Skills excellence is the missing ingredient in the UK’s industrial strategy

The UK’s modern industrial strategy recognises that skills increase productivity, increase innovation and support technology adoption. There’s just one wording missing from that sentence: excellence. WorldSkills UK has learnt through successive international skills Olympics over the last ten years that competence in skills is good but excellence in skills is game-changing.

Skills excellence is essential for international competitiveness and a magnet for global investment, key pillars on which the industrial strategy is built.  The FE sector, some would argue long overlooked in discussions of economic growth, is now on the front line of delivering these ambitious national growth plans.

Colleges, independent training providers and universities are essential in embedding world-class, international standards at the heart of how we train, develop, and empower the next generation. They also serve as anchors of regional growth, ensuring investment reaches every corner of the country.

What do we mean by skills excellence?    

Skills excellence is the development of world-class technical and professional standards.  At its pinnacle it encompasses high-level expertise, precision and innovation – for example milling to a 1mm tolerance, working under time pressure to meet changing deadlines and having the confidence to bring forward new ideas. But it can start off with simple steps, such as encouraging learners to go outside their comfort zone and understanding, and through clear assessment frameworks how to keep improving. These are all qualities essential for driving productivity and sharpening the UKs competitive advantage, which is why they should be built into the government’s new skills packages for the digital, engineering and defence sectors.

Aligning with the skills that employers need

Bringing employers and the skills system closer together is a critical part of embedding skills excellence.  Employers are involved in setting the standards that we use at international and national level competitions, making sure they are focused on the latest industry practices and technology. Our competition model includes practical and project-based assessments which mirror the application of skills that employers need, with many involved in the setting and judging of competition tasks. WorldSkills UK is helping ensure that global industry standards are built into UK occupational standards and curricula through our network of international skills experts. 

Investing in educators

The ten-year timeframe set out by the Prime Minister in the industrial strategy gives the UK time to invest in its technical education workforce so we can shift from teaching for competence to teaching for excellence.  We know the appetite is out there. Our centre of excellence programme, in partnership with NCFE, has shown enormous demand for a pedagogical approach that focuses on skills excellence. We’ve already worked with 14,000 educators and nearly 230,000 learners have already benefited from their adoption of a world-class teacher methodology.

This drive towards high-quality skills development is further reinforced by DfE’s criteria for becoming a college of technical excellence in construction, which recognises institutions that demonstrate a commitment to quality through initiatives like our national competitions and the centre of excellence.

International insights

The UK needs to understand how other countries are developing skills excellence. The WorldSkills movement, now in its eighth decade, is a perfect way to do this and has been giving us the opportunity to bring global standards of excellence back to the UK and benchmark UK technical education against the best in the world. With an industrial strategy focused on making the UK the best place to invest and improving competitiveness of our home-grown industries, these international insights will be critical.   

Mainstreaming skills excellence isn’t about focusing on an elite few. It’s about setting high aspirations for every learner, at every level. The UK’s modern industrial strategy, with its promise of additional funding and the political recognition that skills is an enabler of growth should give us the opportunity to make skills excellence a reality for all young learners and build a high-skilled economy.

Power crisis: the UK’s infrastructure boom could stall before it starts

The government wants to go big on infrastructure, housing, and green growth. It’s an ambitious agenda, and rightly so.

But there’s a problem: you can’t build what you can’t power.

Our new report from JTL, Powering the Future, reveals a fast-declining electrical workforce. At the heart of the issue is a strained apprenticeship system. Without urgent action, the lights on these plans may never come on.

Apprenticeships are the gold standard in this sector, yet the training pipeline is limited. To maintain the workforce, we need over 10,500 new electrical apprenticeship starts each year. We’ve been averaging just over 7,500.

Recent skills policies have prioritised general construction over the electrical workforce, despite the industrial strategy identifying technical skills for infrastructure and clean energy as priorities.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Since 2018, England’s electrical workforce has shrunk by 26.2 per cent. Even with a slight rise in apprenticeships, more people are leaving the trade than entering. If this continues, the workforce could shrink by another 32 per cent by 2038.

