Funding

Spending rules for 16-19 increase ‘sensible and proportionate’, say leaders

Here’s how colleges and training providers will be allowed to spend extra 16-19 study programme funding next year.

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Higher education

‘Pull your weight’ on pre-16 attainment, colleges told

The new OfS fair access director will address the sector for the first time later today.

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Sponsored post

Levelling up Access to Further Education Whitepaper

Colleges are searching for the alchemy to transform great face-to-face teaching into a powerful virtual course that meets the…

Code Institute
Code Institute
Assessment

Only use exam board websites to access advance information, students told 

GCSE and A-level students should only access advance information about exam topics on official websites, exam boards have said,…

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
WorldSkills

Getting ready for Shanghai: inside WorldSkills UK’s motivational bootcamp

“I want you all to take a moment to think about why you want that gold medal”

Will Nott
Will Nott
Ofsted

FE loans training provider goes bust after damning Ofsted inspection

The ESFA immediately terminated the provider’s funding contract

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Ofsted

Fourth consecutive ‘requires improvement’ Ofsted rating for BMet

Inspectors criticised leaders for failing to ensure the college’s curriculum is “consistently good in all subjects and at all…

Will Nott
Will Nott
Levelling Up

Councils oppose ‘elite’ sixth form plans

Do not allow the new institutions to become ‘cuckoos in the nest’, ministers also warned

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Devolution, Levelling Up

Top Tory mayor to bid for unprecedented skills powers

West Midlands wants control beyond the adult education budget

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship achievement rates removed due to ‘error’

It took the DfE’s statisticians almost a year to spot the issue

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Levelling Up

Levelling up white paper: The key reforms for FE and skills

New sixth forms, a skills mission and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund all feature

Will Nott
Will Nott
Levelling Up

Levelling up: More areas to be offered devolved adult education budgets

Long-awaited white paper reveals AEB devolution will be open to areas even if they do not have an elected…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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