Ofsted

Recovering colleges’ latest Ofsted results

One principal said they weren’t sure the Ofsted inspection was helpful or good value for money. Three colleges tell…

Will Nott
Billy Camden and Will Nott
Colleges, Ofsted

Ofsted slams SEND college for ‘highly inappropriate’ activities

The watchdog found that students with special educational needs and disabilities were tube fed and medicated in classrooms in…

Will Nott
Will Nott
News

DfE slashes grant funding for ETF

It is expected that some programmes previously provided by ETF will be put out to tender by the DfE

Will Nott
Will Nott
Apprenticeships

Shock as half of apprentices drop out

Expert says there would be ‘national outcry’ and independent inquiry if this happened with A-levels

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

‘Frustrating’ for some but ‘not surprising’: ESFA extends AEB contracts for one more year

National adult education budget contracts renewed for 2022/23

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Apprenticeships

2020/21 apprenticeship achievement rate hits 57.7% – and just 51.8% for standards

Almost half of learners on the new-style apprenticeship standards failed to successfully complete their programme last year, new figures…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

Revised 2019/20 apprenticeship achievement rates reveal huge drop

The overall achievement rate for apprenticeships in 2019/20 has fallen to 57.5 per cent – 6.7 percentage points lower…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Covid-19

DfE widens student eligibility criteria for 16-19 catch-up funding

But leaders warn the extension has been introduced too late and predict ‘many’ fundng clawbacks

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

Central Bedfordshire College to merge with The Bedford College Group

Central Bedfordshire College is set to merge with The Bedford College Group, it has been announced today. The two…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
EDI, SEND

SEND review ‘disappointing’ for FE

The government’s planned reforms to the SEND education system do not go far enough for FE learners, leaders say.

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Skills reform

Skills Bill: Government ‘compromises’ on careers but no delay to BTEC defunding

A concession on rules for careers guidance in schools but government rejects delayed BTEC defunding in skills bill final…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen

Must read

16-19

Curriculum review: ‘Strengthen’ resit accountability and reduce T Level assessment burden

Review recommends already-announced V Levels, level 2 pathways and new pre-GCSE English and maths quals

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
News

Case dismissed: Marples loses High Court claim against DfE

A judge has dismissed a multi-million-pound claim brought by former training boss Peter Marples and his family against the…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Skills reform

New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms

The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
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