SEND

Eight reforms to fix ‘broken’ SEND system from councils-backed report

A national regulator, greater clarity over needs, clampdown on private sector profits and ‘less adversarial’ system proposed

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
Careers

NEET support programme extended with £2.5m boost

Careers education body receives extra cash for careers support pilot to 1,500 more young people

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
News

DfE pauses post-16 qualifications reform and BTEC defunding

Bridget Phillipson confirms government will review the controversial plans by the end of the year – but only 2024…

Billy Camden
FE Week Reporter
Skills reform

Slash tuition fees to £6k to fix tertiary system ‘bias’, says think tank

Final EDSK report sets out roadmap to a more coherent post-18 education system

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Election 2024, Politics

Meet the ministers: Starmer’s first DfE lineup confirmed

Janet Daby will represent skills, FE and HE in the House of Commons

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Higher education

HE regulator puts 3 colleges on notice

Croydon, Burnley and Blackburn colleges criticised for poor degree student outcomes

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel


Disadvantage gap

EPI’s blueprint for a 16-19 student premium

Think tank sets out how to introduce the hoped-for policy amid significant disadvantage gap

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Mayor intervenes as judicial review puts college’s £22m rebuild at risk

A neighbour’s legal challenge means the college is unlikely to meet the DfE’s completion deadline

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Ofsted

Academy trust and two ITPS awarded Ofsted ‘outstandings’

Hairdressing, LGV and teaching apprenticeships lauded by watchdog

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Politics, Skills reform

Skills England: DfE non-exec appointed interim chair

New body will absorb IfATE functions while permanent leaders are found over the next year

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges

Troubled Leicestershire college group finds merger partner

The partnership is hoped to secure the future of SMB College Group

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Politics, Skills reform

Labour’s curriculum and qualifications review to include 16-19

But it will not involve a pause and review of current level 3 defunding reforms – which is being…

Billy Camden
FE Week Reporter

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