Ofsted finds Newham Sixth Form College “inadequate” –but no detail on its recent industrial relations turmoil

Protesters outside the college last summer.

A large sixth form college has been judged “inadequate” by Ofsted, after a sustained period of industrial action against decision-making by its former leadership, but with the inspection report offering few detailed comments on governance and industrial relations.

Newham Sixth Form College, known as NewVIc, in East London, is now reportedly the only sixth form in the country to be in receipt of Ofsted’s lowest judgement. It is facing intervention from the government, with a merger with another local provider in the offing. It is now subject to intervention by the government, through a “Notice to Improve”.

But Ofsted’s report on the provider was notable for saying virtually nothing, explicitly at least, about the controversy around leadership which sparked 42 days of strike action up to last summer.

As Education Uncovered reported last June, the college saw 30 days of strike action that year by the National Education Union over management and leadership under the former principal Mandeep Gill and the former chair of governors Martin Rosner. The union said at the time that it had more than 100 members at the college.