Apprenticeships

ESFA buckles to sector pressure on ‘unfair’ apprenticeship drop-out rule

A threshold for withdrawals that triggers ‘enhanced monitoring’ has been significantly increased

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
WorldSkills

REVEALED: UK elite skills team to go for gold at Worldskills

The country’s top technical students and apprentices have been chosen to represent the UK at the world’s elite skills…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Covid-19

Ofqual reveals how exams and assessments in 2023 will look

Covid-19 related adaptions for VTQs will be scrapped

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Queen’s Speech 2022: Nothing new for FE as government focuses on schools and HE

The speech sets out the government’s legislative agenda for the next year

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
SEND

3-week SEND review extension after accessible versions finally published

Children’s minister said a ‘full, fair, open consultation is key to vision for more inclusivity’

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
News

A National Baccalaureate: How it would work

Trust proposes new qualification to give all students a record of accomplishments between 14 to 18

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth


Qualifications, Skills reform

Level 2 qualifications review ‘materially flawed’

Providers and awarding organisations have had their say on the government’s level 2 qualifications review. Here’s what the sector…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Assessment

Saxton: Adaptive testing could end exam tier ‘ceilings’

‘What I found very difficult with tiering was having to have conversations with students and parents about ‘we just…

Will Nott
Will Nott
SEND

Delay (again) in accessible versions of SEND review

The government has missed its own second deadline for publishing British Sign Language (BSL) and easy-read versions of the…

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Industrial action

UCU threat: Raise pay or we’ll strike on exam day

Strikes are planned for the same day on which many GCSE students are due to take what UCU calls…

Will Nott
Will Nott
Sponsored post

Mindful Education – helping colleges and training providers prepare for AAT Q2022

Delivering new or updated qualifications can be daunting, but working with Mindful Education makes the transition to AAT Q2022…

Mindful Education
Mindful Education
Teaching

College to trial four-day week

Move aims to tackle crisis in recruitment for English, maths and STEM teachers

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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