FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Agency freezes rates as drop in 18 funding hits

The Education Funding Agency has announced it is freezing rates for 2014/15, prompting criticism that the sector is facing a “real terms” cut. The agency said it would continue paying an unweighted full-time rate of £4,000 for 16 and 17-year-olds while implementation of a 17.5 per cent rate cut for 18-year-olds will see the age […]

GCSEs need ‘flexibility and functionality

Ofsted’s careers guidance boss has called for “flexibility and functionality” in English and maths GCSEs. Karen Adriaanse, the education watchdog’s national lead for careers guidance, told MPs on the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee how she thought the government could improve adult literacy and numeracy. “One of the things that government […]

Agency ‘sprints’ to new software finishing line

The Skills Funding Agency has announced an “agile project management approach” to developing software following the implementation of this year’s troubled new Funding Information System (Fis). It said it was employing a “number of smaller teams working in two-week bursts of activity, known as sprints”. The new system is being used to develop Fis and […]

Independent learning providers make it on to Times lists of best employers

Independent learning providers featured prominently in the 2014 Sunday Times’ lists of best small and medium-sized companies to work for. Bright International Training and Educ8 came 12th and 51st respectively in the list for small companies. ACT Training, Ingeus UK, and HIT Training came 35th, 85th and 92nd respectively in the list for the 100 […]

Government extends apprenticeship grant for employers

A scheme which provides employers with grants of up to £1,500 for each apprentice they train has been extended to 2016. In his budget today, Chancellor George Osborne announced the apprenticeship grants for employers (AGE) scheme would be funded with £85m in both 2014/15 and 2015/16. It had originally been due to end in December. […]

College radio presenter is seeing stars after landing interview with top comedian Russell Brand

High-profile comedian Russell Brand was the latest in an impressive line of celebrities to face a grilling from 20-year-old Lambeth College radio presenter Daniel Parker, writes Paul Offord. What do comedian Russell Brand and actors Ralph Fiennes and Tom Hanks all have in common? They’ve all been interviewed by level three radio production student Daniel […]

Soldiering on at the Royal Marines training centre

Hopwood Hall College students got a taste of what it would be like to train as Royal Marines. The nine level two and three sport and fitness and uniformed public services students spent five days at the Royal Marines Training Centre, at Lympstone, Devon. Their leadership and teamwork skills were assessed and they had to […]

Fundraising is tribute to Mary

Weston College students dug deep to raise almost £4,000 for a cancer charity during an annual fundraising week. The college’s chosen charity this year is The Bone Cancer Research Trust, which received £3,938 overall through the competition. Fundraising activities included cake sales, fancy dress, football and netball tournaments, music gigs and sponsored walks. The charity […]

Britpop star shoots promo video at college studio

The lead singer of Britpop band Ocean Colour Scene visited Stratford-upon-Avon College with his new group Merrymouth to record a promo video for their new album. Wenlock Hill is the second album from the folk-orientated band Merrymouth, which is fronted by singer Simon Fowler, who found fame in the 1990s with Ocean Colour Scene — […]