News

New £55k chair wanted to steer Ofqual through ‘unprecedented challenges’

The government is searching for a new Ofqual chair to steer the regulator through “unprecedented challenges” and shape the…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

ESFA U-turns on banning providers from assessing learning difficulties for funding

The government has U-turned on a controversial new funding rule which could have meant apprentices’ learning difficulties could have…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Subcontracting rules watered down just a day after being published

A new rule that would force providers to gain permission before charging subcontracting management fees above 20 per cent…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Hospitality and catering courses added to level 3 lifetime skills guarantee offer

The government has added hospitality and catering courses to its new level 3 adult offer after controversially excluding the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Williamson slammed for ‘ignoring’ concerns about scrapping BTECs

Twelve education bodies have today slammed the education secretary for “ignoring” their concerns and ploughing ahead with plans to…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Union calls for formal review after OCR confirms 42% exam fees rebate

Exam board OCR has confirmed it will give schools and colleges a rebate of 42 per cent of fees…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Colleges invited to use cost-cutting consultants

Colleges will be given access to the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s army of cost-cutting advisers from September. The…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Students are worried employers will see TAGs as ‘fake grades’, says Ofqual advisers

Students are worried employers will see their teacher assessed GCSEs as “fake grades”, Ofqual has said, as the regulator…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE considers college vaccine passports

FE students could need to be fully vaccinated to attend education and training in the coming year under plans…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofsted

High praise for university in first tranche of Ofsted’s level 6 and 7 apprenticeship inspections

Ofsted’s first new provider monitoring visits of level 6 and 7 apprenticeship provision have resulted positive results for higher…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Ofsted

UTC jumps from Ofsted ‘inadequate’ to ‘outstanding’ in a year

A university technical college (UTC) has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted just a year after being hit with the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

5 things we learned from DfE’s final apprenticeship reform review

The Department for Education has today published its final review of its apprenticeship reform programme. Officials established the programme,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
Adult education, ITPs

Mayors dump adult education cuts on independent training providers

Up to two-thirds axed from devolved procured budgets

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor