Apprenticeships

ESFA ditches 20% off-the-job requirement as part of 2022/23 apprenticeship funding rule changes

The government has ditched its controversial 20 per cent requirement for off-the-job training in apprenticeships and replaced it with…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

Plans to de-merge Lewisham College from NCG revealed

NCG and London South East Colleges are understood to be in discussions about the future of FE in Lewisham.

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
AEB, Devolution

Controversy as Liverpool City Region hands adult education budget contracts to ‘out-of-area’ providers

16 providers won procured contracts in the Liverpool City Region’s latest AEB tender

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
T Levels

Pre-T Level course flops in first year

Just 1 in 7 students on the first transition programme progressed on to a full T Level

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Skills reform

Who’s deciding the future of BTECs? Secrecy surrounds DfE’s ‘independent assessors’

Transparency demanded as DfE refuses to publish details

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

AoC raises college staff pay recommendation – but only to 2.25%

The recommendation is well below the call from unions for a 10% rise

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Ofsted

City and Guilds-owned apprenticeship provider falls two Ofsted grades

Gen2 is no longer ‘outstanding’ after a decade without inspection

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

80 winners scoop silver at the 2022 Pearson National Teaching Awards

Silver winners will now be shortlisted for one of 16 gold awards

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Covid-19

Williamson provided wine and mince pies for DfE lockdown Xmas party

Sue Gray report finds 50 staff were invited to the ‘festive drinks’ – organised days in advance

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Higher education

Open University to partner with colleges to fill higher technical education cold spots

The government has backed the initiative with £10 million – cash which will be used to ‘increase the capability’…

Will Nott
Will Nott
News

Staff say overcrowding hampered bomb scare evacuation at DfE’s Sheffield office

Workers warn of ‘disaster waiting to happen’ after incident on day of top civil servant’s visit

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
News

Principal chosen to captain new UK shipbuilding skills taskforce

Captain Dr Paul Little, who is chief executive of City of Glasgow College, will lead a team of 20…

Will Nott
Will Nott

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