News

Second financial notice for troubled Bradford College

A cash-strapped college has been hit with a notice to improve for financial control – mere months after receiving…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

SPONSORED: How to deliver a successful apprenticeship

Rarely out of the education media, apprenticeships are a hot topic both politically and educationally speaking. Finding the right way to…

Features Team
Features Team
News

Lib Dems launch lifelong learning commission

A “major” independent commission on lifelong learning has been launched by Vince Cable. The commission is designed to investigate…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Levy revenue forecasts downgraded by the best part of a billion

The apprenticeship levy will generate £900 million less funding in its first four years than the government first claimed,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Government preparing new ESOL strategy

The government will develop a new strategy to teach English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), which is aimed…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Fears over ‘middle-class grab’ on apprenticeships are valid, minister admits

Fears of a “middle-class grab” on apprenticeships are “valid”, the skills minister has admitted. Anne Milton told a House…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord


News

UCU college strike – dates set for a second wave of action

Dates have been set for a second walk-out by members of the University and College Union at a number…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Chancellor announces £80m to support small businesses with apprentices

There will be an extra £80 million released to help small businesses recruit apprentices, the chancellor has announced in…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

‘Outrageous and unjustifiable’ subcontracting has become a ‘money-maker’, experts tell MPs

The government needs to get a grip on the “outrageous and unjustifiable” subcontracting market which has become a “money-maker”…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

The National Retraining Scheme ‘should not be run by employers’

Employers should not be handed the keys to the National Retraining Scheme if the government is serious about supporting…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

95% of apprenticeships agreed at full cap price, despite negotiation ‘experiment’

The government should drop its “experiment” with negotiated apprenticeship prices, after it emerged that almost every single one is…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Over two thirds of UTCs rated less than ‘good’ in the last year

More than two thirds of the university technical colleges visited by Ofsted in the last year received ratings that…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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