasingly concerned about developments at Burnley College. Our members have been left in the dark for weeks regarding the ongoing absence of the principal.

“Despite requests from UCU, all we have been told is that the principal is on ‘a period of personal leave’. 

“The lack of information regarding the principal’s role is fuelling speculation, and we are deeply concerned about the damage this may be causing to the standing and reputation of the college and its strategic leadership.”

Burnley College teaches around 10,000 students and is in a financially healthy position according to its latest 2024 accounts which show a £1.9 million surplus, £21.5 million in reserves and an ‘outstanding’ financial health rating.

The college employs almost 700 people, 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.

Buchanan’s salary rose 10 per cent last year, rising from £169,000 in 2023 to £186,000 in 2024.

Burnley College failed to comment on the principal’s exit despite multiple requests from FE Week.

Current chair David Brown has been a governor at the college since 2005 and became the board’s leader last year when longstanding chair of over 15 years David Meakin retired.

Arrowsmith said the college had a “duty to be open and transparent” and UCU will be “writing to college governors, again, to request an update and to seek assurances about the leadership of the college”.

He added: “In the meantime, we will continue to support UCU members who, despite the ongoing uncertainty, are continuing to provide a first-class education for their students.”

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Safe to speak, ready to act: SaferSpace targets harassment and misconduct in education 

In an era where safeguarding and compliance are firmly in the spotlight, education providers face a growing responsibility: to...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Screening for the cognitive needs of apprentices is essential – does it matter if the process is engaging?

Engagement should be the first priority in cognitive assessment. An engaging assessment is an inclusive assessment — when cognitive...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Skills Bootcamps Are Changing – What FE Colleges Must Know 

Skills Bootcamps are evolving as funding moves to local control and digital skills trends shift. Code Institute, an Ofsted...

Code Institute
Sponsored post

Building Strong Leadership for Effective T Level Implementation

Are you struggling with T Level curriculum and implementation, or building strong employer relationships? Do you want to develop...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Colleges

Liverpool college repays DfE after investigators find ‘inaccurate’ funding claims

The college said the issues stem from the ‘complex’ apprenticeship system and remote working during the pandemic

Josh Mellor
Colleges

Leaders quit as Furness College continues recovery

The principal will leave in October and the chair has been replaced by a former deputy FE commissioner

Shane Chowen
Colleges

Colleges call for funding preventative mental health strategies

Colleges experiencing more complex needs, survey says

Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Personal reasons for Burnley College boss’s exit – reports

Interim principal replacement finally revealed

Billy Camden

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 Comments

  1. Peter

    Shame on the college for failing in its duty to be transparent to students, parents and staff, they have a right to know. Many chose their education on its reputation. This is not the first time the college has been less than transparent. You do not walk someone off site for personal leave. The college is rife with corruption and abuse of privilege. For some reason they believe they have a right to mislead those that fund them. This is another example of toxic leadership in the sector, Liverpool City College another. The Government should investigate. Anyone averting the truth should go. How dare they !!!

  2. Phillip Hatton

    I thought that the days of having governors exceed two times four years of time with one college were gone and that it is so well known that it should not happen, without good reason for it such as a merger. Twenty years should ha
    Ve been picked up by Ofsted some time ago in inspection. Is FE Week confirming the high achievement claimed or not? There is history of inspection years back debunking claims of high achievement by senior managers. We await the inspection report with interest.

  3. Peter Smith

    Was the principal escorted off site ? If so never known a principal escorted off site for personal reasons? Is it illegal for a public institution to mislead the public ? If the principal has been suspended or put on garden leave would this be in the public interest?