Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have given to the leadership of Barnsley College in respect of the proposed merger with the Northern College on (1) retaining the ethos and mission of the Northern College, (2) having a senior leader of the Northern College sufficiently incorporated into the Barnsley College leadership team, and (3) governance arrangements which respect the history and special identity of the Northern College.

The department has worked with Northern College over a number of years following the college entering Formal Intervention in April 2021. The proposed merger with Barnsley College has seen a continuation of this work alongside both Northern College and Barnsley College’s Corporation Boards to progress the merger proposals. Negotiations are progressing as planned between the parties with a key aim of sustaining the Northern College ethos and mission at the heart of these plans. Future organisational structures are currently being worked through between the two Boards with a meeting planned at Northern College later this month, where Barnsley College’s Corporation Board Chair and College CEO will join the Northern College Board to discuss the post-merger vision for learning delivery at Northern College. It will be for both College Boards to agree who from the current Northern College Board joins the Barnsley College Corporation Board from 1 March 2026 to provide assurance that the history and special identity of Northern College continues.