News

Strike dates announced for 16 colleges locked in pay disputes

Members of the University and College Union at 16 colleges will walk out for two days starting January 29,…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Controversial management degree apprenticeship celebrates third birthday

One of the most popular – and controversial – apprenticeship standards is celebrating its third birthday today. The chartered…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
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

Must read

Skills reform

New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms

The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
Qualifications

Revealed: V Levels incoming as axe looms for BTECs

New qualifications set to launch as ‘third route’ between A-levels and T Levels

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Politics, Skills reform

DWP will take over apprenticeships, minister confirms

Shifting adult skills and apprenticeships policy will give “bigger emphasis on skills”, Jacqui Smith claims

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
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