FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Free meal guidelines issued by Education Funding Agency

Colleges will get £2.41 for every free meal served to a disadvantaged learner under a new system coming into force this year, the government has revealed. As part of a plan to introduce universal free school meals, FE colleges will be required by law to offer free meals to qualifying youngsters aged 16 to 18 […]

Grade four LeSoCo gets new Ofsted blow

A large London college has been criticised in a follow-up report on its inadequate Oftsed rating. LeSoCo, a 17,000-learner college in South London, got grade four by Ofsted in January. A follow-up monitoring visit was carried out in March and the report has now been published. The original inspection criticised teaching standards and said improvements […]

Accounting most popular for FE loans

Qualifications in accounting and youth work have proved the most popular for students taking out 24+ advanced learner loans, officials have revealed. Since loan applications for courses starting in August opened in April, 42,534 learners have used them to enrol — and the top loans-funded qualification was the Association of Accounting Technicians’ (AAT) level three […]

Apprentice funding plans rejected in consultation

The full results of the government’s apprenticeship funding consultation last year have been released for the first time — revealing the vast majority of provider and employer respondents did not support the government’s proposed reforms. The consultation ran from July until October and in November Skills Minister Matthew Hancock announced the government would be seeking […]

Hancock hits back over FE funding cuts

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock (pictured above) has hit back at criticism of government cuts, claiming it was “misleading” to say funding for adult skills faced a 19 per cent fall in the next two years. In an exclusive interview with FE Week, he defended his record with the sector. It comes after the annual Skills Funding […]

Indy wins college plan go ahead

An Essex-based independent learning provider is one step closer to opening the first new FE college in 20 years after receiving the backing of the government. Prospects Learning Foundation has revealed it has been given permission by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to incorporate as an FE college. The independent learning provider (ILP), […]

Sharp rise in degree starts at FE colleges, HEFCE report shows

The number of students starting degree courses at further education colleges in England has risen by almost 60 per cent in the past three years, a report has revealed. According to data published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the number of people starting undergraduate study at FE colleges (FECs) in 2013/14 […]

Traineeships are making a difference despite slow uptake

Traineeships should not be dismissed just because of low take-up rates, says Fiona Aldridge. We now know that in the six-months between August and January, 3,300 16 to 23-years-olds have enrolled on to a traineeship. Compared to the ongoing high levels of youth unemployment – 912,000, according to latest figures – it is no surprise that […]

Schools to be forced to tell learners about FE and skills options

Schools will be forced to tell learners about vocational study and apprenticeship options by law after the government published statutory guidelines on careers advice. For the first time, schools have been told they have to offer independent, impartial careers advice including the full range of options available to learners, and prove they are doing so […]