News

DfE launches consultation on plans to fund £80m college pension contribution increase

The Department for Education is consulting on plans to provide extra funding to cover the estimated £80 million rise…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Fifth consecutive grade three Ofsted report for troubled London college

A London college previously at the centre of controversy involving the Grenfell Tower has received its fifth consecutive grade…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA appoints Kate Josephs as director of funding

A top government academies official has been appointed as the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s new director of funding….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA shake-up places a new director of funding in charge of its £63 billion budget

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is preparing to move towards a “single Funding Operations Centre of Excellence” as…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Ofsted watch: Mixed week for FE providers

It has been a mixed week for FE in Ofsted reports, as some providers celebrated ‘good’ first inspections while…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Skills minister vows to ‘dig deeper’ into level 2 apprenticeships drop

The skills minister has vowed to “dig deeper” into the drop in level two apprenticeships, and whether it might…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke


News

2019: The year ahead in FE and skills

2019 is set to be a big year for the FE and skills sector. While it’s still not clear…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Careers and Enterprise Company says it can’t provide apprenticeship advisers

The Department for Education has been criticised for spending tens of thousands of pounds on apprenticeship advisers, as a government-created careers guidance organisation…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

London’s largest college group abandons an appeal against a £3 million HMRC bill

A London college group has chosen to give up on a 17-year appeal against HM Revenue and Customs and…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

College ends use of corporate credit cards after its former principal claimed £40k expenses

A college in financial difficulty has ended the use of corporate cards for senior staff after its former high-profile…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Highbury College in £1.4m legal battle with Nigerian state

A college has called in the lawyers to recover a long-running £1.4 million debt held up in Nigeria, after…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted to launch new inspection framework consultation at SFCA conference next week

Ofsted will launch its consultation on the new education inspection framework at the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association winter conference…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke

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