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


News

Lifelong learning campaigners join forces to launch ‘centenary commission’ on adult education

Leading universities and educational charities have joined forces to create a new commission into the adult education challenges faced…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Demands grow for more transparency from government on apprenticeship levy spending

The City and Guilds Group has added its voice to the growing clamour demanding more transparency from the government…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

DfE publishes 20% off-the-job training ‘mythbusters’

The Department for Education has published new guidance on the controversial 20 per cent off-the-job training rule for apprentices,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE plans first ever FE workforce survey exclusively for non-colleges

The government has revealed plans for its first ever FE workforce survey exclusively for non-colleges to better understand the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA seeking views on ‘long-term operation’ of apprenticeship levy

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is seeking employers’ and providers’ views on the long-term operation of the apprenticeship…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

First ever loans-only provider to get Ofsted ‘outstanding’

A loans-only provider has been rated ‘outstanding’ – the first such provider to receive the highest possible rating from…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke

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