News

Shock leadership change at London sixth form college

The principal of a London sixth-form college with a history of financial problems has been very suddenly replaced. It…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Struggling UTC rebrands and joins academy trust

Another struggling university technical college has denied distancing itself from the UTC movement despite a rebrand now that it…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Staff at colleges striking for up to 7 days in exam season

Staff at a host of colleges across the country will walk out on strike for up to seven days…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Government ignoring apprentices in mental health plans

Apprentices have been ignored in the government’s plans to improve support for learners with mental ill-health, according to a…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Robert Halfon questions key principle behind new T-levels

The former skills minister has appeared to question the whole design principle behind the government’s plan for prestigious new…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Studio schools to cut ties with FE colleges

The controversial studio schools programme has announced a dramatic shift in focus after the tally of those closed or…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross


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

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