FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Reflecting on day one of the Association of Colleges conference

A review of English and maths accreditation is welcome, but should not result in new qualifications, says Charlotte Bosworth. In the Skills Minister Nick Boles’ introduction to his speech he mentioned a moment full of risk, his analogy was to make a party political point about the choice the electorate face in May’s general election, […]

A sea change in evidence?

Andrew Morris looks at how problems affecting FE practitioners are being a tackled with an appreciation of the need for evidence, and how this evidence might be used to bid for research funding in tough economic times. South Staffordshire College and Thurrock Adult Community College are anything to go by, a significant change in the […]

Vocational system progress — despite what Clegg says

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg fleshed out his idea, first revealed in February, for a UCas-style system for post-16 vocational learning this month. Mary Curnock describes the progress UCas has made with its system that already meets such requirements. The Deputy Prime Minister called again for a ‘UCAS-style’ system for younger students who need to […]

Pragmatism not evangelism needed on shift to digital

The march towards a digital future is not in doubt, but how colleges stay on course is the cause of many a sleepless night for those in the FE sector, explains Ian Fordham. There is a critical mass of factors coming together around the digital agenda in the UK that has the potential to disrupt […]

Secret Principal Edition 119

The principal of a large and well-established FE college writes about life at the top — the worries, the hopes, the people and the issues they have to deal with every day. So it’s Association of Colleges conference time again. I think this is my fourteenth year of coming and to be frank not much […]

Thai boxer wins double-gold in world championship

An East Durham College level two sport student has returned home from Italy with two world championship gold medals for Thai boxing. Leigh Newton, aged 16, who took up the sport two years ago, fought in the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) finals in Tuscany this month. She won the 48kg weight category and picked up […]

Singer finds his way to Walsall College… via Facebook

Singer Tony Christie found his way to Walsall College to pose for a portrait photo taken by a student who contacted him through Facebook. Mr Christie, who topped the UK singles chart in 2005 when his signature tune Is this the way to Amarillo? was re-released, lives 10 miles away from the college in Lichfield. […]

Agriculture studies return to college after 13 year absence

Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) invited local farmers to a celebration of the re-launch of agriculture into its syllabus after a 13-year absence, writes Paul Offord. A college that stopped offering agriculture courses following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease is now helping tackle the problem of farming’s ageing working population. There were farming-based […]

‘Rioting’ learners help to train the police

Level three public services students from Chichester College attacked the police with rocks and wooden planks in a riot re-enactment. The event at Longmore Army Camp, near Petersfield, was organised by Sussex, Surrey and Kent police forces to give officers experience of how to deal with large-scale public disorders. Public services lecturer Rob Giles said: […]