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
News

New employer incentives will form part of ‘apprenticeship guarantee’, claims ESFA director

The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s director for apprenticeships has revealed that discussions are underway with Treasury about what…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

New ESFA apprenticeships director pledges ‘collaboration, communication, and clarity’ with the sector

The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s new director for apprenticeships has pledged more “collaboration, communication, and clarity” as he…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Integrated degree in digital solutions apprenticeship gets stay of execution as wider review gets under way

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is delaying its decision on whether to remove the integrated degree from…

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