News

Learners starting FE loans funded courses falls for third consecutive year

The number of people taking out advanced learner loans in the first quarter of the academic year has fallen…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Apprenticeship starts up on 2017/18 – but still down on 2016/17

Apprenticeship starts are up 15 per cent for the first quarter of 2018/19 compared with the same period in…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Colleges will put learners on inappropriate courses without funding increase, warns Ofsted boss

Colleges are likely to increase the amount of courses that “attract the most learners” but which don’t offer “real…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Revealed: The 36 providers in the running for Manchester’s AEB funding

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has revealed the providers that have made it through to the final round of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

College in £1.4m legal battle with Nigerian state unblocks staff access to FE Week

Highbury College has unblocked access to FE Week on its internet servers following heavy backlash from government officials and…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE U-turns over study programme rule change

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has U-turned on plans to bar 16- to 19-year-olds who’ve passed GCSE maths…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke


News

College claims Institute of Technology bid ‘not in jeopardy’ despite Ofsted grade three

A college that has plummeted two Ofsted grades from its previous ‘outstanding’ has insisted its bid to open an…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News, Uncategorized

MPs from all sides call for an end to six years of real-term FE funding rate cuts

There was cross-party and unanimous condemnation from dozens of MPs over real-terms cuts to FE funding during a Parliamentary…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Fully fund level 3 to 5 training in ‘skills shortage areas’, AoC proposes

The adult education budget should be used to fully fund training at levels three to five in skills shortage…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

New Learndirect owner wins £20m in ESFA contracts

Learndirect has started to win government funding to deliver skills training again, after its new owner secured more than…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Charity to test new GCSE maths curriculum for controversial resits policy

A maths charity has been awarded £60,000 to investigate the “feasibility” of a new GCSE curriculum in the subject…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

£2m bank charge for college clearing debt with bailout

A cash-strapped college has spent almost £2 million of the bailout cash it received from the government on bank…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke

Must read

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
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