News

Could an FE white paper signal government support to host the skills Olympics?

The much-anticipated FE white paper could provide impetus and galvanise support for a bid to host the international WorldSkills…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Ofqual’s independence questioned as regulator ‘buried its head in the sand’ during exams fiasco

The education select committee has accused Ofqual of “burying its head in the sand” by ignoring repeated warnings in…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Colleges fear enrolment surge could see 20,000 sixth formers go ‘unfunded’

Around 20,000 “unfunded” 16 to 18-year-old students are studying in colleges this year following a surge in enrolments due…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE seeks views on ‘undervalued’ level 2 and below quals market

The Department for Education has launched a call for evidence to find out what is “working well” with qualifications…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted reveals key findings from FE visits during pandemic

Ofsted has today published a summary of what they found during their first “interim visits” of colleges and training…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Birmingham provider drops adult education budget high court fight

The first ever court battle to challenge a failed adult education budget application has been dropped. East Birmingham Community…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Large redundancies planned at college which took over Hadlow Group campuses

Almost 100 jobs are at risk at one of the colleges which took over part of the first college…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

The show must go on: online resources to support delivery during lockdown 2.0

With Boris Johnson announcing a second national lockdown on Saturday, we continue to face much uncertainty and disruption to…

Shane Mann
Shane Mann
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

Must read

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
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