News

‘Odious’ rule to be automatically written out of frameworks

The government has agreed to the automatic scrapping of a rule that forces apprentices to re-sit qualifications they already…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Barnfield looks for ‘new partners’ after academies split rubber-stamped

Barnfield College is “looking to forge new relationships” with partners in the education sector after Whitehall rubber-stamped its split…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Numeracy and literacy not just learner issues

The FE sector has to face up to low levels of literacy and numeracy among staff if it wants…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Fraudster poses as principal ordering urgent payment

A fraudster posing as a London college principal has been foiled in the latest in a string of attempted…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

FE college UTC heads out of special measures

A University Technical College (UTC) which had to be rescued by its local FE college after a damning Ofsted…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Back to the drawing board on merger as financial rescue plan rejected

A Hampshire sixth form college has had to go back to the drawing board in its search for a…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

Skills Minister admits ‘no plans to promote new SFCs’

Skills Minister Nick Boles told the House of Commons the government has no intention of “promoting the establishment” of…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Apprenticeship week keenness at Milton Keynes

Staff at Milton Keynes College were among thousands of sector workers up and down the country to have set…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Lords celebration for foundation learners

The success of nearly 90 learners helped by the Helena Kennedy Foundation to overcome a variety of obstacles was…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Complete the overhaul of apprenticeships, small businesses group tells parties

A challenge to complete the “overhaul” of apprenticeships is being put to the next government, as National Apprenticeship Week…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Develop ‘world class apprenticeships’ to tackle global productivity shortfall, report urges

World class apprenticeships should be developed to solve a “productivity shortfall”, the International Skills Standards Organisation (INSSO) has claimed….

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Hartlepool Sixth Form College focused on numbers over quality, commissioner finds

Hartlepool Sixth Form College focused too much on getting students through the doors and not of the quality of…

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