Politics

Robert Halfon resigns as skills minister

He will also stand down as Harlow’s MP in the upcoming general election

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, SEND

SEND colleges slam ‘unwieldy’ English and maths resit reforms

Dropouts likely to increase and stress made worse for vulnerable learners, leaders warn

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
AEB, Devolution, Ofsted

Manchester provider’s AEB contracts terminated early

Bootcamps contract also ended by combined authority but provider continues to deliver the scheme through its local council

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Ofqual

City and Guilds fined £200k for regulatory breaches

Ofqual found multiple ‘errors’ related to assessment materials and results

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
DfE

DfE snatches £1.5m from popular FE leadership and governance scheme

Government slimming down two-year leadership and governance training amid cuts

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Apprenticeships, Politics, Skills reform

IfATE plans staff cuts after DfE orders cost-saving measures

Apprenticeships and technical education quango opens voluntary exit scheme to all staff

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


News

Mayors’ use of AEB powers ‘disappointing’, says ex No 10 adviser

Ex skills advisers Alison Wolf and Michael Barber will share their insider perspectives on how further education and skills…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Apprenticeships

Halfon threatens low achieving apprenticeship providers

Minister warns of growth limitations and market exits for providers showing ‘insufficient improvement’

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

National apprenticeship achievement rate rises to 54%

Slight increase leaves sector way off government target

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Shane Chowen
Apprenticeships, Higher education

OfS awards further £14m for degree apprenticeships expansion

Weston College wins £1.1 million in latest round of OfS degree apprenticeships funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
ABS, Colleges, Skills reform

‘Clunky’ Advanced British Standard risks ‘blunt choice’ for students, leaders warn

Ministers accused of ‘putting the cart before the horse’ with 16-19 reform plans

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Ofsted

Ofsted: ‘Constrained’ funding could ‘compromise’ inspection reliability

Watchdog’s chair warns actions to absorb rising costs are a ‘short-term fix’ and will likely ‘store up cost pressures’

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