News

WEA Awards recognise achievement against the odds

Eight people who overcame all sorts of barriers to take their first steps towards teaching other adult learners have…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Huge spike in higher level apprenticeship commitments

Levy-funded apprenticeships at higher and degree-level jumped by a whopping 424 per cent in September, according to the latest…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Major home health care employer provider branded ‘inadequate’

Ofsted has rated a major home healthcare employer-provider ‘inadequate’ across the board, in a report that condemns its “woefully…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

ESFA plans new ‘trusted provider status’ for employer levy account management

The government revealed today that they are working on a plan to allow employers to hand over much of…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Off-the-job training rule hangs over AELP autumn conference

The government must urgently address employer resistance to the minimum off-the-job training apprenticeship rule, the AELP has said ahead…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

London’s biggest college group just got bigger

London’s biggest college group has spread itself even further across the capital with another merger, and it is looking…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford


News

£10m adult flexible learning fund launches

Up to £10 million is now available to help providers develop new ways of supporting adults to progress or…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Ofsted boss worried about lack of subcontracting inspections

The head of Ofsted has acknowledged MPs’ concerns about how few subcontractors used by FE providers are inspected. Speaking…

Pippa Allen-Kinross
Pippa Allen-Kinross
News

Breaking: Government to review higher-level technical education

The government will review into higher-level technical education – although it’s not yet clear when this will happen or…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Report: Urgent rethink needed on NEETs and SEND learners

The government must rethink how it supports low-achieving, disengaged, and special needs students, as help from local authorities and…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Unison recommends members reject ‘disappointing’ 1% pay offer

A major public sector union has recommended that its members reject this year’s “disappointing” FE pay offer, and industrial…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Anxious wait for loans learners after private provider’s damning grade four

Learners will face an anxious wait after an independent training provider that’s heavily focused on FE-loan funded provision was…

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

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