Teacher training

Teacher mentoring and leadership programmes renewed by DfE

DfE confirms £14m investment in two programmes to boost leadership and governance and new teacher mentoring

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
T Levels

T Levels: Up to £25k up for grabs in latest employer incentive

Employers can claim for “legitimate costs” relating to industry placements for T Levels from this April

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
AEB, Devolution, Funding

AEB funding rates boosted by 5% in Liverpool

Increase is aimed to help providers cope with rising costs and inflation

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ChatGPT: Exam boards publish AI guidance

JCQ tells schools and colleges to make pupils do some coursework ‘under direct supervision’ amid cheating fears

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Colleges, DfE

Revealed: Funding split for final stage of FE capital transformation fund

DfE allocates £286m in capital transformation fund cash to 146 colleges

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Apprenticeships, Training Providers

Scores of jobs set to be lost at England’s largest apprenticeship provider

‘Strategic review’ of Lifetime Training’s cost base ‘directs resources towards areas of highest demand’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Prison education

MoJ to ramp up HMP Academies in prisons

At least 17 new prisons identified for employer-led work programmes

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
UTCs

‘Inadequate’ UTC issued with termination warning notice

DfE to consider funding termination for University Collegiate School in Bolt

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Adult education, Devolution

West Midlands reveals ‘bold’ plan to boost level 3 training

Proposals include upping its low income threshold, free courses for West Midlands FE staff and reviewing learner support funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Ofsted

Overwhelmed learners drop out at ‘inadequate’ provider

Ofsted reports concerns over a lack of off-the-job training at Bestland Solutions Ltd

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
skills

Flex on UKSPF skills funding ‘welcome’ but timing questioned

Levelling Up department allows use of UKSPF skills funding to be used from April 2023 instead of April 2024

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
News

DfE’s transgender guidance will include colleges

Long-awaited draft guidance will be released and consulted on ‘later in the spring’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
Apprenticeships

Entrepreneur chased for millions after apprenticeship collapse

ESFA uncovers ‘fake’ taxi apprentices as liquidator reveals intercompany payments days after firm decided to shut

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

Fury as DfE cuts adult education budgets

Combined authorities told to expect reductions in ‘already deeply diminished’ adult skills funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen