News

Strength at the top is key to improvement concludes Ofsted

Strong, effective leadership is one of the key features of success, suggests Ofsted’s How Colleges Improve report. Winning colleges…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Colleges undecided on ‘Trip Advisor’ website

Providers are remaining on the fence about Ofted’s Trip Advisor-style Learner View website. The website, which cost £65,000 to…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Short shrift for new-look Ofsted reports

Joy Mercer, AoC                    Jan Webber, ASCL Reports of inspections under…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Urgent reform to apprenticeships needed, says BIS Committee

An 11-month government inquiry into apprenticeships has recommended a host of changes, including “closer scrutiny, careful monitoring or even…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Skills Funding Agency ‘assured’ over Elmfield Training payments to Morrisons

A system of payments from the provider behind the UK’s biggest apprenticeship programme to the firm whose staff it…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Cash boost on out-of-favour qualifications

Funding for a host of politically unpopular workplace qualifications is set to rise, with payments for one course rocketing…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter


News

Provider challenges new-look inspection

One of the first Ofsted inspections under the new common inspection framework is to be disputed. Merseyside-based Central Training,…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Heseltine questions funding agency’s future

A wide-ranging report from the Tory grandee Lord Heseltine (right) questions the role of the Skills Funding Agency, instead…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New courses bypass the regulator

The government has allowed new adult English and maths qualifications to be funded without the usual approval of an…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Apprenticeship highs and lows

Apprentice numbers in engineering and construction have plummeted while management apprenticeships have rocketed 45 per cent. Engineering, based on…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

New report critical of government’s education divide

The government’s departmental split over education responsibility has been branded “damaging and artificial” in a new report from the…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Lead provider that had £3.3m of Skills Funding Agency cash ‘ceases trading’

An Essex-based lead provider that was allocated nearly £2m of Skills Funding Agency cash last academic year has ceased…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

Must read

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
Adult education, ITPs

Mayors dump adult education cuts on independent training providers

Up to two-thirds axed from devolved procured budgets

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read
Apprenticeships

Entrepreneur chased for millions after apprenticeship collapse

ESFA uncovers ‘fake’ taxi apprentices as liquidator reveals intercompany payments days after firm decided to shut

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

Fury as DfE cuts adult education budgets

Combined authorities told to expect reductions in ‘already deeply diminished’ adult skills funding

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen