News

Zero-hour review gets unions’ welcome

Further education unions have given a cautious welcome to newly-announced government consultations on zero-hour contracts and apprentice pay. A…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Colleges win meal deal, indies miss out

Further education students are to get free school meals, the government has announced — but learners at independent training…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Kwik Fit’s unpaid traineeship branded ‘unacceptable’

Kwik Fit has come under fire from the National Union of Students (NUS) for running unpaid traineeships of up…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Success for the free lunch campaign

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader, has announced this afternoon that the government will extend free…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Interview with Ofsted careers guidance report author

Q&A with Ofsted inspector Karen Adriaanse, author of the education watchdog’s report Going in the right direction? Careers guidance…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Hull 14 to 16-year-olds leading the way to college

Seven colleges in England are for the first time taking on young teenagers. Hull College Group is one of…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford


News

College backs down on veil ban

Birmingham Met defended its ban after media attention but has now ‘listened’ to students and ‘modified’ the controversial policy …

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Tutor sacked after college sex talk complaints

A college in the North East has sacked a female tutor after she allegedly talked to her class about…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Barclays sticks by Elmfield Training

The Skills Funding Agency has been “working closely” with Barclays Bank over its apprenticeship plans with Elmfield Training after…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Commissioner: only the brave need apply

These are the tough nuts you’ll have to crack if you want to be the new FE Commissioner, FE…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Qualifications cull comes under FAB fire

A cull of more than 1,800 adult qualifications that had little or no uptake has come under fire from…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Careers plan after wrath of Wilshaw

The government has announced an action plan to tackle poor careers advice after Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw attacked…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

Must read

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
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