Apprenticeships

Skills chiefs in court for Marples v DfE battle

List of witnesses revealed as days count down to high-profile legal battle

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
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
Colleges, Skills reform

How to become a technical excellence college

Eligibility criteria include ratings for teaching quality, financial health and construction credentials

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges, Ofsted

‘Inadequate’ Ofsted rating during Ramadan sparks complaint

Apprenticeship provider questions watchdog’s ‘lack of cultural sensitivity’ after March inspection

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Ofsted

‘Reckless and ridiculous’: Ofsted’s report card plan delay slammed

Phillipson criticises ‘disappointing’ consultation response delay, while unions say report card roll-out now ‘nonsensical’

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Politics

Spending review 2025: What the chancellor announced for FE and skills

‘Additional’ £1.2bn on its way as DfE vows to find at least 5% of savings and efficiencies

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Colleges

Turing Scheme funding cut by 29%, DfE reveals

£78 million made available for extended year of Turing scheme

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Ofsted

Christine Gilbert set to be appointed Ofsted chair

Ofsted’s consultation response on its new report cards is also set to be delayed until September

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Lydia Chantler-Hicks
AI, Colleges

AI guidance for colleges: 9 key findings for leaders

Government toolkits say colleges should train staff on safe AI use and to spot deep-fakes

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
Colleges, Ofsted

Cambridge sixth form college scores Ofsted ‘outstanding’ hat-trick

Inspectors praise ‘exceptional’ teaching and high attendance

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
AI

FE providers wanted to become edtech ‘testbeds’

Pilot to build ‘evidence base’ on impact of workload-cutting tech

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
News

Devolve FE to ‘maximum possible extent’, MPs urge

Business and trade committee also wants national skills funding and policy transferred away from DfE

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

Qualifications

Revealed: V Levels incoming as axe looms for BTECs

New qualifications set to launch as ‘third route’ between A-levels and T Levels

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Politics, Skills reform

DWP will take over apprenticeships, minister confirms

Shifting adult skills and apprenticeships policy will give “bigger emphasis on skills”, Jacqui Smith claims

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges, Long read

Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

As social media algorithms fuel intolerance and binary thinking, college staff increasingly find themselves dealing with the fallout. Jessica…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
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