Getty PhotographsThe schooling secretary has pulled pupil mortgage funding from the personal Oxford Enterprise School over issues about admissions practices.
Bridget Phillipson mentioned the “administration of recruitment and attendance” at Oxford Enterprise School, which isn’t a college itself however provides programs from some English universities, had “fallen properly brief”.
She mentioned she wished to “stamp out any abuse of the scholar assist system”, amid allegations that individuals are claiming thousands and thousands of kilos in pupil loans with out planning to review.
Oxford Enterprise School mentioned there had been “no findings of malfeasance” and it could problem the choice, which it mentioned was “illegal”.
In a written ministerial assertion, Phillipson mentioned she turned conscious final yr of “credible issues concerning the recruitment and attendance of scholars” on the faculty and commissioned an investigation by the Authorities Inside Audit Company.
She wrote: “It’s clear to me that the administration of recruitment and attendance on the faculty has fallen properly wanting the requirements I’m entitled to anticipate; that is unfair on these college students who’ve genuinely wished to review.
“Particularly, the investigation has not been in a position to present me with assurance that college students’ prior attainment, together with their competence within the English language, has been adequately assessed, or that their attendance on their programs has been adequately monitored.”
She mentioned the school had been informed new college students on its programs wouldn’t be eligible for pupil assist with speedy impact.
Oxford Enterprise School mentioned: “The Division for Training’s prolonged investigation into Oxford Enterprise School (OBC) concluded with no findings of malfeasance.
“Regardless of this clear final result, the DfE has indicated that programs shall be de-designated as of September 2025 – a call OBC firmly believes is illegal and can problem by judicial overview.
“Safeguarding our college students’ pursuits stays our absolute precedence.”
The ministerial assertion follows issues concerning the “franchised” provision of upper schooling programs.
Beneath these preparations, universities which can be registered with the Workplace for College students, England’s universities regulator, permit smaller establishments, which should not have to be registered, to show a few of their programs.
When college students at these schools take out pupil loans to cowl tuition charges, they’re paid on to the registered college that developed their course. A proportion is then handed on to the smaller establishment, which delivers the instructing.
They’ll additionally apply for upkeep loans to assist with residing prices, that are paid immediately into their financial institution accounts.
The choice to tug pupil assist from Oxford Enterprise School programs implies that new college students won’t be able to use for pupil loans to review there, and follows allegations that thousands and thousands of kilos in pupil loans are being claimed by individuals who don’t have any plans to review.
Final month, the Sunday Instances mentioned it discovered proof of some people enrolling on diploma programs at small schools simply to entry loans, with no intention of paying them again.
The newspaper mentioned a lot of the college students underneath scrutiny are believed to be at franchised universities.
It claimed there’s a concern concerning the potential “organised recruitment” of Romanian nationals specifically to enrol on programs.
The schooling secretary referred to as it “one of many largest monetary scandals within the historical past of our universities sector” and mentioned she had requested counter-fraud consultants to guide an investigation.
Oxford Enterprise School advertises programs from the College of West London, Buckinghamshire New College and New School Durham on its web site, all of that are registered with the Workplace for College students, England’s universities regulator.
Phillipson mentioned it offered programs from 5 registered establishments altogether, and that “plenty of the School’s companions have already terminated their agreements with it or have imposed further controls”.
“Real” college students at Oxford Enterprise School will have the ability to switch to new programs till the top of the educational yr and hold their upkeep and price assist in the event that they “stay engaged with their research”, she mentioned.
“These choices mirror my willpower to stamp out any abuse of the scholar assist system. I cannot hesitate to do the identical once more if circumstances justify it,” she added.
