News

Return on investment analysis now ‘priority’, says Gazelle

Gazelle colleges have been told that proving their £15k membership fee is money well spent is now a “priority”…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Colleges with repeated deficits to speed up merger plans after FE Commissioner visit

Two Midland colleges that are already in a federation have sped up plans to merge on the advice of…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

‘Soviet-style’ apprenticeship quality question

The government’s record on improving the quality of the apprenticeships programme has come in for questioning. Falling success rates,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Another centre to address lack of FE research as UCL’s Institute of Education looks at post-14 education and work

A third FE research centre has launched just a year after Professor Lady Alison Wolf decried how the sector…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Principals have say their on the latest area reviews

A further three post-16 education area reviews were announced late last month by the government, taking the number of…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

CBI calls for Low Pay Commission-type body for levy rate

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) wants the rate for the government’s planned apprenticeship levy to be controlled by…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

Leaked BIS memo raises questions about SFA future – again

The future of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is once again in question, with a leaked Department for Business,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Uncertainty over deadline for switch from old apprenticeship frameworks to Trailblazer standards

Uncertainty around the deadline of the apprenticeship frameworks is growing after the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

College area review ‘shambles’ — Shadow Minister Nic Dakin hits out over ‘unwieldy’ key meetings

The government has been warned its “hastily put together area reviews have all the ingredients of being yet another…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Apprentices get minimum wage boost with paypackets of lowest-earning up 20 per cent

Apprentices were today benefiting from a 20 per cent boost to their National Minimum Wage to £3.30 an-hour. Business…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New destination data performance measure aims to have ‘bite’ to ‘provoke transformational improvements’

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) today launched a consultation on a new destination data performance measure…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Judge hits out over awarding organisation charities’ £400k trademark wrangle

A judge has rapped two open college network charities for running up huge legal bills in a trade mark…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford

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