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
News

MP to meet FE Commissioner over ‘disappointing’ college closure plans

An MP has hit out at the proposed closure of a college in his constituency and is set to…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

London plans to pull funding for 32 out-of-area colleges

More than 30 colleges based outside London are set to lose millions in funding for delivering training to adults…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

West Kent & Ashford College has debts of over £100m to almost 70 organisations

The second college to enter education administration has debts and liabilities of more than £100 million to over 60…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Payout given to retiring principal must be paid back

A university has been told to repay £119,000 by its funding body after an investigation found a payout to…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Gillian Keegan appointed apprenticeships and skills minister

Gillian Keegan has been named as the new apprenticeships and skills minister. She joined the Department for Education as…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Renewed calls for skills tax credits as budget looms

With the budget less than a month away, and the prime minister confirming the apprenticeship levy needs reform, there…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

WorldSkills bootcamp: what does it take to be a competitor?

As the run-up to WorldSkills 2021 picks up pace, FE Week reporter Fraser Whieldon went behind-the-scenes at a Squad…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

College groups struggling to shine as Ofsted visits for first time

More than half of all young learners who enrolled in September at ungraded merged FE colleges now find themselves…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Ofsted watch: Two providers lose ‘outstanding’ grades

One college and one private provider lost their ‘outstanding’ grades in a mixed week for the FE sector. Gateshead…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu

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