Colleges, Reclassification

No plans to exempt colleges from VAT, says Treasury secretary

Colleges ‘do not fit the rationale’ for exemption which would cost £200m a year

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Devolution, Qualifications, T Levels

Manchester mayor’s ‘MBacc’ to rival EBacc to boost technical education

It’s not yet clear why schools would promote the MBacc technical education options over the EBacc

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges

Tributes paid to principal’s thirty-year legacy after sudden death

Cirencester College mourns death of ‘beloved backbone of the community’ Jim Grant

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Training Providers

Babington CEO steps down

Boss of huge training provider leaves due to ‘personal reasons’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Sponsored post

Seismic changes to post-16 qualifications landscape

Post-16 level 3 vocational qualifications in England are currently undergoing major reform. The post-16 education landscape from September 2025…

OCR
OCR
Colleges, sixth forms

Sixth form college delays closure after backlash from parents, union and MP

Plans to close this academic year have been pushed back to July 2024 after leaders admit they ‘got it…

Jason Noble
Jason Noble


Training Providers

Rail provider terminated amid combined authority funding dispute

GNR Training and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority in dispute over contract payments

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Apprenticeships, Long read

1 in 10 established apprenticeships fail to recruit a single apprentice

Employers speak out about “risk averse” training providers and “complex processes” preventing apprenticeship recruitment

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
News

People pay billions more for training than employers and government, research claims

Time to Learn report proposes fresh action to encourage learning

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
WorldSkills

UK team for EuroSkills 2023 finals announced

The UK’s young skills champions will head to Gdańsk, Poland, to compete later this year

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
News

AoC doubles down on refusal to make college pay proposal

Unions left ‘deeply disappointed’ as association passes the buck to government amid 15.4% staff pay rise demand

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Colleges

Land-for-homes sale ‘essential’ to keep college from closing

Insolvency warning if £45m redevelopment falls through

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
Adult education, ITPs

Mayors dump adult education cuts on independent training providers

Up to two-thirds axed from devolved procured budgets

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read