News

Breaking: Apprenticeship pay survey exposes rise in proportion paid illegal wages

Nearly a fifth of apprentices at level two and level three are illegally paid less than the minimum wage,…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Exclusive: T-Level crisis exposed as DfE fail to appoint any advisory panel members

More trouble has erupted in T-Level planning, after it emerged that no-one has yet been appointed to the advisory…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Mystery surrounds late Learndirect performance breach

The nation’s largest FE provider has finally been hit with a serious performance breach notice, a month after its…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Almost 400 staff face uncertain summer through post-merger job cuts plan

Nearly 400 staff at one of the largest colleges in the country face an uncertain future while post-merger restructuring…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

First degree apprentices in UK graduate

The first group of degree apprentices in the UK have graduated today, with seven out of the 11 gaining…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord
News

Statistics regulator pressured DfE into achievement rate U-turn

The government was pressured into its major U-turn on the publication of hidden achievement rate data in the wake…

Paul Offord
Paul Offord


News

DfE confirms £267m underspend of 16-19 budget in last two years

A whopping £130 million per year has gone unspent in 16 to 19 funding for each of the past…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Government breaks deferred loan repayments promise

Learners stuck with heavy loans debt but no qualifications, after a training provider went bust, are still being forced…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

All three Tees Valley area review merger proposals fall through

All three mergers proposed by the Tees Valley area review have now fallen through. News of the breakdown in…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Corbyn demands end of FE loans in new Labour push

The government will be pressured by Labour in the coming months to scrap advanced learner loans, its leader Jeremy…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Ofsted watch: Kendal College falls from grade one

This week brought disappointment for Kendal College, which lost its ‘outstanding’ Ofsted grade and dropped down to ‘good’. The…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Learner satisfaction still highest with private providers

Private training providers have maintained their near 10-point lead over colleges in the government’s annual learner satisfaction survey, which…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

Must read

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
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