The Sheffield College Faces Potential £5 Million Funding Clawback

The Sheffield College may be forced to repay £5 million in adult skills funding following an ongoing external audit into allegations of maladministration.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) launched the investigation in July 2025 after auditors flagged concerns regarding the college's English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision.

Data from the Department for Education shows the college's Level 1 ESOL achievement rate dropped from 81.3% in 2023-24 to 28.4% in 2024-25.