News

Colleges claw-back warning after audit reveals SFA may have wrongly paid out £50m

Almost £50m of funding may have been wrongly paid out by the Skills Funding Agency last financial year and…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Sixth Form Commissioner warns of large-scale mergers for sixth from college

Large-scale mergers may be needed among sixth form colleges (SFCs) to cope with looming funding problems, Sixth Form Commissioner…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Police disperse overnight protest at Lewisham Southwark College led by NUS

Protestors led by National Union of Students (NUS) vice president for FE Shakira Martin were dispersed by police after…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Ten things we’ve learned about the government’s post-16 education and training review

The government has announced a national review of post-16 education and training, and admitted the number of general FE and…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

SFA criticised for failing to check ‘realism’ of ‘over-optimistic’ college financial forecasts

A report out this morning by the National Audit Office (NAO) has criticised the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) for…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Government reveals college cull plans as it launches national review of post-16 education

The government could cut the number of general FE and sixth form colleges in England in a bid to…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College looking at merger

City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College aim to become “the main force for FE in central London”…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Gateshead College in two-grade rise to outstanding and ‘significant’ improvements at cash-strapped Weymouth College

Gateshead College has shot up two Ofsted grades to outstanding while Weymouth College is making “significant” improvements as it rebuilds from…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

BIS finds out National Colleges’ proposals as business plans handed in

The government today learned how National Colleges planned to spend their funding as the deadline closed for proposals to…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Woodcock warns against ‘churning out numbers’ at expense of quality in drive for 3m apprenticeships

Shadow Education Minister for Young People John Woodcock has warned the government against “churning out numbers at the expense…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Employer jailed over tragic death of 16-year-old apprentice as SFA looks into ‘implications of case’

An employer has been jailed for eight months over the death of an untrained 16-year-old boy who became trapped…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Former Deputy PM Clegg reveals careers guidance was subject of ‘profound disagreement’ in Coalition

Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg revealed a “profound disagreement” over careers advice at the top of the last…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

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