News

FE could face MORE budget cuts despite hopes for more cash

The FE sector could be in for another shattering round of funding cuts, after the chancellor reportedly told ministries…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Almost 350 Carillon apprentices to lose wage support

Nearly 350 former Carillion apprentices will have their wage support cut off next month after being made redundant. The…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: ‘Unsafe’ college makes rapid safety improvements

A specialist land-based college branded “unsafe” in a shocking grade four report in April has made swift improvements to…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE gives IoT bid special treatment to grade 3 NCG

The government appears to have broken its own rules in its Institutes of Technology competition, by putting NCG through…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofqual to audit EPAOs amid ‘capacity and capability’ concerns

Ofqual will soon begin auditing apprenticeship end-point assessment organisations to find out how they are mitigating risks around the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Over 300 apprenticeship standards celebrated yet some attracting zero employers – FE Week investigates

Earlier this month the Institute for Apprenticeships bragged about approving standards at a faster rate than ever before after…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

European Social Fund protected until end of 2020, Chancellor confirms

Training providers will have their European Social Fund cash protected until the end of 2020, even if a “no-deal”…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Colleges supported with £760,000 to engage inactive students in sport

Over three quarters of a million pounds will be invested in colleges over the next two years to engage…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

9 things we learned from the DfE’s annual report and accounts 2017-18

The Department for Education has this morning published its annual report, revealing payoffs, various bonuses and millions in unrecoverable…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE waters down T-level licensing rules but unlikely to appease exam bodies legal challenge

The government has watered down a number of rules in its procurement process for T-levels following outcry from the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Best and worst of FE on show

An independent specialist college showed the best of FE this week as it maintained its ‘outstanding’ rating, but the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE spent £93m on doomed UTCs and studio schools

The Department for Education spent more than £90 million on university technical college and studio school projects that went…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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