FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Preparing for a second year of 14 to 16 provision at college

Nine colleges are looking to join the ranks of the existing seven that have been allowed by the Department for Education to recruit 14 to 16-year-olds directly. A year after his own college started direct recruitment, Lee Probert looks at what lessons have been learned. September 2013 saw our Hull and Goole colleges welcome 100 […]

Nine more colleges set to take on 14 to 16-year-olds

Nine more colleges could take on learners from the age of 14 next academic year, FE Week can reveal. The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has received nine expressions of interest from colleges hoping to start ‘direct recruitment’ of full-time younger learners from September. Seven colleges already recruit 14 to 16-year-olds having gone through the same […]

ETF chief defends handing £1m learning tech contract to Gazelle amid ‘scepticism’ of the organisation

Education and Training Foundation (ETF) chief executive David Russell has spoken out to defend the awarding of a £1m learning technology contract to Gazelle as he acknowledged “scepticism” about the organisation. The Gazelle Foundation beat three other bidders to win the learning technology contract, due to end by November next year, thanks to the “depth […]

England won’t join European apprenticeship body, says Skills Minister Matthew Hancock

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock has ruled out joining a European apprenticeship development body, despite his counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland saying it could have benefits. Responding to a written question from Democratic Unionist Party MP Nigel Dodds, Mr Hancock said England would not be joining the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. However, governments in […]

Commons education committee to investigate vocational education before general election

Vocational education will be the focus of the House of Commons Education Select Committee’s last inquiry before the general election, its chairman has announced. Conservative MP Graham Stuart (pictured) told the Higher Ambitions Vocational Education Summit in London yesterday (Tuesday, July 8) that his committee would use its last inquiry before the election next May […]

Apprenticeship claim leads to another Tory and Labour fact spat

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock challenged Labour’s understanding of apprenticeship starts following a week in which the Opposition’s fact-checking has been called into question. During an Opposition day debate on vocational education in the House of Commons yesterday (Wednesday, July 9), Shadow Education Minister Tristram Hunt and Mr Hancock clashed over whether the overall number of […]

Awarding bodies group tells of ‘details’ concern over quals registration plan

The Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) has expressed concern over the details of Ofqual proposals in which non-accredited qualifications would appear on its official register. The qualifications watchdog announced the plans in a consultation document, entitled Lifting the Accreditation Requirement, which puts forward allowing qualifications on its register even though they have not been submitted to […]

Ofsted’s separate school sixth form grading plan rubber-stamped with overwhelming support

Ofsted’s plan to introduce separate graded judgements for school sixth forms next academic year has enjoyed overwhelming support in an official consultation. It had already been welcomed by much of the FE sector because it will allow school sixth forms to be directly compared with colleges, and more than 74 per cent of consultation respondents agreed, many of […]

Sixth form college teachers join picket lines in strike over pay and conditions

Teachers at sixth form colleges across England walked out of work today amid a bitter dispute between unions and the government over pay and conditions. Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) who work in sixth form colleges were involved in today’s industrial action, but it is not yet known how many walked out […]