News

Statement: Festival of Education 2020 cancelled

Due to the uncertainty around the coronavirus outbreak, this year’s Festival of Education will be cancelled. A full statement…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Former ESFA boss to chair Student Loans Company

Former Education and Skills Funding Agency chief executive Peter Lauener has been appointed as chair of the Student Loans…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted publishes contested Shrewsbury College grade 4

Ofsted this morning published their contested grade four report into Shrewsbury Colleges Group, expressing concerns that “not all students…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Another UTC to lower 14-19 age range from September

Another university technical college is scrapping its 14 to 19 age criteria and will start recruiting 13-year-olds from this…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

ESFA warns college over finances after bank covenant breach

A college has been moved into FE Commissioner intervention after it breached a bank covenant and had to reclassify…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Ofsted watch: Radio company that runs Kiss FM among 7 ‘good’ reports

A high-profile radio company that runs UK stations such as Kiss FM and Magic was among seven FE providers…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu


News

Senior MPs to grill DfE on £792m spent on troubled UTCs

The public accounts committee (PAC) will quiz officials from the Department for Education on the financial stability of university…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE launches last-minute T-level placements research

The government has embarked on a very last-minute mission to find out if students could fail to secure the…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Struggling Gateshead delays annual accounts as auditors conclude investigation

A college has delayed signing off on its 2018/19 accounts as forensic investigators shed light on its unexpected £6…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

DfE stats lay bare drastic SME shift following levy launch

The Department for Education has revealed for the first time how the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Shrewsbury college loses grade 4 battle with Ofsted

A college accused of serious safeguarding failures has failed to overturn an ‘inadequate’ judgment following a second visit from…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

BMet sells Stourbridge campus for just £3.55m

A college campus that was controversially closed last summer has been sold for £3.55 million, just five years after…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read
Apprenticeships

Entrepreneur chased for millions after apprenticeship collapse

ESFA uncovers ‘fake’ taxi apprentices as liquidator reveals intercompany payments days after firm decided to shut

Billy Camden
Billy Camden