News

Treasury pours cold water on hopes for extra SME apprenticeship funding

Hopes for new apprenticeship funding have been swiftly crushed after the Treasury confirmed that today’s budget offers no extra…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Budget DOES include manifesto promise of extra £4bn of FE funding in England

The chancellor has confirmed the Conservative manifesto commitments for FE, including a £1.5 billion boost to upgrade college buildings…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Coronavirus: ‘Break in learning’ rule suspended for affected apprentices

The government will allow apprentices to have a “break in learning” if they cannot be assessed due to the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Grade 3 confirmed for London’s mega-college

One of the largest college group’s in England had its grade three from Ofsted confirmed, in what was otherwise…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Controversial MBAs prove a hit in Whitehall departments

Whitehall is lapping up the MBA apprenticeship that the education secretary Gavin Williamson is “unconvinced” provides value for money,…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

2,500 learners affected as provider goes bust

A training provider with more than 2,500 learners has entered administration, FE Week has learned. Progress to Excellence Ltd…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu


News

Colleges on the frontline in the battle against knives

Knife crime in colleges has more than doubled in recent years, new figures suggest, which has prompted leaders to…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
AEB

London is first to warn about AEB underspend for 2019/20

The first signs of yet another adult education budget (AEB) underspend have appeared, after the Greater London Authority revealed…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA planning to limit providers by standards

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is working on plans to require providers to be “accredited” for the apprenticeship…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Undeclared £20k bonus ‘honest error’, claims college boss

A college has fessed up to failing to declare a £20,000 bonus made to its principal in 2018 amid…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

T-levels ‘uniquely narrow’ compared to technical courses in high performing countries, claims think tank

A review into the “uniquely narrow and short” technical courses in England has been called for ahead of the…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

AAC Awards 2020 winners revealed

The winners of the Annual Apprenticeship Awards 2020 have been crowned at a glittering ceremony in Birmingham tonight. More…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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