This decline is evidenced in JTL’s new national projection model, developed with industry partners, offering a 15-year forecast of workforce size and skill levels.

That decline threatens to increase project costs, delay delivery, and jeopardise major plans; from housing to data centres.

Electricians don’t just wire buildings – they wire the economy. They install systems in new homes, Hinkley Point, HS2, clean energy tech, retrofits, and EV charging infrastructure.

Policy Isn’t Keeping Up

Government policy remains reactive, addressing some of today’s shortages while neglecting the greater, looming skills gap. JTL’s detailed projection modelling tool anticipates future demand, but there’s no coordinated national approach from central government to model that demand and align with its own ambitions; from mass house-building to net zero targets to a once-in-a-generation infrastructure programme.

Without strategic forecasting, the UK risks failure – not from lack of ambition, but from lack of foresight.

Furthermore, shortcuts are creeping in. Fast-track training and funding for classroom-only courses that don’t result in a job are eroding industry standards. In safety-critical roles, that’s both unacceptable and dangerous.

Competence matters. We need rigorous training and fully qualified entrants. Anything less risks safety and quality.

What Needs to Change

To close this skills gap, we need bold and immediate action beyond the government’s recent focus on foundation apprenticeships. Our report outlines four recommendations:

Set ambitious targets: Government must work with industry to set and meet annual goals for apprenticeship starts in the electrical sector. This means forecasting based on future infrastructure needs, not just current shortfalls.

Fix the funding: Apprenticeship funding must rise in line with inflation. Right now, funding doesn’t reflect the true cost of training a skilled electrician. That squeezes providers and limits quality.

Reward quality: Achievement rates matter. Let’s reward high-performing providers, tackle poor completion rates head-on and make data more transparent so we can reduce barriers to achievement.

Back the employers: Most electrical apprentices are trained by small and micro-businesses. They need the financial incentives and support to increase their uptake.

No electricians, no growth

The industrial strategy talks a lot about growth sectors. AI, clean energy and advanced manufacturing all depend on infrastructure – and that means electricians.

No matter the vision, without skilled people, nothing gets built. We can’t grow the economy, meet climate targets, or build homes without a competent electrical workforce to power it all.

JTL proudly trains more electrical apprentices than any other provider in England and Wales, but we can’t scale up without support. We need employers to take on apprentices, and ministers and Skills England must match ambition with action to give this critical workforce the support it urgently needs.

Jeremy Hunt is wrong if he thinks entry level roles aren’t vital

We have a problem with entry level training. While higher level apprenticeship numbers continue to swell, there has been little overall growth in level 2-3 take-up over the last five years.  With almost a million young people not in education, training or employment (NEET), the government is hoping to redress the issue of take-up with the launch of foundation level apprenticeships in the autumn and through recent changes to level 7 funding, directing more money into other levels.

At the same time, the seismic transformation we’re undergoing towards more sustainable, AI-enabled work is fundamentally reshaping many professions. For the economy to thrive, entry-level education needs to be rethought to help new workers and their employers navigate these changes.

There have been calls to replace level 2 apprenticeships with foundation apprenticeships to help tackle these challenges.  That approach, however, assumes that the needs of all occupations are the same and that everyone learns in the same way. We know that this isn’t the case. A rising number of NEET learners simply aren’t ready to meet the demands of employers today. To support learners and create a future ready workforce, we need to provide ways to access skills that best suit learner outcomes and learning style: whether that’s online, in the classroom or on-the-job.

Perhaps the biggest barriers to engaging the nation’s NEETs is perception. With news reports of robots coming to take our jobs, some people are questioning the future of entry level roles altogether. Jeremy Hunt has even suggested that young people should not even consider a career in accountancy due to the advent of AI.

In a sector which is as much about people as numbers, this is simply untrue, and quite a dangerous statement to be making at a time when the UK has huge skills gaps to fill.  Entry level roles will always be required, both as pathways into higher level careers and as destinations in their own right. Roles will simply continue to evolve and drive new opportunities requiring new knowledge and new skills.

