News

Greater London Authority’s adult education budget tender launched

The Greater London Authority has become the first devolved area to launch a tender for its adult education budget….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: Another four apprenticeship providers banned from taking new recruits

Four more apprenticeship providers have been banned from taking on new starts after facing criticism from Ofsted – bringing…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Ofsted Watch: Mixed results for private providers

It has been a mixed week for independent learning providers, after four were found lacking in Ofsted inspections –…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

College restructuring support: still less than half of £726m fund approved

The government has approved around £330 million to cover the cost of implementing post-area review changes so far. The…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Employer satisfaction falls across FE, but ITPs still edge ahead of colleges

Employer satisfaction levels have fallen across the FE sector this year, but private providers are still outperforming colleges. The…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Apprenticeships by industry characteristics data: The 5 things we learnt

New research on apprenticeships by industry characteristics has revealed which sector is the most popular, what is preferred by…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross


News

Monthly apprenticeships update: July starts down 43% on 2016

Apprenticeship starts for July are down 43 per cent on the same month in 2016 – but up 21…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Campaign launched to ‘Raise the Rate’ of sixth form funding

Twelve school and college associations have written to the chancellor to urge him to increase funding for sixth form…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

High Court Judge places 3aaa into compulsory liquidation

Former apprenticeship provider Aspire Achieve Advance has been placed into compulsory liquidation, after a High Court Judge accepted a…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Another studio school to close – meaning nearly half have wound up

A studio school in Bath that has struggled to meet costs as a result of severely low student numbers…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Four colleges set for strike action as new trade union laws ‘frustrate’ UCU

Staff are likely to strike at four colleges this term, but union members are in uproar as ballots at…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: Colleges lose £1.1m under controversial English and maths condition-of-funding rules

Five training providers have been stripped of more than £100,000 due to the controversial English and maths condition-of-funding rule,…

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, 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