News

Apprenticeship payments system malfunctions again

The government’s apprenticeship payments report system has been broken for almost a week – and there’s no fix currently…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

CITB finds almost three quarters of Carillion apprentices new employers

Almost three quarters of the apprentices left jobless following the collapse of Carillion have secured new employment, following an…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
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

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