Highbury College receives £3.5m for quitting Saudi Arabia project

Highbury College has been led by an interim principal since December last year after former leader Stella Mbubaegbu left after nearly 20 years.

The cash means the college can pay off a £1.5m emergency government loan from June.

Since 2013 the college has been involved in a joint project teaching women at a college in Saudi Arabia.

Now it has pulled out, leaving its former partner Burton and South Derbyshire College in charge.

This has earned the Cosham college a £3.5m dividend. This has partially been used to pay staff a pro-rata £300 one-off bonus for their work in the pandemic.

Interim principal Penny Wycherley said: ‘This is an important step for the college and demonstrates our commitment to investing in our local students and the future of Portsmouth.

‘The additional funding puts the college in a strong financial position. It has enabled us to repay the government emergency funding received in June and helped us say thank you to staff for their continued dedication and commitment to students during the pandemic with a one-off £300 pro rata bonus.

“The college will also invest substantial funds into the development of the college’s IT resources, which now more than ever, are important as we use additional online learning to support our students during the Covid-19 pandemic.’

It comes as the institution sees the arrival of ex-chairman of Eastleigh College, taking up the same post at Highbury College.

He takes over from Martin Doel, who was interim chairman for nearly a year.

Neither interim officials were paid the bonus.

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As reported, Mrs Mbubaegbu’s £150,000 expenses caused a furore. An auditor said some spending was ‘not in line’ with the public money test.

The FE Commissioner investigated and put the then ‘requires improvement’-rated college in supervised status, paving the way for interim management.

Inspectors have said there is ‘encouraging progress’ at the college.

Separately, the college is still chasing a £1.4m debt it is owed from a state government in Nigeria.

Ms Wycherley said the new chair ‘brings a wealth of knowledge and invaluable financial experience to the role and his dedication to the further education sector is admirable’.

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