News and events

We are pleased to formally announce that today, 23/9/25, Weston College has had its Financial Notice to Improve (FNTI) officially withdrawn by the Department for Education (DfE).

As reported, Weston College received a FNTI in Summer 2024 having uncovered and reported to authorities, failures of governance which included high remuneration packages to the retired ex-principal, and failure to disclose such details of senior pay as required through the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s (EFSA) college accounts direction.

Working proactively with the FE Commissioner and Department for Education (DfE), the College was able to quickly meet the recommendations of the FNTI report. We are pleased to announce that following a visit in Summer 2025 by the FE Commissioner and their team, the DfE has withdrawn the FNTI, and the College is therefore no longer in intervention.

Interim Chair of Governors Tim Jackson said: “As a result of the investigation and in response to the verbal recommendations by the Further Education Commissioner’s Office in June 2024, later formalised in the report publication in April 2025, significant changes were approved by the board and implemented in Summer 2024 and subsequent months to recruit significant numbers of new members, strengthen governance, improve oversight and due diligence. These changes have been repeatedly monitored by the new board and shared with the FE Commissioner team and the ESFA at the regular intervention case meetings and has led to the outcome announced today.”

“In the last 16 months as Interim Chair, I have seen first-hand the positive impact that the College has on young people, adults and employers within North Somerset and the wider region. The College has much practice which is amongst the best in the country. I am thrilled that the College has had its notice to improve withdrawn and I would like to thank colleagues who have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome and who have prioritised the integrity and interests of the whole community of the College and the governance of all college activities in line with the Nolan principles of standards in public life.”

“The staff here at the College are exceptional and under the leadership of the new Executive Team and a, completely new governing body and Governance Professional, the College will now be able to focus solely on its roadmap to becoming extraordinary for our learners, employers and our wider community. Competent, transparent and strong governance is the best assurance for any public institution (colleges or other) in avoiding anything like this in future. We hope that all colleges use the lessons of our past to validate their own governance arrangements and organisational controls.”

Principal and CEO, Pat Jones added: “The investigation and subsequent FNTI has been traumatic for colleagues, and this announcement is a significant step in the journey of putting this behind us. On behalf of all within the College, I extend my sincere gratitude to our valued stakeholders, partners, and wider community for their unwavering support during this period.”

“As a college looking to the future, we collectively do so with a renewed sense of responsibility and pride in what we do. This college provides exceptional learning opportunities and produces learners who are highly motivated and who can learn in real-world, aspirational environments. We have forged highly effective partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders that enables us to clearly meet local needs and have a positive impact within the local community and region. We have had a fantastic start to the new academic year with some exceptional success stories already. As we move forward into an exciting phase of our journey, we will continue to prioritise our staff through a new set of organisational values, and a new curriculum strategy that puts inclusion at its core and powerfully tackles the social, economic and geographical challenges within our community.”

In light of the Defence Industrial Strategy launched this month, we are pleased to share an update on our ongoing commitment to delivering world-class education and training opportunities to the Aerospace and Defence cluster at the heart of Filton.

Weston College is on track to welcome our first cohorts of engineering learners at the Airbus site from September 2026, marking a major milestone in our mission to strengthen the skills pipeline for this globally significant sector.

Building on this progress, and in direct response to the Government’s Industrial Strategy, we are proud to be co-creating an exciting new collaborative skills initiative: The Aerospace and Defence Skills Academy.

The Aerospace and Defence Skills Academy

The West of England’s advanced engineering sector, anchored by our world-class Aerospace and Defence industries, recognises the urgent need to invest in developing a future-ready workforce. Whether through attracting new talent or upskilling existing teams, meeting these challenges is vital to unlocking future growth and national ambitions.

With digital transformation, the drive towards net zero, and greater cross-sector technology transfer reshaping the landscape, leading regional businesses and anchor organisations have come together to design solutions.

Inspired by a recent visit from the CEO of Skills England and fully aligned with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and Local Growth Plan, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, and GKN, alongside partners including the West of England Combined Authority, National Composite Centre, Business West, and Weston College, have begun shaping the vision for an Aerospace and Defence Skills Academy.

This initiative will build on the region’s strong track record in advanced engineering skills delivery, ensuring the sector remains at the cutting edge of innovation and capability.

A dedicated Steering Group of partners is currently exploring what the Academy will deliver, where it will be based, and how it will be funded. Given the cross-sector relevance of this project, multiple funding sources are expected, and in due course we will be seeking wider input and letters of support from partners to help shape and deliver the Academy. Collectively we believe this project represents a unique opportunity to create lasting impact for the region, the industry, and the country.

A new Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges partnership has been launched to enhance skills development, strengthen collaboration, and deliver an enhanced experience for learners across the West. By raising aspirations and opening new opportunities, the partnership will help improve lives and create lasting benefits for communities across the region.

Colleges West will represent five individual leading institutions — Bath College, City of Bristol College, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, St Brendan’s Sixth Form College, and Weston College – to provide a unified voice for Further and Sixth Form education, and support work being led by the West of England Mayor Helen Godwin to drive economic growth across the region.

With a combined annual turnover of £215 million and links to more than 6,700 employers the region’s five Colleges deliver high-quality education and training to more than 50,000 learners every year. They are also major regional employers, with more than 3,380 employees.

The partnership began meeting earlier this year to strengthen alignment between colleges, employers and national and local government departments. The partnership will also play a key role in relation to skills on the region’s new Business Board.

In a joint statement, the CEOs/Principals of the member colleges said: “The launch of Colleges West is an exciting moment for collaboration in the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority area, further strengthening the critical role that Colleges play in delivering economic growth, social mobility, and stronger communities. By working together, our colleges can better support Government and employers to ensure the West of England has the skills it needs to thrive.”

Helen Godwin, the Mayor of the West of England, added: “This new partnership will back skills and back growth. Our colleges and sixth forms give learners the opportunity to get on and, working together with Colleges West in this new chapter for our wider region, we can show everyone how they can be part of a bright future.

“In the week that we look forward to launching our new regional Growth Strategy for the coming decade, it’s right to have young people front and centre. Further education will have an important voice on our new Business Board, which I’m also excited to share more news about in the coming days.”

For more information and to explore the new website, please visit: www.collegeswest.ac.uk