News

Achievement rates at Learndirect fall under minimum standards

The nation’s largest FE provider has been badly shaken by the changes in the way achievement rates are calculated,…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Prison education reforms on hold for another year

Reforms to prison education seem to be back on hold, as existing offender learning contracts are being extended for…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

NCG and others blame IT ‘glitches’ for achievement rates table absence

Providers have blamed “data glitches” for their absence from the latest national achievement rate tables. The five colleges and…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Colleges in dark over data reporting rule

Many colleges aren’t managing to fulfil their legal duties to publish 16-to-18 performance data – apparently because they don’t…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Ofsted watch: Local authority provider shakes off inadequate rating

A council-run adult and community learning provider has managed to shake off its previous inadequate rating this week, going…

Jude Burke
Jude Burke
News

Ofsted chief stresses ‘real challenge’ with apprenticeships register

Ofsted’s chief inspector has reiterated the “real challenge” faced by the education watchdog following the influx of new training…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Gold standard for 14 colleges with HE teaching

Fourteen FE colleges have achieved gold status for higher education teaching in the first ever Teaching Excellence Framework ratings….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Terminated: Government bans major levy provider after FE Week exposé

A major training provider claiming to have £130m of apprenticeship levy business has had its contract with the ESFA…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Festival of Skills: Apprenticeship starts ‘a quarter’ of what they were before May

Members of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers have reported apprenticeship starts in May falling to around a…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Festival of Skills: Start assessing as apprentices begin, providers told

Providers need to assess new apprentices’ skills as soon as they begin training in order to establish a baseline…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Second consecutive grade four Ofsted for previously ‘outstanding’ college

A former ‘outstanding’ college has been hit with a second consecutive ‘inadequate’ rating from Ofsted in just 15 months….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Government urged to do more to rescue struggling UTCs

Far more needs to be done by the government to support its struggling University Technical Colleges programme, a new…

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson

Must read

16-19

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
Qualifications

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
Politics, Skills reform

DWP will take over apprenticeships, minister confirms

Shifting adult skills and apprenticeships policy will give “bigger emphasis on skills”, Jacqui Smith claims

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
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