Council launches investigation into college amid ‘serious allegations’

Several leaders of a council-run adult education college will remain “away from the workplace” after the council launched an independent investigation following “serious allegations”.

City College Peterborough will be without executive principal Pat Carrington, who is also chair of adult education network HOLEX’s board, plus two unnamed senior members of the college “until further notice”.

Peterborough City Council, which runs its adult and community learning provision through the college, said the college will remain open as normal during this period.

A city council spokesperson said: “As a result of the council receiving some allegations in relation to City College Peterborough, executive principal Pat Carrington and two further senior managers at the college will be away from the workplace until further notice.

“An independent investigation will now commence and as a result we are unable to comment further.”

The council would not name the other two senior members or clarify the college’s interim management at the time of publication.

No further information about the nature of the allegations has been released.

City College Peterborough is a registered charity and has around 120 employees who offer training to 16- to 19-year-olds, adult education courses like English for speakers of other languages, and apprenticeships.

Its last Ofsted report from 2017 rated the college as ‘good’.

According to its annual accounts for the period ended March 30, 2022, the college recorded over £3.7 million in income from donations and other charitable activities. It had a fund balance of nearly £5 million at the end of the financial year and achieved a surplus of £133,000.

Pat Carrington became executive principal in 2017, but has worked at the college since 2007. She has been part of the Holex board since 2014, becoming its voluntary chair in 2017 when she was also awarded an MBE for services to the community of Peterborough and further education.

She forms part of a four-strong executive team, plus six governors.

Carrington was approached for comment.

City College Peterborough declined to comment.

Anviksha Patel

Anviksha joined the FE Week team as a senior reporter in May 2023. She began her career after moving to London in 2016 from Bolton, armed with a degree in modern languages and a desire to pursue journalism. Over the years, she has worked her way up the ranks at multiple national trade publications, covering commercial property, NHS general practice and the financial markets, before moving to FE Week. Anviksha’s home is now in south London. Outside of work, she enjoys watercolour painting, learning Beyoncé dance routines and obsessively photographing her feline housemate.

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