College principal is suspended

Burnley College has suspended its principal Karen Buchanan “pending an ongoing investigation.”

No details of the investigation or its scope have been revealed. In a statement confirming the suspension, a college spokesperson said: “The college has taken this step in line with its normal policies and procedures to ensure a fair and transparent process. 

“In the meantime, deputy principal Kate Wallace will act as interim principal.  We will make no further comment at this time.”

The statement follows one made by the college earlier this month which said Mrs Buchanan was “currently absent for personal reasons”.

Almost 700 people are employed at Burnley College which was rated  as ‘good’ by Ofsted in 2021. The watchdog carried out another inspection several weeks ago and it is believed its report will be published shortly.

Mrs Buchanan was appointed as principal of Burnley College and chief executive of Themis, its apprenticeship and business training arm in 2018, after seven years in the role of deputy principal.

Her career in Further Education began in1993 when she joined the college as a part-time lecturer in computing.

She brought her skills and experience from industry to the education sector, having worked as a computer programmer and systems analyst at some of the region’s leading employers - British Aerospace, the Prestige Group and Leyland DAF.

During her time as principal, she has led the college to the position of ‘number one’ in the country in the government’s achievement rate tables for learners aged 16 to 18 and has overseen its expansion and the development of its curriculum.

She has also welcomed Royal visitors on official visits including escorting the then Prince Charles on a tour of its new campus and welcoming the late Queen and Prince Philip on their Jubilee tour.

In her biography on The Lancashire Colleges website, she is described as: “A keen advocate of developing collaborative links between industry and academia.”

She is also described as playing a key role in the Association of Colleges in the North West and chairing the board tasked with developing Burnley’s Long-Term Plan.

On her LinkedIn page Mrs Buchanan says: “I’m privileged to be able to play an integral role in ensuring that Burnley is recognised as a leader within the UK’s FE sector; changing lives and building futures through the power of education; raising aspirations and economic prosperity and making a strong, positive impact on local communities for generations to come.”

Kate Wallace was assistant principal for adult, apprenticeships and commercial education before stepping into the deputy’s role.

She has taught in a range of educational settings and has held senior management positions in general further education colleges and a university. Her previous senior roles have included assistant principal for curriculum, employer and learner services and group director of apprenticeships