News

Principal defends college merger facilitated by £30 million bailout

Merging with a college that was “struggling for financial survival” and required a £30 million bailout from the government…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

DfE commission research to review high prices for apprentices with prior learning

The government is looking into whether apprenticeship delivery is being adjusted to account for apprentices’ prior learning, a sign…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

FE bosses criticise ‘ridiculous variability’ of external quality assurance charges

Sector leaders have hit out at the “ridiculous variability” in approved external quality assurance charges, ranging from a free…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Providers turning apprentices away as non-levy cash dries up

Training providers’ non-levy funding is running dry and some are even having to turn apprentices away – but the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Finalists announced for AAC Apprenticeship Awards 2019

The national finalists of the AAC Apprenticeship Awards 2019 have been unveiled. More than 350 entries were submitted from…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Minister places college in administered status as FE Commissioner exposes ‘historical’ corporate failure

A college was placed in administered status at the end of January after the FE Commissioner found it was…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

The Open University teams up with colleges to offer free functional skills courses

A scheme to provide free functional skills courses online is being launched by The Open University in partnership with…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
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

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

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