Governance

In search of new college governors: DfE opens tender for board recruitment service 

The successful bidder will have three years to place at least 134 governors on college boards in return for…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Ofsted

Three colleges remain ‘outstanding’ more than a decade after last Ofsted visits 

This week Ofsted published the results of new inspections and found that standards at the three colleges had not slipped,…

Will Nott
Will Nott
News

Investigation ‘inconclusive’ on Covid-related death of lecturer but college did break health and safety laws

No reasonable evidence linking virus exposure within the workplace, Health and Safety Executive concludes

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

CMI earns record turnover as management apprenticeships soar despite pandemic

End-point assessment ‘is now a significant contributor to income’ for the charity

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofsted, SEND

SEND college where students ‘do not feel safe’ judged ‘inadequate’

‘Staff are sometimes too slow to take action when learners report bullying or harassment’

Will Nott
Will Nott
Qualifications, Skills reform, T Levels

Revealed: 38 BTECs facing the chop to clear way for first T Levels

They’re among 160 level 3 quals set to be defunded from 2024

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


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

Must read

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
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