News

DfE was aware of bootcamps gender issue but has plans to tackle it

The Department for Education knew its flagship skills bootcamps could be flooded with male learners but has a raft…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

New provider monitoring visits back on for March 15

New provider monitoring visits will resume from March 15 – and they will be conducted face-to-face, Ofsted has confirmed….

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

‘Flexi-job’ apprenticeships: What are they and how will they work?

Several industries where project-based employment is the norm have struggled more than most to comply with the 12-month minimum…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
Covid-19

Williamson defends independent provider Covid-19 testing ‘madness’

The education secretary has defended the controversial delay in distributing Covid-19 testing kits to independent training providers. In an…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Skills bootcamps ‘counter-intuitive’ to long-term FE simplification, top civil servant admits

Pilot schemes, such as skills bootcamps, are “counter-intuitive” to the Department for Education’s long-term goal of simplifying the FE…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Skills reform

Intervention regime WILL include college failure to comply with local skills improvement plans

New legislation will enable the education secretary to intervene where colleges refuse to deliver courses decided through local skills…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Festival of Education goes virtual for 2021

This year’s Festival of Education will take place online and will be free to watch. It was hoped that…

Shane Mann
Shane Mann
News

GCSE and A-level grades 2021: ‘I will back you all the way’, Williamson says to teachers

The education secretary has pledged to back teachers “all the way” in their efforts to award GCSE and A-level…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Colleges and training providers in line for £35m slice of the Turing Scheme

Around a third of the funding pot set aside for the Turing Scheme will go to further education providers,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA announces new subcontracting cap

The volume of subcontracted training will be capped at 25 per cent for providers from next year – but…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Sponsored post

When best-in-class tech meets best-in-class accreditation

Irrespective of the scale of the educational institution, there’s always a case for improving efficiencies and delivering more effective…

NOCN
NOCN
News

FE providers to receive free batch of face masks to aid reopening

FE providers will each receive up to 7,500 face masks from government for free as they reopen to more…

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