News

Lecturers strike at London college despite agreeing pay deal last year

Strikes started today at a large London college just a year and a half after staff agreed a pay…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Interim principal joins Highbury College following DfE intervention

A college embroiled in an expenses scandal has appointed an experienced FE leader as its interim principal. Penny Wycherley…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Feature, News

Forces for good: ex-military impress as trainee lecturers

Successive governments are not giving up on the idea of getting former military personnel into classrooms, but could FE…

Jess Staufenberg
Jess Staufenberg
News

Hadlow College sells Betteshanger Park for undisclosed sum

The first college to enter education administration has taken an “important step forward” after it sold its country and…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Ofsted finds ‘many’ employers did not know staff were apprentices

“Many” employers working with a new independent provider for the care sector did not know their staff were on…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

UTCs back in the market – but there’s a catch

The first applications in five years have been lodged for new university technical colleges, FE Week can reveal –…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Ofsted watch: Long-running commercial provider hit with grade 4 in poor week for FE

It has been a poor week for FE, with one independent provider being declared ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted and seven…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

National Apprenticeship Award winners of 2019

The “outstanding” work of apprentices, government officials and employers was recognised at the National Apprenticeship Awards for 2019 on…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Police and schools top list of those missing apprenticeship targets

The police and schools are the public-sector bodies with most to do to meet the government’s apprenticeship recruitment target,…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

Ofsted praise college therapy dogs as popularity on the rise

A dog that helps students struggling with mental-health issues has won praise from Ofsted inspectors. Bexhill College in East…

Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu
News

‘Inadequate’ provider hands £2m adult education budget contract back

A training provider has handed back an adult education budget (AEB) contract of almost £2 million after Ofsted criticised…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Williamson taken to task on Conservative manifesto

While the Conservatives’ manifesto published on Sunday had some eye-catching FE pledges, including a new £3 billion national skills…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
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