Redundancies and course cancellations are looming at Alton College as it seeks to plug a £5 million deficit in its 2025-26 budget.

The Herald has seen a Further Education Commissioner Health Check Report on Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) — encompassing Havant Sixth Form College, South Downs College, and Alton College — stating that dozens of jobs are at risk.

The report was compiled after a visit in February, alongside an Organisational Change Proposal issued to the college’s 830 staff.

There were issues with over-staffing, inefficient use of staff, declining student numbers and - especially at Alton - small class sizes, but also with constructing new buildings partially funded by selling land at South Downs College.

That sale must be completed by the end of July so HSDC can make redundancy payments in July and August, otherwise it would need support from the Department for Education.

HSDC aims to cut pay by £4,619,639 - the equivalent of 106 full-time jobs - and other costs by £450,000 per year by 2025-26.

Teaching pay would be cut by £3,183,320 per year. On the full-time equivalent basis, Alton would lose 17 teaching jobs and gain three. Teaching staff across the three campuses would be reduced by a third from 220 jobs to 150.

Redeployment, voluntary redundancy and deleting vacant posts could reduce compulsory redundancies to the equivalent of around 74 full-time jobs, affecting about 104 employees. Staff at risk were informed on April 28.

Courses at Alton which would be unavailable to new students in September are A-level dance, English language and literature, environmental science, French, music, sport, and philosophy, religion and ethics, BTEC performing arts (A-level), the extended diploma in Esports, T-level construction and AAQ construction.

In a statement issued on April 28, HSDC said: “HSDC invited the Further Education Commissioner to undertake a health check to support us in addressing financial pressures in February 2025. We appreciate the thorough review conducted by the Further Education Commissioner and the valuable insights provided.

“HSDC is committed to addressing the financial challenges identified and implementing the suggested actions to ensure our long-term sustainability. Our priority remains to provide high-quality education to our students while navigating these financial pressures.”

One of the issues identified by the Further Education Commissioner’s report was a lack of communication about the problems from the senior management of the college to its board of governors.

The report said: “The chair and governors whom we met are dismayed to be addressing significant financial concerns, which have come as something of a shock.

“They have recently been advised of unanticipated financial issues which had not previously been sighted on in board papers they had received, nor this risk identified.

“Some board members we spoke to referred to the recent information regarding the college’s deteriorating financial position as coming ‘out of the blue’.

“They had previously felt confident that they were well informed. Some said they were now questioning how they could regain trust in information they would be given as a board in the future.”

HSDC said: “Governance is extremely strong at the college, and since the review an additional committee has been set up to focus on financial sustainability.

“Frequent, structured updates are provided to the board of governors, ensuring full visibility of financial planning, curriculum developments and the staff consultation progress.

“Governors are actively engaged in supporting the college’s leadership team in taking informed, strategic decisions during this critical time.”

HSDC said the sale of land at South Downs College was still going ahead: “HSDC can confirm that progress is continuing as planned. While the completion of the sale is subject to final planning permissions and due diligence, we are working closely with relevant stakeholders to expedite this process.

“While we might expect this capital receipt to contribute to strengthening our financial position, it does not solve the need to ensure the right levels of staffing to meet curriculum delivery and student need. We are continuing to explore all avenues to safeguard financial commitments including any potential redundancy arrangements.”

People in Alton hoping for a return to the days when Alton College ran itself are likely to be disappointed, despite the need for HSDC to cut costs.

HSDC said: “There are no current plans for Alton College to return to independent status. Alton College pursued a merger in 2019 due to their own significant financial challenges that required a strategic partnership. HSDC was chosen and this has facilitated continuity in investment, curriculum and operational support over the last six years.

“At present HSDC remains focused on ensuring financial stability and growth across all its campuses while ensuring long-term viability and a consistent standard of excellence for all learners.”

The statement concluded with a look to the future. HSDC said: “We are deeply grateful to our staff for their dedication and professionalism during this challenging period. We are confident that with strong leadership, effective communication and strategic planning we will achieve the necessary improvements and continue to serve our community effectively.”