A July 2024 Sage report revealed that accounting practices that have integrated AI into several core processes expect to increase the number of employees in their business by 29 per cent over the next three years; 10 times more than those who are not using any AI technologies. This could boost the economy by up to £2 billion.

As automation supports routine tasks, accountants and bookkeepers will have time freed up for interpretation, advisory work, and strategic decision-making, driving greater client value and personal fulfilment.

It is time to evolve again, by offering training choices that feel relevant to learners and employers alike. In accountancy, for example, we’re introducing AI progressively through every level of AAT qualifications.  Level 2 and 3 students will explore how to accurately process financial information, the role of different digital tools, and how to handle data securely. At level 4, the focus shifts to the ethical use of technology and risk management in digital systems.

Sustainabilityis also key. There is growing employer demand for green skills. This requires the foundations being set at those early levels to ensure that anyone going into the workplace can be a key player in wider business decisions being made.

Evolving courses and assessments to include new and relevant skills for the modern workplace, tested in an authentic and robust way, will help learners see the value and relevance of all levels and types of qualification and education, whether they be trusted qualifications or new pathways.

By ensuring choice of access, we can give more people the opportunity to kick-start fulfilling, life-long careers, that will contribute to the success of individual employers and the wider UK economy.

It’s wrong that nobody knows if the adult skills fund actually works

“It is very nice of you to tell Aidan that you will tell him about things. We are the scrutiny body here, and we are saying to you loud and clear that we would like to know more about these things.”

This pointed rebuke from a London Assembly member to Greater London Authority (GLA) officials still resonates with me six months after I addressed the assembly on the mayor’s adult skills fund (ASF).

At that December session, I raised concerns about how little we know about the delivery and impact of the capital’s £345 million programme. Those concerns are not unique to London. Across England, both devolved and non-devolved ASF allocations suffer from a lack of transparency and accountability amidst evidence of substantial budget underspends.

Unlike apprenticeships, where comprehensive data is available from national to individual provider level, we know remarkably little about the outcomes of ASF-funded provision. There is ample data on learner participation. But scant information exists on job outcomes or progression. In London, the GLA’s Learner Survey attempts to fill the gap. However, small-scale survey extrapolations are a poor substitute for robust performance data.

This opacity matters. Sector leaders frequently point to the overall decline in the adult education budget since 2010, but when the Treasury looks for evidence to justify more investment, it finds little to support the case. Without hard outcomes, officials are left unconvinced.

Caretakers of decline

Even before the local elections attention in government had turned again to the ASF, with senior cabinet members demanding that all departmental programmes demonstrate value for money as part of the so-called “Plan for Change”. Labour’s Growth Group of MPs has since accused ministers of being “caretakers of decline”, while another Labour MP warned that “we cannot afford to let stale institutions, cautious regulators, pressure groups or vested interests stand in the way” of reform.

Adult skills funding may not have been the immediate target of those criticisms, but it absolutely should be part of the conversation. Skills policy was central to the prime minister’s recent proposals to reduce immigration. Yet the ASF remains poorly understood and weakly monitored.

Calls for reform are nothing new. The Leitch Review in 2006 set out a clear direction for demand-led funding. But resistance, including from civil servants, has kept much of the system unchanged. Today, it is hard to defend a multi-million-pound programme, delivered almost entirely through grants, with so little public accountability.

The London Assembly agrees. Members have rightly demanded access to provider funding agreements, which might show whether large college groups are held to the same job outcome targets as independent training providers on the GLA’s framework and we should know what the outcomes are. Politicians in other regions should make similar demands and not accept spurious references to commercial confidentiality as an excuse.

Demand-led advantages

The case for making the ASF more demand-led has long been established. In a recent FE Week profile, Isle of Wight College principal Ros Parker noted that after advertising courses in carpentry and welding, the college received 500 applications overnight. It had to close applications early due to overwhelming demand. More provision is now planned for the autumn. But a genuinely demand-led, roll-on-roll-off system could have allowed the college to respond faster.

