News

Flagship national college plans to ‘dissolve’ despite DfE bailouts

One of the five government flagship national colleges plans to “dissolve” and hand over its courses to a college…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Rayner refuses to rule out scrapping Ofsted under proposed National Education Service

Labour is “looking at all options” for an overhaul of the school and college accountability system, including replacing Ofsted,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA ignored whistleblower nearly two years before FE Week exposé

A whistleblower reported the £20 million Brooklands College subcontracting scandal to the Education and Skills Funding Agency in 2017…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Principal’s £150k expenses revealed… finally

Ministers have ordered the FE Commissioner to investigate a principal’s “deeply concerning” corporate credit card use after her college…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Colleges still £1.1bn short since 2010 despite chancellor’s boost, IFS finds

Colleges and sixth forms will need an extra £1.1 billion on top of the government’s recently announced spending boost…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

DfE exceeds 2.3% public sector apprenticeships target – again

The Department for Education has surpassed the government’s public sector target for recruiting apprentices for the second year in…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Apprentices put on ‘unpaid leave’ during training, Ofsted finds at provider

Apprentices at an employer provider are expected to be on unpaid leave for two months during a business shutdown…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

ESFA seeking views on Brexit readiness among FE providers

Colleges and training providers are being asked how prepared they are for Brexit by the Education and Skills Funding…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Principal who resigned for ‘personal reasons’ becomes boss of FE for Jisc

Former Richmond-upon-Thames College principal Robin Ghurbhurun has been made managing director of FE at Jisc, after recently resigning from…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Criminal investigation launched following college cyber attack

Cyber criminals have hacked into the personal data, and potentially bank details, of students and staff at Swindon College,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

CBI wants £100m annual government top-up for dwindling apprenticeship levy pot

The government should pay an annual £100 million top-up to the apprenticeship levy so all businesses can continue to…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Global perception survey finds UK universities least likely to prepare people for jobs

The UK is the only country where more than half of people feel university did not prepare them for…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon

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