News

Specialist colleges honoured in inaugural Natspec awards

Leading post-16 providers that teach students with special educational needs and disabilities have been recognised for excellence in the sector at…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

DfE publish guidance on fully opening FE to young people and adults from September

The Department for Education has this morning published guidance on what FE colleges and providers will “need to do”…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Federation of Awarding Bodies chair and vice-chair to step down

Paul Eeles and Terry Fennell, the chair and vice-chair of the Federation of Awarding Bodies respectively, are to step…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Leicester College takes ‘difficult decision to close’ in local lockdown

Leicester College is to close from today as part of the country’s first localised lockdown following a flare-up of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA to force ‘significant’ reductions to FE subcontracting by 2022/23

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has confirmed it will apply a cap on the volume of subcontracting as…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Exam boards to investigate claims of ‘bias’ in teacher-assessed grades

Exam boards will be expected to investigate claims from students that schools and colleges have not shown “care or…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

GCSE and A-level autumn series grades to be based only on exams, Ofqual confirms

Student grades in this year’s autumn exam series will be based on their performance in the tests alone, not…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

PM promises ‘every young person’ the ‘chance of an apprenticeship or an in-work placement’

The prime minister has promised to offer an “opportunity guarantee” that will give “every young person the chance of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Official figures reveal 85% fall in apprenticeship vacancies

The number of vacancies on the government’s Find An Apprenticeship website plummeted by more than 80 per cent in…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Exams regulator to lose their FE lead

The head of Ofqual’s vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) department is stepping down. Phil Beach, who is currently leading…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Government to ‘fast track’ £200m of £1.5bn capital budget to refurbish colleges

The government is to make £200 million of its £1.5 billion college capital funding pot available from this September…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Kate Green appointed shadow education secretary

Kate Green has been appointed as the new shadow education secretary. The MP for Stretford and Urmston, a former…

Shane Mann
Shane Mann

Must read

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
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