News

‘Demoralised’: Sunak calls time on T Levels during T Levels Week

PM seeks to axe flagship qualifications after just 3 years of delivery and £1bn investment

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Training Providers

Lawyers deny claims DfE acted unlawfully in AEB contract row

DfE claim they followed procurement rules in their defence to AEB procurement legal challenge

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen
Party Conferences 2023

GCSE English and maths resit funding boost

The rate for apprentices will go up 54% – from £471 to £724

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Party Conferences 2023

Advanced British Standard: Everything you need to know

Our explainer on Rishi Sunak’s proposed new qualification to replace A-levels and T Levels

Billy Camden
John Dickens and Samantha Booth
Party Conferences 2023

Sunak to replace A-levels and T Levels with ‘Advanced British Standard’ qualification

PM wants to merge A-levels and T Levels under plan for sixth formers to study five subjects including ‘some…

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Apprenticeships, Party Conferences 2023

Keegan ‘focussed’ on ‘wasteful’ apprenticeship drop outs

‘I can’t understand why they [completion rates] are not 99%. Who would give up that opportunity?’

Shane Chowen
Shane Chowen


News

Email attacks: Don’t lock down unless police say, DfE tells colleges

The message comes after schools in three counties locked down over emails threatening violence to pupils and staff

Amy Walker
Amy Walker
investigation, Long read

Why young asylum seekers and refugees are struggling to access college courses

Young people fleeing conflict, oppression and destitution in their home countries are arriving in England in record numbers. In…

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
News

Keegan has not met any LGBT+ groups to discuss trans guidance

Education secretary had said delays to advice would allow more time ‘to speak to stakeholders’

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
Skills reform

What happened to college business centres?

College business centres featured as a key policy pledge in the 2021 skills for jobs white paper, as ministers…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, Teacher training

‘Shocking’ teacher training proposals could force provider closures

DfE also criticised for questioning ‘quality and value for money’ at private provider

Joshua Stein
Joshua Stein
Teacher training

DfE takes control of FE teacher training scheme mid-round

Taking Teaching Further programme brought in-house after one year into two-year scheme

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel

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