Bleak future for students

with the Waterside-based Doncaster College.

It stated the effectiveness of provision, achievements and standards and capacity for improvement all do not come up to scratch.

The college's management was singled out for particular criticism, with inspectors saying there have been four principals in the last four years - which they said had hampered the college's development.

They also noted that governors had made a compensation payment to 'a senior post holder whose performance they judged to be unsatisfactory'.

Chairman of governors Joanne Outram and another governor resigned in June following a meeting to hear initial findings of the heavily critical report.

The report, based on an inspection between June 11 and 15, said: "The effectiveness of provision at Doncaster College is inadequate."

It also said the college must improve on its low success rates, particularly among students aged 16 to 18, as well as its A level and engineering courses.

The College was also criticised for failing adult learners.

But the quality of accommodation offered to students and the Hub's IT resources and health, care and public services courses were singled out as being good in the report.

Coun Mick Mayes, a member of Doncaster Council's overview and scrutiny committee for children and young people, said: "First of all, it's not right that people should get pay-offs after such a short term in office.

"It's all well and good throwing money at a project like the college but if you haven't got the right people in charge, it's doomed to failure from the start. Whoever's doing the headhunting for the college obviously isn't doing a good job.

"The college was supposed to be the flagship - the thing that pushed education in Doncaster forward. At the moment the future for people who want to go into further education in Doncaster is very bleak indeed."

Committee chairman Coun Allan Jones made no comment and no comment was available this morning from the college.