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
News

IfATE boss: Business admin level 2 ‘undermines’ efforts to create ‘well-regarded’ programme

The chief executive of the government’s apprenticeship quango has defended the decision to reject a business administration standard at…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted plans to withhold inspection reports until complaints are resolved

Ofsted will withhold publication of inspection reports until it has resolved complaints about them under a new redress system…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Further calls to target apprenticeship funding at the industrial strategy

Apprenticeship funding should be targeted at skills which fit the UK’s industrial strategy to combat growing pressures on the…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon

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