News

11 things we learned from the ESFA’s first annual report and accounts

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has this afternoon published its annual report for 2017-18, revealing huge bailouts, questionable bonuses…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Student satisfaction still highest with private providers – but colleges slightly close the gap

Colleges have slightly narrowed the gap with private training providers by 2.5 percentage points when it comes to learner…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Hinds hits back at awarding organisations’ ‘deeply disappointing’ T-levels legal challenge

The education secretary has hit back at the Federation of Awarding Bodies “deeply disappointing” threat of a judicial review…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

No surprises: Somerset provider wins special ESFA tender after local MPs lobbied minister

A training provider in Somerset that found itself at the sharp end of the adult education budget debacle has…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

PM praises rise in apprenticeship quality despite Ofsted’s warning of a decline

The prime minister has claimed that apprenticeships quality has risen since the introduction of the levy, despite Ofsted finding…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Awarding organisations launch T-level legal challenge in pre-action letter to DfE

Battle lines have officially been drawn by the Federation of Awarding Bodies, after it outlined its intention to launch…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

DfE announces first regional ‘skills deal’

The West Midlands has become the first combined authority to strike a “skills deal” with the Department for Education,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

8 things we learned from skills minister’s select committee grilling

A feisty commons education select committee meeting, held this morning, saw Anne Milton quizzed on a number of pressing…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Halfon pleads for nursing apprenticeships to be ‘special case’ with levy spending

The education select committee chair has pleaded for nursing apprenticeships to be made a “special case” with flexibility over…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Milton leaves MPs ‘staggered’ by admitting she wouldn’t encourage her children to study first T-levels

The skills minister is expecting a “slow take-up” when T-levels are launched, and admitted that as a parent she…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Learndirect Apprenticeship staff and assets transferred to PeoplePlus for nominal fee

The new owner of Learndirect’s apprenticeship division has transferred all assets, in a hastily arranged deal, to the company that…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Training for hundreds of glass industry apprentices branded ‘inadequate’

UPDATE: The government has confirmed that the Vocational College has now “ceased training”. “The DfE has appointed an administrator…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord

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