ASF funding agreements should align more closely and transparently with the sector priorities set out in Local Skills Improvement Plans, especially now that mayors co-own those plans. The mayors’ offices should be thoroughly scrutinising the work of the combined authority officials in this regard.

The current grant allocation system for post-19 provision should be phased out and Lord Blunkett’s call to revive individual learning accounts deserves serious attention. The Department for Education has confirmed that mayors could use ASF to pilot such schemes. Proven models already exist internationally and the technology to deliver them is readily available.

In February, Sir Sadiq Khan announced that he would “start to change the way London commissions adult education” to make it more employer-led. We await the details, but there is hope that long-overdue reform may finally be on its way.

Why FE colleges must lead the fight against coercive control

This month, our college partnered with Avon and Somerset Police and actor and domestic abuse survivor Sam Beckinsale to host Strong Voices, Safe Communities, an event confronting head-on the impact of coercive control and domestic abuse on young people and our communities.

Originally conceived as a local safeguarding initiative, the event quickly resonated beyond Somerset. It reflected a deeper truth: FE colleges are not just educational institutions, but frontline safeguarding environments.

The Hidden Threat in Plain Sight

Conversations throughout the day revealed a pervasive challenge. Local businesses, students and community members shared personal stories of coercive control—stories often hidden in plain sight. Their openness underscored a key lesson: this is not a private issue. It’s a systemic one, affecting every postcode, classroom and age group.

What made the greatest impact wasn’t just the presence of experts or professionals. It was the ownership shown by students. Performing arts learners at Strode College developed original vignettes exploring the realities of coercive control. These performances ignited some of the most honest and impactful discussions of the day.

For too many young people, coercive control is not theoretical—it is lived, normalised and silently endured. If we are to tackle it effectively, they must not only be part of the conversation – they must lead it.

A Role for Every College

The screening of Love?, a film co-created by Sam Beckinsale and director Jason Figgis, highlighted the often-misunderstood realities of psychological abuse. As Beckinsale stated powerfully: “Coercive control kills—and without a fist being raised.”

The response to the event was overwhelmingly positive. Delegates from across education, local government and the business community praised the event’s depth, urgency, and student voice. Crucially, a number of local employers pledged to join the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), recognising their own role in supporting staff and communities affected by abuse.

We are incredibly proud that the talented students who participated in the conference have won the Educational Partnership Award from Avon and Somerset Police in recognition of the powerful work they have done using drama to raise awareness about domestic abuse.

The FE sector has a critical role to play in shifting the national narrative. As safeguarding leads, curriculum designers and leaders of place, colleges must:

  • Widen the lens: Explore how trauma, poverty, identity conflict, and digital exploitation make young people vulnerable.
  • Equip and empower: Ensure both staff and students can recognise, challenge, and respond to coercive behaviours whilst remaining safe.
  • Platform student voices: Involve young people in co-producing resources, campaigns and future events.
  • Share and scale good practice: Work collaboratively across institutions to influence policy and improve intervention.

Too often, coercive control is dismissed as “relationship drama”—particularly when the victim is young. That myth must end. Colleges are uniquely positioned to model healthy relationships and educate on agency, consent and bystander intervention.

From Awareness to Action

Strode College joined EIDA during the event – an important step toward organisational change. But the real challenge lies within. Are we trauma-informed? Are we creating environments where students feel safe enough to speak?

We call on fellow colleges to work with us – not just to respond to abuse, but to prevent it. That means embedding this work into tutorial programmes, student leadership frameworks and staff development. It means recognising coercive control as a safeguarding priority.

Our next step is a follow-up conference with a more diverse range of voices, including students, exploring how coercive control manifests across different communities and relationships.

Leadership Through Education

Further education has long been a place of transformation. In the fight against coercive control, it can also be a place of national leadership. There is momentum here, and we believe the sector is ready to act.

Let’s make it clear: to those who seek to manipulate, isolate, and harm – there is no place to hide. Not in our communities. Not in our colleges. Not anymore.

The unseen impact of Ofsted: What one grade can really cost

Why as a country are we so obsessed with Ofsted grades, and why do we view anything not “good” or “outstanding” with the perception that everything must be appalling at that provider?  This is something I’ve been grappling with for the last year.  

