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
News

Government to consult on subcontracting limits

The government is set to launch its consultation on a radical overhaul of subcontracting rules this week – and…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Minister admits first funding rate increase in 7 years is below inflation

The first 16 to 19 funding rate increase since 2013 fails to even pay for inflation, a minister has…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA apprenticeship roadshow to cross the country

Providers are being invited to a series of roadshows to find out more about non-levy paying businesses transitioning to…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Halfon: FE must recognise ‘step forward’ in funding even if it’s not a ‘giant leap’

The FE sector needs to recognise that government has “made a step forward, even if it may not be…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Major energy company among swathe of ‘good’ results

A major energy firm was among six training providers to be rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in a positive week…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

College’s T-level delivery in jeopardy

The government is reviewing whether a large college group approved to start delivering T-levels from 2021 should be kicked…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Crackdown on 16-18 residential data in wake of cladding concerns

The government will write to all colleges and universities with residential learners aged 16 to 18 after officials found…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Coupland: ‘Public funding for management apprenticeships is perfectly legitimate’

The new chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has given her backing to scarce levy…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Is September too early for Ofsted inspectors to call?

A college has questioned the “rationale” of Ofsted inspecting them within days of the new academic year starting. However,…

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

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