News

AELP accuses DfE of ‘sidestepping’ with £515k tender to engage SMEs in apprenticeships

The government has come under fire for planning to spend £500,000 helping small employers get “onboarded onto the Apprenticeship…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Flagship rail college hopes new name and broader offering will put it back on track

The National College for High Speed Rail is ploughing ahead with a new name and broader course offer, following…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Williamson defends his old sixth form as it drops digital T-level

The education secretary has said his former college made the “right decision” in pulling out of offering a T-level…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

London to clamp down on funding for out-of-area colleges

Eastleigh is one of over 30 colleges that could lose millions as part of plans to end out-of-area providers…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Chair quits at college stung by £20m scandal and replaced by DfE consultant

A college rocked by a £20 million apprenticeship scandal is now being run by a Department for Education consultant…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Subcontracting warning from government after £20m Brooklands College scandal

The boss of the Education and Skills Funding Agency has sent a sector-wide letter warning she will take strong…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Boss of AoC critical of vice-chancellors spending university cash on ‘wine and beer’

The Augar report could be “dead” after university vice-chancellors whinged they couldn’t “possibly survive” on slashed tuition fees “because…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Minister admits no power to stop Stourbridge College becoming residential flats

An education minister has admitted the government has no power to preserve Stourbridge College’s site for educational use, heightening…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Revealed: The awarding bodies delivering the second wave of T-levels

The awarding organisations that will develop, deliver and award the seven T-levels being rolled out from 2021 are NCFE…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

T-levels dropped by education secretary’s former sixth form ahead of 2020 launch

The education secretary’s former sixth form college has pulled out of offering two T-level pathways ahead of their launch…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Sector reacts to education secretary’s promise to ‘supercharge’ FE

The education secretary Gavin Williamson put FE centre stage during an impassioned speech at the Conservative Party Conference today….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Williamson pledges to ‘supercharge’ FE and overtake Germany within a decade

The education secretary has promised to deliver a “revolution in technical education”, and announced a target of overtaking Germany…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon

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