Colleges, Industrial action, Politics

Leaders vow sector-wide march on parliament if Whitehall cuts hit FE

‘We will have no hesitation in taking to the streets’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Assessment, Exams

Ministers confirm exams and grading plan for 2023

GCSE and A-level grades will return back to pre-pandemic levels

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Industrial action

Strike cancelled at London college after staff win up to 8% pay rise

But strikes at 29 other colleges go ahead

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Politics

Labour pledges to widen the apprenticeship levy

New ‘growth and skills levy’ would allow businesses to use 50% to fund non-apprenticeship training – but questions hang…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
DfE, Politics

Meet the ministers: Who’s who in Liz Truss’s first DfE lineup

Ministerial responsibilities at the DfE have finally been announced,

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
News

Geoff Barton to step down from ASCL role in 2024

School and college leaders’ union general secretary will stand down three years earlier than planned

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker


DfE, Skills reform

DfE outlines next steps for UK’s first skills taxonomy

DfE puts out notice for first two-year phase of work to develop skills map

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
News

Skills toolkit platform launched in lockdown is under review

DfE admits it is lacking reliable data to publish

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
BTECs, Exams

Ofqual seeks colleges’ evidence on BTEC results delays

Thousands of students did not receive their results on time this summer

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Ofsted

Inspection section: Series of grade 4s released following pause in publication of Ofsted reports

Multiple training providers are now facing contract terminations

Tallulah Taylor
Tallulah Taylor
Colleges

Third college to gain bachelor’s degree awarding powers revealed

Blackpool and The Fylde becomes the third mainstream college to secure bachelor’s degree awarding powers

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
News

Inspectors lack sector-specific expertise, says film and media provider after Ofsted appeal loss

A film and media training provider has accused Ofsted of lacking the expertise to judge its apprenticeship provision after…

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