Politics

Jacqui Smith: 10 facts about the new skills, FE and HE minister

Roles have not been officially announced, but Smith confirmed her brief in a recent podcast ahead of a college…

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Higher education

OfS chair Lord Wharton suddenly resigns

The political independence of the HE regulator has been criticised under Wharton’s tenure

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Exams, T Levels

NCFE fined £300k for 2022 T Level exam fiasco

Awarding body has taken measures to ensure errors will not happen again

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
WorldSkills 2024

Call for WorldSkills winner cash prizes

FE Week investigates how other countries reward their WorldSkills medal winners

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Election 2024

Damian Hinds named shadow education secretary

Former schools minister and education secretary will shadow Bridget Phillipson’s new DfE team

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Election 2024, Politics

No ‘quick and easy solutions’ to ‘major’ challenges, Phillipson warns education sector

Labour’s 6,500 new teachers pledge will apply to colleges, according to a letter from the new education secretary

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker


Long read, Qualification fraud

How fake skills cards have opened the door to building site blaggers 

The person purporting to be Adam Philip showed me “evidence” the CSCS card he was selling would evade anti-fraud…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges, Long read

Evans’ quality drive that took him from cars to Cornwall  

People-focused principal tells Shane Chowen that too much teaching is bad for teachers and a college’s bottom line

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Election 2024, Politics

Former home sec Jacqui Smith expected to become skills and FE minister

Former Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith will return to government

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Apprenticeships

UCAS scoring plan for apprenticeships draws criticism

Two university groups have criticised the admissions body’s proposals to award points based on the length of the apprenticeship

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Election 2024

‘The proudest day of my life’: Phillipson’s full speech to DfE staff

Education secretary says she has ‘greatest job in government’, but warns of ‘scale of the challenge ahead’

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Election 2024, Politics

Who is Bridget Phillipson? 8 facts about the new education secretary

What we know about the minister handed the keys to the Department for Education

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker

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