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
News

MBA apprenticeship to live on despite attempt to axe

Universities are still planning to offer the MBA in the level 7 senior leader apprenticeship, despite the qualification being…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

New shadow ed sec admits NES plan didn’t reach voters

Freddie Whittaker meets Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour’s new shadow education secretary The lack of an “overarching message” from Labour on…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Colleges call for change to GCSE ranking plans for huge cohorts

Colleges are calling on Ofqual to relax plans for ranking GCSE students within each grade this summer, as doing…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Talks underway to extend apprenticeship frameworks cut-off date

The cut-off date for starts on old-style apprenticeships, known as frameworks, could be extended, the chief operating officer of…

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