Apprenticeships, Politics

Phillipson to exempt young people from level 7 apprenticeships funding axe

Education secretary makes ‘important concession’ amid backlash from other government departments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Devolution

DfE sorry for councils’ adult skills powers confusion  

Training will be commissioned by local councils instead of ITPs on the national contract

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
DfE

Reports into nearly 200 college and ITP financial probes remain hidden

Yet most financial investigations are into FE providers

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Skills reform

Adult learner numbers have bombed to post-war levels, says L&W

A huge drop in funding began under the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Colleges

College silent about exit of principal before Ofsted visit

Staff ‘left in the dark’ by ‘ongoing absence’ of Burnley boss

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

Reckless FE leaders must be dealt with in public, says MP

The MP for the first college to go insolvent spoke about ‘lessons learned’ from the process in Parliament

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Colleges

Principal warns of ‘significant redundancies’ amid DfE intervention

Cashflow pressures bite at Hampshire college that will impact its 1,000-strong workforce

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

Historic adult education centre in intervention after emergency bailout

Mary Ward Settlement had ‘serious’ cash problems and has been ordered to improve

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Ofsted

London mega college bumped up to ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

‘Diverse’ New City College commended for ‘thriving’ education across seven campuses

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

‘Unfair’: Devon college set to axe 65 jobs amid funding shortfall

The college says it is facing rising costs and increased competition

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Colleges

FE Commissioner tells ‘inadequate’ college to rebuild reputation

The Cumbrian college is weighing up whether to remain standalone or merge amid falling student numbers

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
recruitment

Meeting 6.5k pledge will still lead to college teacher shortfall, NAO warns

DfE called out for being unclear on how manifesto recruitment target will be split across education amid rising FE…

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel

Must read

Colleges, Long read

Alun Francis, chair of the Social Mobility Commission

Deprived areas need vision – not victimhood – to level up, and Social Mobility Commission chair Alun Francis is…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Long read, Prison education

The prison that’s offering hope for a new life upon release

‘We’re saving people’s lives as well as turning them around’

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Apprenticeships, Politics

Phillipson to exempt young people from level 7 apprenticeships funding axe

Education secretary makes ‘important concession’ amid backlash from other government departments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, FE Commissioner

Weston chair felt powerless over £2.5m payments to former principal

Ex-Weston college chair gives tell-all interview following FE Commissioner probe

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Weston College governance failure allowed ‘concealment’ of £2.5m payments to former principal

Paul Phillips was paid £1.8m in 2023, including a ‘significant’ six-figure retention payment which his COO son ‘resisted’ paying…

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
T Levels

NAO reveals enormity of T Level take-up failure

Forecasts missed by 75% and secret DfE estimates show staff and employer shortages could limit places to 48,000 students

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel