News

UTC told to join ‘strong’ multi-academy trust amid ESFA investigation

A struggling UTC must join a “strong” multi-academy trust and improve its finances, after reports from a whistleblower prompted an…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Ofsted Watch: Tough week for UTCs as two get ‘requires improvement’

University technical colleges have continued to struggle as two more received grade threes this week, while one FE college…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

DfE ‘plain sloppy’ at policing apprenticeship minimum wage adverts

Providers on the government’s apprenticeship search site are not being effectively policed to ensure they advertise legal wages –…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Job-switch plan stalls for former Carillion apprentices

Efforts to find alternative employers for former Carillion apprentices have stalled, because it’s proving difficult to match them with…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

IfA boss admits fears for tight T-levels timescale

The boss of the organisation that will be responsible for T-levels has admitted he has deep concerns at the…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

University technical colleges will start recruiting from year 9

Two university technical colleges will start recruiting students a year before the standard starting age of 14 from  September, and another…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross


News

HMRC VAT crackdown spreads to subcontracting

HMRC has launched a major investigation into subcontracting that could result in tens of millions in fees and fines…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Public accounts committee wants top-slicing action by August

The government should publish guidance on how it expects management fees to be applied by August, the public accounts…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

That’s special treatment all right: Accounts committee lays into Learndirect

Learndirect was indeed given special treatment because the government considered it too big to fail, the Public Accounts Committee…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

The PAC’s five recommendations following its inquiry into Learndirect

The Public Accounts Committee has today published its report into the monitoring, inspection and funding of Learndirect. Members of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

FE Commissioner: “Structural change” could follow £1.4m emergency cash injection

The FE Commissioner has warned a college may need “structural change” after it was given £1.4 million in emergency…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Commissioner report shows governors’ surprise at college’s dire finances

A new FE Commissioner report has shown how the dire financial position of a college that needed two government…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord

Must read

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
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