News

Carillion apprentices will not be paid after January, report claims

Apprentices left jobless following the collapse of outsourcing giant Carillion will not be paid after January, it has been…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Victory for Grenfell campaigners as FE Commissioner scraps colleges’ merger

A merger between two London colleges has been called off following direct intervention from the FE commissioner, triggered by…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
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

Must read

Colleges, Long read

Inside FE’s lifeline for under-16s: Stepping in where schools fail

More and more anxious 14-16 year olds not in school are starting afresh in colleges, but they are under-recognised,…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges, Long read

Legrave’s last orders: build cash, challenge leaders and don’t ignore teaching

In her final interview, the outgoing FE Commissioner warns colleges not to mistake funding rises for financial safety

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Young people

Curriculum review: ‘Strengthen’ resit accountability and reduce T Level assessment burden

Review recommends already-announced V Levels, level 2 pathways and new pre-GCSE English and maths quals

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
News

Case dismissed: Marples loses High Court claim against DfE

A judge has dismissed a multi-million-pound claim brought by former training boss Peter Marples and his family against the…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Skills reform

New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms

The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
News

Revealed: V Levels incoming as axe looms for BTECs

New qualifications set to launch as ‘third route’ between A-levels and T Levels

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen