News

Staff at Lowestoft SFC out on the first of six strike days over merger

Staff at Lowestoft Sixth-Form College have walked out on the first of six days of strike action protesting a…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Post-18 education review panel will try to fix HE and FE funding imbalance

There is a funding imbalance between academic and vocational routes – and the post-18 education review panel is aiming…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Three quarters of providers unhappy with non-levy apprenticeship funding

Almost three quarters of training providers are unhappy with the amount of non-levy apprenticeship funding available, claiming it is…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Top mandarin admits to contingency concerns over T-levels

The Department for Education should have left more time to make sure T-levels go to plan, according to its…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ofsted: New apprenticeship provider monitoring visits a ‘concern’

The results of the early monitoring visits to new apprenticeship providers are “concerning”, Ofsted’s deputy director for FE has…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Milton offers no concessions on employer fees at AELP conference

Issues with the 10-per-cent fee that small businesses must pay when they take on apprentices have been “noted”, but…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

FE commissioner reflects on six months of change

Six months ago the FE commissioner embarked on a series of new initiatives designed to support colleges before they…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

AELP presents its new code of governance

A new code of governance will be unveiled today at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ annual conference….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Learndirect under new ownership just days after PeoplePlus deal falls through

Learndirect has a new owner, after striking a deal with entrepreneur Wayne Janse van Rensburg for his firm Dimensions…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

IfA apprentices panel hasn’t met for 10 months

The Institute for Apprenticeships has been told to “get its act together” after it emerged that its panel of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Skills minister: IfA is better but still not fast enough

The number of approved apprenticeship standards has exceeded those awaiting sign-off for the first time, but the skills minister…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ofsted watch: Private provider celebrates grade one

A private provider has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. But there was no cause for celebration at the country’s…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

Colleges, Long read

Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

As social media algorithms fuel intolerance and binary thinking, college staff increasingly find themselves dealing with the fallout. Jessica…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
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