At 9am on June 24 2024, and I’d just taken my seat at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers conference in London when i received the phone call that nobody wants; two days’ notice of a full Ofsted inspection for our skills bootcamps provision.  We’d never experienced an inspection before as a standalone provider, as all our provision had been sub-contracted from local authorities and colleges.  Nothing compares to the pandora’s box opening at your own full inspection. 

Worse still, it completely caught us out.  Whilst we had received our first Ofsted monitoring visit, for traineeships in 2022,  I didn’t expect a full inspection so soon for our recently acquired bootcamps provision. We’d been out of scope for an inspection, with traineeship funding coming to an end the previous academic year.

After the dreaded call, I quietly slipped away to our Brighton office to get preparing.  Unfortunately, we didn’t receive the grade we’d hoped for but a grade 3.  It was a fair inspection and whist I viewed it as free consultancy on driving ongoing quality improvement, it came with unexpected consequences.

The obvious one was facing challenges bidding for new contracts, as many colleges automatically exclude providers with an Ofsted grade 3 or 4.  We’ve had no choice but to ‘sit out’ of countless adult skills fund (ASF) tenders, as our Ofsted grade prohibited us from bidding.  This blanket-ban approach has been frustrating, especially as we had a 97.1 per cent achievement rate across 211 enrolments last academic year for our Brighton and Hove City Council adult education sub-contract.  Excluding a provider from bidding for a completely different funding stream doesn’t make sense, especially when our data and references from those councils we’ve delivered on behalf of for many years would clarify the high-quality provision we provide. 

As our bootcamps were the only provision in scope for the inspection, we didn’t have the benefit of other funding streams such as ASF being included to provide a more balanced evaluation. Reviewing Ofsted reports from other providers, I’ve noticed that many have received similar feedback on their skills bootcamps.

What I didn’t expect was our new 16-18 study programmes contract being withdrawn by a London-based college in August, two weeks before delivery was due to commence, as they didn’t want to work with a Grade 3 or 4 provider.  We’d bid for their sub-contract six weeks before our inspection.

To make matters worse, we’d recruited two new staff members who had to be made redundant before they’d even started. 

Then in March when our insurance came up for its annual renewal, our insurance premium went up by £10,000 due to the perceived risk associated with our grade.  Whilst our safeguarding was found by Ofsted to be effective, the underwriters thought our public liability risk was higher. 

Then in May, we were finalising a commercial mortgage with a bank who attempted to charge a higher interest rate because of their perceived increase in risk – all because of one inspection of one funding stream for bootcamps, representing one of our 32 contracts.

Grade 3 is seen as a badge of embarrassment, like an STI that you don’t really want to talk about.  Whilst we found the full inspection incredibly useful and embraced the outcome, outsiders automatically assume the grade applies to every funding stream and programme that the organisation delivers.  What I’ve learnt is commissioners and colleges who sub-contract provision through competitive tenders often take the easiest (and dare I say it idlest) route with due diligence, by taking an Ofsted judgment from one funding stream and applying it across the board.  This risks excluding providers who have strong track records with other funding streams that were out of scope for an inspection.

We have come a long way in the last year, and worked incredibly hard.  In May we received an Ofsted RI monitoring visit, and I look forward to sharing the news once it’s published. 

Colleges should be civil society guardians in a more uncivil world

In an era increasingly defined by division, disconnection, and distrust, FE colleges have a critical yet often under-recognised role to play: acting as guardians of civil society.

Since the 1970s, neoliberalism has shaped much of our public life. This ideology, centred on market logic, individual competition, and personal freedom, has slowly but surely chipped away at collective responsibility and public solidarity. Welfare systems have been weakened. Inequality has deepened. Communities have fragmented. And many individuals now face life’s challenges in isolation—without the social infrastructure that once bound people together.

