News

Ofsted saves £400k with longer grade 2 inspection gap

Ofsted will save around £400,000 during the next academic year by elongating the maximum period between inspections for ‘good’…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Ofsted watch: RNN Group criticised for poor oversight of subcontractors

A college group has been criticised for its poor oversight of subcontractors, in the latest of a new wave…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Catholic sixth-form colleges demand academisation protection

Frustration is reaching boiling point at Catholic sixth-form colleges over barriers to converting to academy status. Becoming an academy,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

‘Last resort’ IfA quality assures almost half of all apprenticeship standards

The Institute for Apprenticeships is now the external quality-assurance provider for a massive 45 per cent of all fully-approved…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Quality of FE teacher training is ‘high’ but falling numbers are ‘a challenge’, research finds

The quality of FE teacher training has continued at an extremely high standard, but falling numbers joining the profession…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Topslice criticism for college given extra £1.6m adult education funding

The college that topped the funding tables during the adult education budget procurement has been awarded an extra £1.6…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

£73m adult education budget left unspent by 441 providers

Hundreds of colleges and training providers have between them failed to deliver £73 million of allocated funding, exclusive FE…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Principal’s £300k salary at £30m college causes furious reaction

The leader of a college with an annual turnover of just £30 million was paid almost £300,000 in 2016/17…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Former adviser to two skills ministers blasts apprenticeship levy

A former senior advisor to two previous skills ministers is the latest figure in FE to insist the levy…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Staff at two West Yorkshire colleges balloted on strike action

UPDATE: UCU staff members at Bradford College have today (May 3) voted to strike. The result for Kirklees College…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Former ESFA boss Peter Lauener to chair CITB

Peter Lauener is taking on yet another job next month, this time as chair of the Construction Industry Training…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Revealed: The colleges and local authorities allowed to keep £5m for courses that did not take place

Over £5 million in adult education budget funding was paid to 86 colleges and local authorities last year for…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke

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