Colleges

‘Innovative’ colleges honoured in 2022/23 AoC Beacon Awards

Ten colleges scoop awards at Association of Colleges event

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Colleges

DfE’s college loans scheme won’t be ready until summer

Further details including eligibility criteria to be announced in April

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
AEB, Funding

‘Significant’ in-year cash boost to national adult education budget funding

ESFA to apply 2.2% increase across the board and a 20% uplift in 6 subjects

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Principals call for 12-month delay to ‘reckless’ plan to defund most BTECs

Heads warn education secretary the timeline is ‘not credible’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, sixth forms

College leaders to fight ‘destabilising’ free school bids

Five colleges unite to lobby west Yorkshire MPs over new proposed sixth forms and college applications

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
WorldSkills

Registration opens for UK’s biggest national skills competition

The hunt for the UK’s top technical skills talent has begun with registrations now open for the WorldSkills UK…

Tallulah Taylor
Tallulah Taylor


Training Providers

AELP board election results revealed

Three high profile provider leaders were re-elected while AELP founding member John Hyde retires after over 20 years with…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
T Levels

T Level students were ‘let down’ last year – but lessons have been learnt

NCFE boss talks health and science T Level problems and efforts to ensure they don’t happen again

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Politics

No10 seeks senior delivery adviser for skills

Number 10 is looking for a new senior delivery adviser to lead on skills and post-18 education. The role…

Tallulah Taylor
Tallulah Taylor
Skills reform

Interview: Michael Barber on delivering skills reform

Sir Michael Barber was announced as a government adviser on skills reform implementation by the chancellor in November, but…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges, ESFA

College group disputes £8m ESFA clawback demand

Lawyers called in as agency attempts to reclaim funding for historic delivery across NCG

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Sponsored post

The Power of SQA Advanced Qualifications

With entry to university being increasingly competitive and the financial crisis biting hard, SQA Advanced Qualifications could be the…

SQA
SQA

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