Election 2024, Politics

Meet the ministers: Starmer’s first DfE lineup confirmed

Janet Daby will represent skills, FE and HE in the House of Commons

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Higher education

HE regulator puts 3 colleges on notice

Croydon, Burnley and Blackburn colleges criticised for poor degree student outcomes

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Disadvantage gap

EPI’s blueprint for a 16-19 student premium

Think tank sets out how to introduce the hoped-for policy amid significant disadvantage gap

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Mayor intervenes as judicial review puts college’s £22m rebuild at risk

A neighbour’s legal challenge means the college is unlikely to meet the DfE’s completion deadline

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Ofsted

Academy trust and two ITPS awarded Ofsted ‘outstandings’

Hairdressing, LGV and teaching apprenticeships lauded by watchdog

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Politics, Skills reform

Skills England: DfE non-exec appointed interim chair

New body will absorb IfATE functions while permanent leaders are found over the next year

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen


Colleges

Troubled Leicestershire college group finds merger partner

The partnership is hoped to secure the future of SMB College Group

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Politics, Skills reform

Labour’s curriculum and qualifications review to include 16-19

But it will not involve a pause and review of current level 3 defunding reforms – which is being…

Billy Camden
FE Week Reporter
Ofsted

Eight things we learned from Ofsted’s 2023-24 corporate accounts

Inspectorate has had a ‘difficult’ year and faces ‘significant’ financial challenges, documents warn

Billy Camden
Lucas Cumiskey and Samantha Booth
UCAS

Personal statements reforms to ‘level playing field’

Social mobility expert welcomes replacement of ‘love letter’ free text box

Billy Camden
Samantha Booth
Politics

King’s Speech 2024: What’s in it for FE and skills?

How Labour’s first raft of new laws on devolution, teachers and employments rights could impact FE providers

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
King’s speech, Politics, Skills reform

King’s speech: Government to shift powers from IfATE to ‘Skills England’

A Skills England bill will also involve apprenticeship levy reform role

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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