News

Low take up of scheme to transfer levy funds from larger to smaller employers

Only a tiny proportion of large employers’ apprenticeship cash was passed on to smaller employers in the first three…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Ofsted Watch: Difficult week for FE as providers hit with low grades

FE has faced a difficult week in Ofsted inspections as three providers were hit with ‘inadequate’ ratings. Three others…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Early monitoring visits find a quarter of apprenticeship providers are ‘insufficient’

A quarter of apprenticeship providers that have received early-monitoring visits from Ofsted so far have been rated as making…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Protests at the deadline for sixth form colleges’ conversion to academies

The Sixth Form Colleges Association is urging the government to keep the option for its members to convert to…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

What is behind the spate of resignations of college leaders?

An exodus of college leaders has rocked the FE sector over the past two months. Meanwhile, regulations that will…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Three quarters of colleges rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

More than three quarters of colleges are now rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ and none are deemed ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross


News

AELP consulting on proposals to avoid EPA ‘car crash’

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers is seeking input from its members on how to avoid an apprenticeship…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Ofsted’s full inspections plummet by a third

Ofsted has denied cuts to its budget have affected the number of FE inspections it carries out, despite analysis…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Shadowy training provider given £16.5m remains tight-lipped as questions mount

Both Ofsted and the government are looking into a mysterious training provider after FE Week revealed it has secured…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: The truth behind the 3aaa investigations

A scandal involving one of the country’s biggest apprenticeship providers has engrossed the sector ever since the turn of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: Two thirds of UTCs to hand funding back after overestimating pupil numbers last year

Almost two thirds of university technical colleges overestimated their student numbers last year and will have to repay funding…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Labour accuse government of ‘slipping out’ damning Ofsted report during Brexit announcements

Labour has accused the government of “slipping out” a damning report that raises huge concerns about the security risk…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross

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