Long read

Crisis in schools creates a NEET problem for FE to solve

Jessica Hill examines the triggers and FE solutions as worsening school absenteeism piles pressure on colleges to provide lower- level post-16 courses

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Skills England

Skills England penned in by DfE capture, say critics

In-housing skills could damage credibility with employers

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Ofqual

Scots regulator rapped over building site safety malpractice

Ofqual found a failure to ‘rigorously’ investigate malpractice at the Scottish regulator and awarding body’s assessment centres in England

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Pay

Could an FE review body finally end teacher pay snubs?

Sector leaders are discussing how a pay review body could close the salary gap between school and FE teachers

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Apprenticeships

Starts fell for most apprenticeships after ‘exceptional’ funding review

Care worker apprenticeships dived the most

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Budget 2024

Treat colleges and schools fairly on any NI reform, unions say

Colleges were snubbed last time round

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth


SEND

Suicide risk over SEND confusion, coroner warns

‘I am concerned this creates or increases the risk of avoidable suicidality developing’

Billy Camden
Chaminda Jayanetti
skills

‘Uncertainty’ frustrated £2.6bn skills fund delivery, report finds

Comes months before UKSPF contract ‘cliff-edge’

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
News

Deadline for results checking service extended after tech issue

New data service hit by technical problems in the first year it has been moved back in-house to the…

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Budget 2024, Colleges

EPI outlines ‘clear picture’ that college finances are worse than unis

Think tank urges Labour not to forget FE amid HE financial crisis talks

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education, Colleges

FE Commissioner’s verdict on 2 struggling colleges and a council

Intervention reports shed more light on NewVIc conflict, reveal how a college nearly ran out of cash and that…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
DfE, skills

DfE scores with Sky Sports-style ads for FE

Research shows increased interest in FE teaching since the campaign’s launch in 2022

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor

Must read

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
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