News

Study of colleges shows ‘encouraging’ texts dramatically cut dropout rates

A study of three colleges has shown that sending regular encouraging text messages to learners can dramatically cut dropout…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New Apprenticeship Delivery Board announced

A new Apprenticeship Delivery Board (ADB) is set to advise the government on how to reach its target of…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

26 new Trailblazer groups announced

Film and TV, ceramics, veterinary nursing, and motorcycle manufacturing are among the industries that will be covered by 26…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Eight things we learned from the Skills Funding Agency’s annual accounts

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has released its annual accounts and report for 2014/15, so we had a comb…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Dates announced for next year’s National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) will run next year from March 14 to 18. The dates for the ninth annual…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Five colleges announce ‘collaboration’ plans after pioneering area review

Five FE and sixth form colleges facing “significant financial challenges” are “actively considering” collaboration plans, following a pioneering review…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

Boles tasks Education and Training Foundation with functional skills ‘reform programme’

The Education and Training Foundation has been asked to draw up a “programme of reform” for functional skills qualifications,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Additional adult skills cuts account for just 13 per cent of required BIS savings

Further cuts to college budgets will account for just 13 per cent of extra savings needed at the Department…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

BIS committee announces inquiry into government Productivity Plan

The government’s Productivity Plan will be the first focus of the new business, innovation and skills (BIS) select committee,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

SFA confirms further 3.9 per cent ASB cut as in-year departmental savings bite

FE providers face a further cut of almost four per cent to their non-apprenticeship funding in 2015/16, the Skills…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
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

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