News

FE Commissioner reports published for 3 struggling colleges

Three struggling colleges have had FE Commissioner intervention reports published today. Among them was one for North Hertfordshire College,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE to scrap FE teacher bursary programme

The government is to scrap FE teacher bursaries, in a move that has been described as a “slap in…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Troubled college ‘determined to secure long-term future’ ahead of FE Commissioner report

A land-based college that was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted for the second time in a row last year has…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA warns it could trigger college insolvencies with adult education budget claw-back

The government is encouraging under-performing colleges to reduce their 2018/19 adult education budget now, to avoid cash flow problems…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Starts suspended at mysterious apprenticeship provider after ESFA launches investigation

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has suspended starts at an apprenticeship firm with multimillion-pound subcontracting deals while it…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Promising week for new apprenticeship providers

It’s been a promising week for new apprenticeship providers, with only one ‘insufficient progress’ finding from six monitoring visits….

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

UCU members strike over pay in 13 colleges across England

Strikes went ahead at 13 colleges but were suspended at three others this week in an ongoing dispute over…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Great debate on AEB devolution: will it be a successful policy?

The motion: This House believes the devolution of the £1.5bn adult education budget will prove to be a successful…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Flagship UTC received huge DfE bailout after being stung by apprenticeship funding cuts

A flagship university technical college had to be bailed out by the government with a £650,000 loan, after being…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Approved T-level provider warns of pulling out after DfE excludes private providers from £38m capital bids

An independent training provider due to deliver the first T-levels from next year has warned it might have to…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Secrecy around funding band formulas protects against ‘misuse’, says IfATE chief executive

The government’s apprenticeships agency is not willing to share the formula it uses to calculate funding bands for apprenticeship…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA delays European Social Fund contracts due to alleged breach of tender rules

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has delayed issuing European Social Fund contracts after multiple providers who lost out…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
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