News

Ofsted watch: Ambulance trust fares well in early monitoring visit

The first employer provider to have received an apprenticeship early monitoring visit resulted in a positive report, in this…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Leicester city council in row over ‘brokerage-style’ levy deal

Leicester city council is the latest public body accused of diverting apprenticeship levy funding away from frontline learning via…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Governors ‘abrogated’ responsibilities at inadequate Medway UTC

The governors of a university technical college have been slammed for “abrogating” their responsibilities, in yet another damning Ofsted…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

College with huge bailout debt pays principal over £265k

A college owes the government almost £14 million in emergency bailout cash alone, but it still managed to scrape…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Special investigation: The fallout from mass exam reversal

Thousands of young people are having their recent exam failures reversed, thanks to a change in the design of…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Stephenson College challenged over £100,000 tactical subcontracting

A college that charged up to 57 per cent in management fees has been found to be attempting to…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke


News

‘Unsafe’ Moulton College appoints safe pair of hands as interim principal

A troubled Northamptonshire college has appointed a familiar face as an interim leader after its principal resigned in the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

London mega-merger to create England’s third biggest college group

Moves are afoot to create one of the largest college groups in the country by joining four institutions from…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Anne Milton hasn’t met the IfA’s apprentice panel in its first year

The skills minister has still not met with the Institute for Apprenticeships’ panel of apprentices – more than 12…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

UTC architect George Osborne says 14 start age ‘hasn’t worked’

George Osborne, who as chancellor was one of the driving forces behind university technical colleges, would consider scrapping the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

London UCU members vote to strike against NCG paymasters

UPDATE: Strike dates have been set for May 22 and 23, the UCU has announced today (May 4) Staff…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Skills minister and ESFA boss speaking at AELP conference

The skills minister and the recently appointed leader of the Education and Skills Funding Agency are the standout speakers…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord

Must read

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
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read