Colleges, Long read, SEND

National Star College: teaching students how to speak up and fight back

Dan, who has cerebral palsy and communicates with the world through technology that tracks his eye movements, giggles with…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Adult education

Adult education participation hits record high

But inequalities remain across social and geographical groups

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Apprenticeships

Ofqual drops first ever apprenticeship assessment stats

City and Guilds dominate the EPA market

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Colleges, Devolution

Combined authority ponders double college build to tackle FE ‘cold spots’

‘Initial conversations’ also taken place with FE colleges over their views on the project

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein
Jo Grady, strike, UCU

UCU general secretary launches re-election bid

Jo Grady confirms her candidacy for next year’s elections

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein
Training Providers

Funding officials unconcerned over training providers’ financial health

Provider forecasts show nine in ten predict good or better financial health

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen


Apprenticeships, SEND

SEND apprenticeship pilot proving a hit

Relaxing of functional skills rules removes barriers for people with learning difficulties

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges

Lauener steps down as NCG chair early for ‘personal reasons’

Ex-ESFA chief will stay on as chair of Student Loans Company and CITB

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

£1.5bn immigration skills charge ‘blackhole’ revealed

Ministers slammed for ‘zero transparency’ over whether tax tops up domestic training budget

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Training Providers

Fraud and error ‘getting worse’ in FE

Majority of £50m funding clawed back last year was from independent training providers

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Adult education

Winners of Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards 2023 revealed

Awards recognise inspirational Londoners and providers for their contributions to adult learning

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Storm Ciarán causes college closures

Colleges in the south of England switch to online learning to protect staff and students

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein

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