land-based colleges, Long read

Inside the college sector with an educational, societal and cultural mission

Their idyllic rural settings, historic buildings and strong links with local communities have enabled land-based colleges to diversify their…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Exams

Ofqual: Functional skills exams ‘not too challenging’

Regulators are investigating ‘potential issue’ with maths problem solving questions

Josh Barrie
Josh Barrie
News

Functional skills ‘commercially unviable’, research suggests

Average delivery costs still leave training providers making a loss on functional skills, even with funding increase

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Politics

Dear Jeremy: FE’s wishlist for 2024 budget

Sector representatives have made their case for funding for teacher pay, adult education and apprenticeships

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
Apprenticeships

Students’ union to represent Jewish apprentices

Jewish apprentices can become full members of UJS

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges, Strikes

London mega-college staff cut short strike action over workload agreement

Workers meant to strike for eight days end up picketing for three days after talks

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel


Ofsted

Ofsted tightens inspection early warning alert loophole

Watchdog has ‘made changes to its processes around how, and when, inspectors gather documents from websites’

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Apprenticeships

‘Ground-breaking’ prisoner apprenticeship scheme flops

DfE slammed for leaving prisons to figure out apprenticeships after changing the law

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
T Levels

T Level student fee hikes slammed by college leaders

New contracts can adapt entry fees to make sure awarding organisations make a profit

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges

College leaders demand £710 per student rise in sixth-formers’ funding

Increasing teaching hours in line with Advanced British Standard would need an extra £1,760 per sixth-former

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
ITP, Teacher training

ITPs to take £27m hit from DfE funding change to FE teacher training

Only providers providers with an HE partnership will have access to student finance, DfE says

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Adult education

Adult ed: Fewer adults taking level 2 and 3 courses

Figures indicate fewer adults from deprived backgrounds

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen

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