Apprenticeships

Shared apprenticeship scheme barely meets half its recruitment target

Flexible construction apprenticeship starts tumble amid sector-wide recruitment issues

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges, Ofsted

Waltham Forest named London’s only ‘outstanding’ general FE college

Inspectors heaped praise on the college for helping students to “flourish”

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Colleges, FE Commissioner

Wolverhampton college freed from intervention after 12 years

The college’s financial health improved to ‘good’ after DfE agreed to take on part of a £10m debt

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Skills bootcamps

Provider sues DfE after skills bootcamp contract termination

The DfE accuses the provider of changing awarding body without prior agreement

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
AEB, Politics, Skills reform

DfE scales back ‘free courses for jobs’ offer 

Access will be restricted to adults earning below £25k in 2024/25

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

AoC hikes large college member fees to £57.7k

Most affected colleges supportive of 20% increase as some mull over value for money

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Colleges

UCU: Most FE staff back alternative to ‘traumatic’ Ofsted inspections

Lecturers call for ‘peer-led’ model, as new chief inspector also floats the idea

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges, Employment

Lecturer wins payout over ‘distressing’ remarks after husband’s death

City College Plymouth appealing judgement over absent legal representative

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
recruitment

Skills minister backs FE lecturer ‘reservist’ trial

FE retraining ‘reservist’ pilot for motor industry gets minister seal of approval

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Politics, Skills reform

‘Change on an unprecedented scale’: Ofqual responds to ABS plans

Qualifications reform risks more exams, ‘unregulated’ A-levels and students unprepared for higher study, says exams regulator

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
News

Hacking homework for exam breach suspect

A 16-year-old boy has been cautioned in connection with an exam board cyber attack

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
News

Code words and ‘grab kits’: new anti-terror advice for education providers

Leaders advised to appoint ‘security leads’ to reduce terror risks in first sector-specific guidance

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson

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