News

Ofsted revisits grade three college amid signs of falling standards

A huge college rocked by a string of senior leadership departures that’s currently rated ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted has…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Government loophole allows apprenticeship brokerage to continue

Taking fees for brokering apprenticeship funding is acceptable, according to correspondence from the Skills Funding Agency – as long…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Warrington UTC enrages neighbouring schools by ‘poaching’ pupils

A university technical college in Cheshire has been accused of poaching students from local schools in the middle of…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Ofsted Watch: Luton Sixth Form College slips from grade one

Luton Sixth Form College has become the latest FE provider to lose its prized grade one status. It follows…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Area reviews mishandled early on, DfE research concludes

The way the government handled the first wave of the area reviews has been slammed by new research on…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Top providers turn to MPs for non-levy relief

Top training providers and colleges still denied non-levy contracts are turning to influential MPs in an effort to squeeze…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Lauener pledges salary to student hardship fund

Peter Lauener will donate the £25,000 salary he will earn as chair of one of the UK’s largest college…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Multi-academy trusts fail to implement Baker clause

Just two of the 10 largest multi-academy trusts in England have fully complied with their new legal duty to…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Over half of Learndirect’s 17,000 apprentices failed last year

More than half of the 17,000 apprentices due to complete their course with Learndirect last year failed, as its…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Interserve denies 5,000+ apprentices will go the way of Carillion

Even as the fallout from Carillion’s collapse engrossed the nation, another outsourcing giant which trains over 5,000 apprentices also…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

The 3m apprenticeship manifesto target slips further way – and now the AoC boss wants it scrapped

The government’s ambition to reach three million apprenticeship starts by 2020 is slipping further out of its grasp as…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

BREAKING: Apprenticeship starts continue to fall sharply six months after introduction of the levy

Total apprenticeship starts fell 41 percent for the six months since May when the levy was introduced, compared to…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford

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