Skills reform

Do we need LEPs after all?

Local enterprise partnerships explain what may be lost on the local skills front if LEPs are defunded

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Ofsted

Ofsted reports discomfort at ‘blurred boundaries’ between UTC learners and staff

Inspectors drop ‘outstanding’ UTC Reading to ‘inadequate’ in new report

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
News

Ministers lift ban on skills bootcamps for Restart participants

DfE and DWP confirm Restart participants can do skills bootcamps from April

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Skills reform

Students ‘disempowered’ as ministers dig in over BTEC defunding

Letter from skills minister to college chiefs confirms no delay of defunding timeline

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships, Skills reform

DfE scraps apprentice cap for small businesses

Skills Minister Robert Halfon says small businesses can recruit as many apprentices as they need from April

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Ofsted

Nottingham provider ‘taken by surprise’ over Ofsted ‘inadequate’ report

Provider says Ofsted’s report ‘doesn’t reflect feedback’ on site

Jason Noble
Jason Noble


Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship achievements drop leaves most providers in scope for intervention

Over half of training providers “need improvement” or “at risk” as overall achievement rates fall

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges, FE workforce

Low pay and high turnover of college teachers uncovered

New findings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies lifts the lid on just how bad teacher pay and turnover…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Ofsted

Catholic sixth form college retains ‘outstanding’ after 14-year Ofsted respite

‘The outcome is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our wonderful staff, students and wider community’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Young people

College student suicide risk on the rise, ‘stark’ report reveals

AoC mental health survey finds 95 per cent of colleges reporting increase in mental health disclosures

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Colleges

Unions submit 15% college pay demand to AoC

Negotiations to begin on April 19 over unions’ 15 per cent pay request

Jason Noble
Jason Noble
Teaching

ChatGPT: Consider reviewing homework polices, DfE tells colleges

The government has set out its stance on the use of generative AI in education

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth

Must read

Colleges, Politics

Joe Docherty: Labour peer quit college role over ‘inappropriate conduct’

The former education executive has been suspended by the party weeks after being sent to the House of Lords…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill and Gabriel Pogrund
Colleges, Long read

Inside FE’s lifeline for under-16s: Stepping in where schools fail

More and more anxious 14-16 year olds not in school are starting afresh in colleges, but they are under-recognised,…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges, Long read

Legrave’s last orders: build cash, challenge leaders and don’t ignore teaching

In her final interview, the outgoing FE Commissioner warns colleges not to mistake funding rises for financial safety

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Young people

Curriculum review: ‘Strengthen’ resit accountability and reduce T Level assessment burden

Review recommends already-announced V Levels, level 2 pathways and new pre-GCSE English and maths quals

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
News

Case dismissed: Marples loses High Court claim against DfE

A judge has dismissed a multi-million-pound claim brought by former training boss Peter Marples and his family against the…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Skills reform

New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms

The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen