News

Minister takes the wheel at HS2 college ‘in light of the severity of financial situation’

A National College surviving on government bailouts has been placed in supervised status after the FE Commissioner found it…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Ofsted verdict: HS2 college left employers to deliver training and failed to protect students from harassment

The grade four Ofsted report a National College went to the High Court to suppress has been published this…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

#BackABid: Momentum building for campaign to bring WorldSkills to UK

Momentum is building behind FE Week’s rally of support for holding the WorldSkills competition in the UK, after a…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Ofsted watch: Fourth sixth form college makes it to ‘outstanding’ this year

Another sixth form college has received a grade one, making it the fourth such provider to receive the coveted…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Ofqual orders exam boards to publish qualification costs

Exam boards will be required to publish the costs of qualifications on their websites to “create a more level…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Provider pulls out of apprenticeships after second Ofsted mauling

The training arm of an engineering trade association has pulled out of apprenticeships in England after it was slammed…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Colleges collect royal honour from Buckingham Palace

Staff and students from four colleges brushed shoulders with royalty today as they picked up their Queen’s Anniversary Prizes…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

College rocked by shock deficit appoints experienced interim principal

A college that has been rocked by an unexpected £6 million deficit has appointed an experienced FE leader as…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Derailed: HS2 college face Ofsted grade 4 after dropping legal challenge

The troubled National College for HS2 has abandoned its attempts to stop Ofsted publishing a grade four report, after…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Careers advice: Colleges making ‘positive progress’ against Gatsby benchmarks

The Careers and Enterprise Company has released new analysis showing how post-16 providers are faring against the eight Gatsby…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

College relying on secret last-ditch merger to survive before cash runs out in October

A bank has pulled a cash-strapped college’s overdraft facility as the clock ticks for its survival – which rests…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Revealed: The providers that can bid in the next £120m Institutes of Technology tender

The government will only accept proposals from providers in 20 of England’s 38 local enterprise partnership (LEP) areas for…

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