News

NHS starts fall despite apprenticeships push

The number of National Health Service apprenticeship starts fell by more than a fifth last year despite a plan…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Digital and science engineering UTC to open in Doncaster in 2020

A new university technical college is being created in South Yorkshire despite mounting problems with the programme, the Department for Education…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ofsted watch: Private provider straight in at grade four

A private provider has earned the ignominious honour this week of being rated ‘inadequate’ at its first ever inspection….

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Essex council protests college merger with London group

A council in Essex has come out firmly against merger plans for its financially stricken local college, fearing it…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Seven-day strike at Hull College called off

Seven days of strikes at Hull College, due to start on Monday, have been called off after the threat…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Troubled colleges handed financial health notices and minimum standards breaches

Three financial health notices and two breaches of minimum standard college reports have been published by the Department for…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Atkins: Struggling colleges will still need stopgap funds

Colleges that get into financial difficulty will still need funding to “oil the wheels” once the bailout tap has…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Now the National Audit Office is sniffing around T-levels

T-levels will be watched for “potential for losses and fruitless payments” according to the comptroller-general at the National Audit…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE estimates colleges with financial warnings will nearly triple to 100

The number of colleges with financial warnings will nearly triple to 100 over the next 10 years, the government…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

AELP leaps to defence of level two apprenticeships

Low-level apprenticeships should not be rubbished by “commentators and policy makers”, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers has…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

The big interview: NCG chair Peter Lauener

NCG has been in the headlines lately, what with the visits from Ofsted, its falling achievement rates, mass redundancies,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Trouble ahead for NCG with anticipated grade three from Ofsted

The largest college group in the country is to be dropped from the government’s final bidding round for Institutes…

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