UPDATE: Appointment of council representative to governors board at Burnley College confirmed

The update follows a damning Ofsted report, in which inspectors criticised the college for “inflating the qualification achievement rates” of its students. Inaccurate individualised learner records, submitted by the college for learners on level three vocational and A-Level courses “misled” key stakeholders, including parents and the community, about their levels of achievement, the Ofsted report said.

The college's leaders and governors came under fire for failing to question the “exceptionally high achievement rates” or ensure that “internal policies and processes were robust enough to manage the risk of inaccurate achievement data”.

A Burnley College spokesperson told us that recently the Borough Council's Chief Executive, Lukman Patel, recently became a member of the college's Governing Board. They added that the college is continuing to review the Governing Board’s membership in line with its Instruments and Articles of Governance.

Coun. Shah Hussain, who represents the Daneshouse with Stoneyholme ward, expressed his concern about the Ofsted revelations, saying: "I'm a parent, my child goes to the college and she's in the first year of her A-Levels. I feel this could be detrimental for her. She's now looking to apply to universities, which might not put as much emphasis on her grades in the first year, which university courses are based on. As a parent, I'm disappointed and concerned that it might have a detrimental effect on my child."

However, he added: "It is reassuring that the most senior officer from the council, Lukman Patel, joined the board in recent months. I am confident that his involvement will bring appropriate stewardship and help steer the ship with strong leadership.

“Burnley College previously had a democratically elected member on the board, and I believe it is important to reinstate that democratic representation."

A Lancashire County Council spokesperson said there was no statutory requirement for the governing bodies of further education colleges to include a local authority representative.

Burnley, Padiham, and Brierfield MP Oliver Ryan said: "Clearly, what's happened is really concerning and worrying for students, staff, parents, and for me.

"I'm in regular contact with the college's leadership, and I'm reassured that following this episode and learning from the ongoing investigation, the leadership team has implemented the most robust of processes and plans to make Burnley College the best, most transparent, most effective, most reputable, community-focused place it can be.

"Burnley College and its staff do a lot of good for students and our local community. I'll support them in that journey of change."