This erosion of civic life has, in part, created fertile ground for populism and polarisation. When people feel disconnected, unheard, and disempowered, they are more susceptible to simplified answers and scapegoats. What’s needed now is not just economic recovery or policy reform, but a deeper, cultural rebuilding of the social fabric. FE colleges are ideally placed to lead this quiet reconstruction.

FE institutions stand at the intersection of education, community, and civic engagement. Unlike schools or universities, they serve an incredibly diverse mix of learners – across ages, backgrounds, and life experiences. This gives them a unique vantage point from which to nurture inclusive values, promote social connection, and create spaces for critical thinking and democratic participation.

In resisting the commodification of education – where value is measured only in job outcomes or wage increases – FE colleges can reclaim their broader purpose: developing not just workers, but citizens.

So how can colleges actively support civic life while remaining politically neutral? The answer lies in focusing on values, not parties; processes, not ideologies. Here are six ways FE can quietly but powerfully champion civil society:

Embed civic education and critical thinking

Colleges can integrate democracy, rights, responsibilities, and media literacy into the curriculum. Teaching students to critically assess information, engage in respectful debate, and understand how institutions work equips them for active participation in society – without pushing any political agenda.

Facilitate student voice and democratic structures

By supporting student unions, councils, and participatory decision-making, colleges give learners first-hand experience of how democracy works. This lived practice of listening, negotiating, and voting teaches essential civic skills in real time.

Promote volunteering and social impact projects

Community-based projects, whether food drives, mentoring, or environmental initiatives, allow students to engage directly with local needs. These actions build a sense of agency and social responsibility, encouraging students to see themselves as change-makers, not just job-seekers.

Host inclusive dialogue spaces

FE colleges can act as safe havens for open dialogue on complex or controversial issues. By modelling respectful disagreement and ensuring diverse voices (however uncomfortable) are heard, colleges help students learn the art of civil discourse – a foundational skill for democracy.

Model ethical leadership and institutional fairness

Institutions themselves must reflect democratic values – through transparency, accountability, inclusion, and fairness. When students see these principles in action, it reinforces the idea that collective structures can work, and that integrity in leadership matters.

Recognise that ‘skills’ go beyond employment

Too often, curriculum value is measured only in economic terms. But courses like the creative arts play a vital civic role. They spark dialogue, provoke thought, and help build bridges between different communities. These subjects may not always match immediate skills priorities, but they contribute to long-term social cohesion and emotional resilience – qualities our society badly needs.

At TSCG, we take immense pride in our ongoing commitment to championing civil society. From hosting pre-election hustings to supporting the annual Greater Manchester Colleges Question Time, we actively use our platform to bring diverse voices together and nurture constructive, respectful dialogue.

Our student council serves as a vibrant hub for democratic engagement and social impact initiatives, empowering learners to shape their college experience and contribute meaningfully to wider society. Through our tutorial and student experience programmes, we strive to go beyond the curriculum and equip students with the skills, values, and confidence they need to thrive as active citizens in today’s complex world.

Yet, we recognise that this work is never complete. We have a responsibility to deepen our impact by reaching out to those in our communities who feel disenfranchised, disconnected or unheard. Strengthening democracy starts with inclusion, a key value for TSCG, and our mission must continue to evolve to meet that challenge.

FE colleges are more than places of training—they are democratic microcosms. By nurturing thoughtful, engaged, and collaborative learners, they help counteract the isolating forces of neoliberalism and the allure of simplistic populism. In doing so, they hold open the space for a more civil, connected, and compassionate society.

DfE appoints three new FE national leaders

Three leaders of ‘outstanding’ colleges have been appointed to the Department for Education’s roster of national leaders of further education. 

The national leaders (NLFEs) form part of the FE Commissioner’s active support offer and are sent in to guide and mentor colleges facing difficulties. 

Following a recruitment round in February, Notre Dame Sixth Form College principal Justine Barlow, City Lit principal and CEO Mark Malcomson and New City College group principal and CEO Gerry McDonald have been appointed. 

They will serve three-year terms. 

Joining them is Peter Doherty, deputy principal for finance and resources and Kirklees College, who has been made a national leader of further education finance specialists. 

