BRIDGWATER College Trust, which was due to take over troubled West Somerset College at the start of the new year, is seeking extra financial support from the Government before it can undertake the transfer.

And in a statement this week it said that “until that support has been finalised the trust is not in a position to accept the transfer of West Somerset College because of the risk it would pose to the finances of the three other academies already in the trust.”

The trust approached the Department of Education in mid November to ask for financial support for the college, as soon as it had done ‘due diligence’ - the process of validating financial statements.

Investigations showed that in 2014-15, the college had an operating loss of approximately £800,000 and this year it was expected to be significantly more, said Jenny Ashworth, Bridgwater College and trust director of academic partnerships and marketing.

“We can’t give the exact figure yet but the support we are seeking would cover the year for 2015-16 and ensure that over the next five years the school would reach a break even position,” she said.

The decision is now in the hands of Sir David Carter, the Government-appointed Regional Schools Commissioner for South West England, she said, and the trust expected to hear in the next week or two.

“If we get the financial support, we would hope the college would join the trust at the start of February.”

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