News

Temporary apprenticeship funding uplifts delayed

DfE now set to provider ‘further information’ in December

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofsted

Ofsted to hit university-run college with grade 4

The college was taken over by a university last year after a turbulent period

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Awarding

NCFE acquires health and leisure awarding organisation

Active IQ has been bought by NCFE but will continue to operate as a distinct brand

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
AEB, Apprenticeships, Skills reform, Traineeships

8 interesting things we learned from today’s FE data drop

Traineeships and public sector apprenticeship target flops among the findings

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
T Levels

Huge T Level employer cash incentive underspend revealed

Just £500k of £7m budget used in pilot

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Traineeships flop… AGAIN: Starts target missed by two thirds in 2021/22

Another huge underspend is likely to be handed back to Treasury

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Politics, Skills reform

Keegan boasts old FE funding boost in message to education sector

It comes a week after FE was ignored in the chancellor’s education cash splash

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
T Levels

DfE launches £150m capital fund for wave five T Level providers

The funding can help upgrade facilities and purchase specialist kit

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

‘Overstretched leaders’ fail to improve teaching at ‘inadequate’ specialist college

The Michael Tippett College has been rated insufficient due to quality of teaching, leadership and the curriculum

Tallulah Taylor
Tallulah Taylor
Colleges

Central Bedfordshire College principal Ali Hadawi resigns

College confirms vice-principal will step up to acting principal role

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
SEND, supported internships

Just 1 in 4 SEND students in work a year after supported internship ends

Providers say support must continue as learners move into paid work

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Colleges, FE Commissioner

FE Commissioner warns of college solvency risk and the danger of reclassification

Shelagh Legrave also reflects on the ‘positivity’ of her first year in post

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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