News

Troubled Easton and Otley College to be demerged and taken over

A troubled land-based college is to be broken up and merged with two other colleges, following two consecutive ‘inadequate’…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Revealed: The 17 colleges to share £2.5m in final strategic improvement funding round

The names of final colleges set to share grants through a government fund designed to support struggling colleges have…

Simon Kay
Simon Kay
News

Speedy Ofsted criticism of provider just months after multi-million pound purchase

A new provider that was allowed to recruit over 1,000 apprentices before being inspected has been found making ‘insufficient…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Milton backs Gove to be next Prime Minister

The skills minister Anne Milton is backing Conservative leadership frontrunner Michael Gove to be the next Prime Minister. As…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Union threatens strike action after college sacked lecturer for writing ‘racist’ on Prevent poster

The University and College Union has warned its members will strike at Sandwell College if a lecturer, who was…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

West Notts College university centre less than half-full three years after opening

A university centre at the troubled West Nottinghamshire College has had to revise down its learner growth numbers by…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Ofqual: Removing access to BTECs risks creating ‘barrier’ to student progress

The body that regulates qualifications in England has added its voice to fears about the government’s plans for scrapping…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Dozens made redundant as ‘good’ apprenticeship provider goes bust

A training provider has gone bust after being “hit hard” by the government’s apprenticeship reforms, putting nearly 40 staff…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

West Thames College strike days this year hit double figures

Staff at two colleges will go on strike again this week as part of an ongoing row over pay…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Poor week for multiple new apprenticeship providers

New apprenticeship providers came in for some stinging criticism this week, with three found to be making ‘insufficient progress’…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Revealed: 54 colleges and providers chosen for second wave of Taking Teaching Further funding

The colleges and training providers chosen to recruit new FE teachers and improve links with industry for the second…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Theresa May: FE has been ‘overlooked, undervalued and underfunded’

The Prime Minister delivered a speech this morning in response to the much anticipated Augar review on post-18 education….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

Skills reform

New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms

The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
Qualifications

Revealed: V Levels incoming as axe looms for BTECs

New qualifications set to launch as ‘third route’ between A-levels and T Levels

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Politics, Skills reform

DWP will take over apprenticeships, minister confirms

Shifting adult skills and apprenticeships policy will give “bigger emphasis on skills”, Jacqui Smith claims

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
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