FE Week Reporter | FE Week

It’s a Knockout is foam favourite with freshers

An ‘It’s a Knockout’-style competition was a foam favourite with new students at Warrington Collegiate. The event, which took place last Wednesday to Friday (September 3 to 5), saw rival teams fighting their way through a foam pit, balancing buckets of water on their heads and racing across an inflatable assault course. Organiser Neil Colquhoun, […]

Billy and Abbi go into business

Two 18-year-olds launched a painting and decorating business weeks after graduating from college. Billy Glyde and Abbi Skuse had not met before they started a level one painting and decorating course at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College in September 2012. They started working together at weekends after progressing to level two of the same course […]

National Careers Council calls for investment fund, better website and subsidies but covers old ground amid ‘insufficient careers progress’

A careers investment fund, an improved National Careers Service (NCS) website and free or subsidised access to advice are among the recommendations of the National Careers Council (NCC) as it identified “insufficient progress” with reforms since its previous annual report. As well as re-iterating its call for an employer-led government advisory board on careers, for […]

Top grades for learner winning fight with anorexia

Sally Trivett dropped to a frightening 5st but is now winning her fight with anorexia with the help of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, writes Paul Offord. When teenager Sally Trivett was hospitalised with her weight having plummeted to just 5st, she knew she had to make major changes if she was to beat anorexia. […]

Crossing continents to meet skills challenge

A group of teachers from the Chinese FE sector learned about English vocational training during a visit to Birmingham Metropolitan College. The 10 teachers from Shanghai, accompanied by an interpreter, were given a tour of the college’s fashion, motor vehicle maintenance, mechanical engineering, and art and design departments. They also learned about how colleges work […]

College on a roll with dice art

Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) is on a roll after students helped graduate Nick Kennedy create diceinspired artwork for a public exhibition. The 30-year-old professional artist, who left CCAD in 2003, worked with dozens of art foundation learners to produce drawings, paintings, sculptures and other exhibits displayed over the last week at the Middlesbrough Institute […]

Pioneer for professional women’s rubgy

A Moulton College graduate is part of the first professional squad of England women rugby union players. Leanne Riley completed an advanced apprenticeship in sporting excellence at the college three years ago. The 21-year-old, who plays on the wing, is one of 20 England women players who will be paid by the Rugby Football Union […]

‘Don’t spend Bursary Fund cash on FE free meals top-up’ — DfE

Officials at the Department for Education (DfE) have told providers they can’t top up FE free meals allocations with Bursary Fund cash after it emerged a number of colleges were looking to boost the £2.41 hand-outs up to as much as £5. General FE colleges and independent learning providers, from this month, are required by […]

Breast cancer survivor completes half-triathlon

Breast cancer survivor Sue Chant raised more than £450 for charity through completing a half-triathlon. The 54-year-old horse management Hartpury College lecturer completed the UK Ultimate Half Triathlon at Dearnford Lake, Shropshire, in just over eight hours. It involved a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run. She raised more than £450 in sponsorship […]