Two further education colleges are hotly disputing which is the best in England. The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered Nottingham's Clarendon College to withdraw a brochure describing it as "the best general FE college in England".
The Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies objected to that statement and others made in the brochure, issued in early February, and took the matter to the ASA, which upheld three of the four complaints.
In addition to the "best college" assertion, Birmingham disputed Clarendon's claim that it was "The Number 1 General FE College for Student Recruitment, Guidance and Support" and "The Number 1 General FE College for Management and Governance". It said several other colleges had achieved the highest Further Education Funding Council grades in these categories.
Birmingham principal Eddie McIntyre said the college took the matter to the ASA because Clarendon's advertising material was wrong. "There is no question that the Birmingham College of Food is the best FE college in the country," he declared.