News

DfE launches new matching and redundancy support service for apprentices

A new service that allows employers to share their vacancies with redundant apprentices has been launched by the Department…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA scraps minimum duration repeat rule for returning apprentices

A minimum duration rule that was preventing some people from returning to and finishing an apprenticeship will be scrapped…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Adult education charity to close despite plans for a rescue deal

A long-running adult education charity in Brighton is to close with the loss of almost 50 jobs tomorrow after…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA scraps provider achievement rate reports

Colleges and training providers will not have access to qualification achievement rate (QAR) reports to use internally for 2019/20,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Monthly apprenticeships update: May starts fall 60%

Apprenticeship starts for the month of May 2020 fell 60 per cent on the previous year, figures published this…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

300 redundancies planned at England’s largest apprenticeship provider

England’s largest apprenticeship provider is planning to slash around 300 jobs as it battles with “significantly reduced” learner numbers…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


AEB

ESFA ‘withdraws’ AEB funding clawback plans following sector backlash

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has “withdrawn” plans to clawback this year’s unspent adult education budget grant funding…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Second round of ESFA Covid-19 supplier relief attracts 112 provider bids

Just 112 providers applied for the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s second Covid-19 supplier relief scheme – and 35…

Simon Kay
Simon Kay
News

ESFA plan traineeship funding tender despite history of tendering woes

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is to launch a tender to “quickly” widen the provider base for adult…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofqual wants admissions ‘flexibility’ for students with ‘one or two lower grades’

Post-16 providers have been urged to “offer greater flexibility” in admission decisions to ensure students who get “one or…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA reveals spending and audit rules for £96m 16-19 Covid tutoring fund

Colleges and other 16 to 19 providers will be paid at least an additional £150 per disadvantaged learner next…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: The 20 college partnerships to share the £5.4m College Collaboration Fund

Twenty college partnerships will receive grants through a fund designed to develop greater collaboration across the sector, the government…

Simon Kay
Simon Kay

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