News

Study staff, pastoral care, peer mentoring: spending the tuition fund

FE Week explores how the government’s £96 million tuition fund is being put to use by colleges and whether…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

College running on emergency cash to sell campus

A college in dire financial straits is looking to sell off one of its campuses to balance the books,…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Free digital skills quals held up by Covid and Ofqual delays

Coronavirus and “unnecessary delays” by the exams regulator have been blamed for disrupting the roll out of free, government-developed,…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Revealed: The number of bids in ESFA’s traineeships tender

The government’s much-anticipated traineeships tender received 370 bids – a fraction of the number that had been anticipated by…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

College paid £3.5m dividend following Saudi venture exit

A college exploring merger options has used a multi-million-pound exit dividend from an international venture to make a staff…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Lockdown letdown: Union slams decision not to close colleges

A teaching union has accused the government of putting staff and student safety “at risk” by keeping colleges open…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Apprenticeship assessment flexibilities extended

Special measures that have enabled 25,000 apprentices to complete their end-point assessment during the Covid-19 pandemic will be retained…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: DfE publishes FE Covid guidance for November lockdown

Colleges and training providers should continue to deliver education for 16 to 19-year-olds on site during the new national…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Winners of the 2020 Festival of Learning awards announced

A mother bullied out of school aged 13, and an agency which fights serious and organised crime nationwide are among…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Highbury College appoints permanent chair as merger option explored

A college that has been led by a troubleshooting interim chair for almost a year has appointed a permanent…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

WorldSkills competitions in China and France postponed by a year

The next two WorldSkills competitions, set to take place in Shanghai in China in 2021 and Lyon in France…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Eight more T Level qualifications put out to tender

Awarding organisations are being sought to develop T Levels in areas such as media, animal care, and hair and…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon

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