News

Ninth UTC closure announced

Another university technical college will close next year, taking the total to nine. UTC@Harbourside, based in Newhaven in East…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Massive subcontracting top-slices finally revealed

Subcontracting top-slices exceeded £100 million last year, and 28 per cent of prime providers were charging more than 20…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Learndirect accuse PeoplePlus of ‘dirty tricks’ after entire senior executive team jumps ship

The entire senior executive team at Learndirect Apprenticeships Ltd (LDA) along with 18 other senior employees have today quit…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

21 new members appointed to IfA apprentice panel

The Institute for Apprenticeships’ apprentice panel will have 21 new members when it next meets on July 4. A…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

AoC announces Julie Nerney as next chair

The Association of Colleges has announced Julie Nerney as its next chair of the board. She will take over…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ofsted watch: A week of contrasting fortunes for UTCs

It’s been a week of contrasting fortunes for university technical colleges, as one is rated ‘good’ and another ‘inadequate’…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke


News

Ofsted: Bigger colleges aren’t always better

“Big is not always beautiful,” Ofsted’s main man for FE has warned, admitting he is considering the effect of…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

AoC criticises new public sector register of providers

A second register for apprenticeship training providers is being created for the public sector, and the Association of Colleges…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ex-principal paid £80k for gardening leave amid staff redundancy push

A former Sussex principal is being paid around £80,000 not to work over a five-month period even though the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Secrecy surrounds Ofsted’s decision to declare its 3aaa inspection ‘incomplete’

Ofsted’s latest inspection of Aspire Achieve Advance – which holds the largest ESFA apprenticeship allocation – is “incomplete” following…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

An eighth UTC gets the bottom Ofsted grade

Yet another university technical college has been rated ‘inadequate’, the eighth to receive Ofsted’s most dubious honour. Derby Manufacturing…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Spotlight on 16-year-olds as NEETs rise and level 2 apprenticeships fall

A sharp fall in the number of 16-year-olds taking up level two apprenticeships is being blamed for a startling…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
Adult education, ITPs

Mayors dump adult education cuts on independent training providers

Up to two-thirds axed from devolved procured budgets

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor