News

All systems go: the virtual open day has arrived

FE Week spoke to a handful of colleges that have cancelled their traditional summer open days and already started…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE scraps annual FE learner satisfaction survey

The annual FE learner satisfaction survey has been axed for 2019/20 due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The decision was…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: Government list of apprenticeships given green light for online assessment

A list of 70 apprenticeship standards where permission has been granted to carry out end-point assessments remotely during the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Can providers furlough staff and receive ESFA supplier relief?

Staff that have been furloughed by training providers must return to work if they want to receive supplier relief…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Colleges given access to DfE free meal vouchers

The government has extended its national food voucher scheme to colleges that are having “practical difficulties” delivering free meals to students during the…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

DfE relaxes functional skills rule for apprentices

The government has relaxed the requirement for level 2 apprentices to achieve their functional skills qualification. This morning, Ofqual confirmed…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

DfE reveals provider criteria for accessing supplier relief

Training providers must have a qualification achievement rate for 2018/19 of above 40 per cent to be eligible for…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: More details on how functional skills qualifications will be assessed

Functional skills students can be moderated via “adapted assessment” such as online tests this summer, but only where teacher…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Hundreds of Sheffield College support staff win payrise

Support staff at Sheffield College will see a salary increase as high as 18 per cent from May as…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Ofqual’s proposals for awarding vocational and technical qualifications: A speed read

Ofqual has today published a consultation on how it proposes to award vocational and technical qualifications this summer. Here’s…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Decision on how to grade thousands of BTECs and other quals left to awarding bodies

Awarding organisations will be left to decide which of the thousands of BTECs and other technical qualifications can be…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Stranded: how college international students are coping away from home

With no blueprint for this unprecedented pandemic, colleges are coming up with their own solutions to help international students…

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