News

ESFA handed over £250,000 AFTER disgraced training provider went bust

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has paid a further quarter of a million pounds to a firm that…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE wants Ofsted to inspect more ‘outstanding’ colleges – but won’t drop exemption

The Department for Education has told Ofsted to reinspect more ‘outstanding’ colleges and schools, but stopped short of dropping…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Ofsted finds no off-the-job training at care sector apprenticeship provider

A care sector apprenticeship provider has been heavily criticised by Ofsted for failing to give its apprentices any off-the-job…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Levy budget bust: Government agency warns of imminent apprenticeship over-spend

The apprenticeships budget for England is set to be overspent by £0.5 billion this year, rising to £1.5 billion…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Another batch of apprenticeship standards up for funding band reviews

A second batch of apprenticeship standards will have their funding bands put up for review from tomorrow. The Institute…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Halfon blasts Careers and Enterprise Company for their ‘magic money tree’

The chair of the education select committee has laid into the Careers and Enterprise Company for believing it has…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

AOs investigate private provider to church groups following misuse of funding concerns

Multiple awarding organisations are investigating an apprenticeship provider to church community groups after Ofsted raised potential misuse of funding…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Spielman using perception not facts on arts and media job prospects, says principal

Ofsted’s view that colleges are giving students “false hope” by putting them on courses where there are slim job…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted Watch: Week of winners and losers in FE

It has been a mixed week for FE as two colleges succeeded in climbing higher in the ranks, while…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Government software to withhold up to £4,860 apprenticeship completion payment until employers pay their share

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is clamping down on employers who fail to pay the 10 per cent…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

College-run academy trusts in trouble

An academy trust run by a college has been warned it will be stripped of its only school if…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

FE commissioner: check with me before appointing a principal

The FE commissioner has urged college governors to check with him before appointing a principal as part of a…

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