Each of NLFE’s home colleges can claim up to £15,000 per year from a DfE bursary to cover “costs associated” with their principals’ national roles. 

DfE guidance states that the NLFEs help colleges identify improvement needs, provide mentorship and deliver the FE Commissioner’s curriculum efficiency and financial sustainability programmes. 

It brings the total number of NLFEs up to eight after the departure of previous postholders from their college roles. Those standing down recently include Peter McGhee from St John Rigby College and Graham Razey from EKC Group.  

FE Commissioner Shelagh Legrave’s most recent annual report said her team of NLFE’s and national leaders of governance supported 59 colleges in 2023-24.

To become an NLFE, bosses must hail from colleges graded ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ for financial health and by Ofsted. 

Once again the department has failed to appoint principals from diverse backgrounds to the NLFE team. 

In an FE Week interview in 2021, Legrave was challenged specifically on representative of non-white college principals on her top team. She said at the time this was “reflective of the small number of BAME leaders in the sector”, adding, “I think it is really sad that we haven’t got as diverse in our leadership in FE as we should have. And I will certainly work with everybody to try and ensure that there is a greater diversity”.

National leaders of further education

Justine Barlow, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College

Colin Booth, Luminate Education Group

John Laramy, Exeter College

Mark Malcomson, City Lit

Gerry McDonald, New City College

Sam Parrett, London South East Colleges

Ellen Thinnesen, Education Partnership North East

Gill Worgan, West Herts College Group

National leaders of further education finance specialists

Peter Doherty, Kirklees College

John Hunt, London South East Colleges 

WCG sells contentious campus after High Court win 

A large midlands college has finally sold a campus two years after winning a controversial legal battle with its local council and campaigners. 

Warwickshire College Group (WCG) sold its Malvern Hills campus, which it closed in 2020, to special needs school provider Aurora Group earlier this year for an undisclosed sum. 

The college group was gifted the school by Malvern Hills District Council on the covenant that it could only sell the site for educational purposes. 

However, WCG successfully overturned the legal agreement after taking the local authority to the High Court with the hope of achieving a higher price for the site by selling it for another use. 

The financially embattled college group now plans to use the proceeds to pay off debts to the government, which include a clawback from apprenticeship funding claims previously estimated to be at least £1.4 million. 

It continues to face funding clawback claims from the DfE due to audits of its “historic learner data”, covering several previous academic years. 

A spokesperson said: “We are able to confirm that the sale of Malvern Hills College has occurred to another education provider, with none of the proceeds going to the local authority. 

“In agreement with the Department for Education, WCG has used the funds to cover liabilities owed to the DfE that can now be used to support other public works.  

“The college had a new CEO in place from September 2024, who sought to expedite the sale of what was an already a closed college when she joined, thus ensuring it re-opened for education purposes as soon as possible.” 

A WCG spokesperson refused to confirm how much the site has been sold for, but FE Week understands the college had hoped to achieve a price of about £1.4 million. 

Richard Arquati, spokesman for the Aurora Group, also refused to disclose the price, arguing the sum is a private financial transaction between two parties. 

Dame Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, said: “I campaigned strenuously for education to remain at the historic Malvern Hills College site and I am relieved that a new education provider will be taking over the site for this purpose. I plan to meet with the team leading this shortly. 

“I’ve also had constructive conversations with the new chief executive of WCG who inherited significant budget challenges and I have stressed the importance of delivering the best possible further education opportunities for my constituents.” 

The Aurora Group is a growing provider of special needs education to more than 1,200 children at 25 schools. 

Its ultimate owner is investment giant Octopus Group, which declared a pre-tax profit of £51 million on a turnover of £313 million in 2023-24. 

Arquati said: “We are working closely with Worcestershire Council to ensure that Aurora Peartree School best serves the needs of students with additional learning needs in the county. 

“It will provide day placements for 120 primary and secondary students up to the age of 19 who have special educational needs and disabilities. 

“There are lots of steps that need to be taken before a school like this can open. These include the building works, curriculum planning, recruitment of staff and Ofsted registration. Our plan is to open the school in autumn 2026.”