Apprenticeships, Ofsted

Retail apprenticeships provider ‘disappointed’ after Ofsted grade 4

Inspectors critiqued Northern Training Academy’s ‘poor’ training to big-name retailers

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges, RAAC

RAAC: DfE lists 3 more affected colleges

Government reveals 174 education settings have now identified the crumbly concrete

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein
Skills reform

Lifelong loan entitlement changes name and gains royal assent

DfE also launches £5m competition to grant fund tuition fees for HTQ modular students in 2023/24 and 2024/25

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Long read, Skills reform

LSIPS: a chance to change, or a chance missed?

Gillian Keegan is determined that local skills improvement plans will ease the nation’s skills crisis. Jessica Hill lifts the…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
News

Tributes paid following sudden death of ‘energetic’ deputy principal

The former media lecturer rose through the ranks to become deputy principal in a college career spanning over 20…

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
News

Missing AEB contract award finally made public

Saga adds to concern about the whole procurement process

Billy Camden
Billy Camden


Adult education

Bankrupt council won’t lose adult education service

The city council is the second largest recipient of AEB funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
News

Capita exits adult education citing ‘market conditions’

Major outsourcing firm also significantly reduces apprenticeship delivery

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

6% of apprenticeship providers eligible for ‘ludicrous’ expert group

Leaders hit out at DfE’s ‘dangerous’ pilot name and strict criteria that excludes most providers

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

‘Pyromaniac’ student set fire to college to avoid exam

Student given a suspended sentence after lawyer said there was no ‘intent to harm’ anyone

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein
Sponsored post

Transforming Digital Learning with Apple

Exeter College’s transformation into an Apple Authorized Training Centre for Education has not only enriched student learning but also…

academia
Academia
BTECs, Skills reform, T Levels

155,000 young people to ‘fall through the gap’ left by BTECs, report warns

‘Desperate’ ministers also accused of misusing data to overstate performance of T Levels

Billy Camden
Billy Camden

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