News

Troubled college to tumble two Ofsted grades from ‘outstanding’

A college that is currently investigating an unexpected £6 million deficit is set to be downgraded by Ofsted from…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Alarm bells sound over college’s last-minute £500K subcontracting tender

A college has put £500,000 out to tender in an attempt to achieve funding targets before August – despite…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE launches £95m capital fund for wave two T-level providers

The Department for Education is stumping up an extra £95 million to help upgrade the facilities of the 64…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

College leaders brand use of bailout funds ‘staggering’

The government has come under fire from successful college leaders after a series of FE Week freedom of information…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

School leaders take another Agnew tongue-lashing for apprenticeship failings

Headteachers at schools across England will again be reminded by ministers of their legal duty to promote apprenticeships, as…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Government research finds policy makers contributed to National College failures

The government’s own researchers have slammed policy makers for exacerbating National Colleges failures, according to an evaluation report into…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Exams regulator finds colleges put learners’ needs before funding in ‘first time’ research

Learners are “at the heart” of schools’, colleges’ and training providers’ decisions about the qualifications they offer, according to…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Union to sue construction firms for deducting apprenticeship levy from wages

“Thousands” of workers have been forced to pay the apprenticeship levy from their wages owing to a loophole in…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

FE commissioner annual report: Colleges entering formal intervention rises by two-thirds

The number of colleges entering formal intervention rose by two-thirds on the previous year, mostly due to historical “weak…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

ESFA to demand staff and pay data from all providers

The government is to force all colleges and training providers to submit workforce and pay data to “ensure” they…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Over 500 FE lecturers to come from industry as part of £24m support package ‘boost’

Over 500 people working in technical roles are to be enticed into training to be further education lecturers as…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

ESFA launches subcontracting consultation

Views are being sought by the Education and Skills Funding Agency on proposed changes to their subcontracting rules –…

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