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28 April 2026

Author: FE Week Reporter

City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College looking at merger

City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College aim to become “the main force for FE in central London” through greater collaboration and a possible merger, it was announced today. The colleges confirmed, through a joint statement released this morning, that their governing bodies had agreed “to explore the potential” for developing closer links. It […]

BIS finds out National Colleges’ proposals as business plans handed in

The government today learned how National Colleges planned to spend their funding as the deadline closed for proposals to be handed in. Seven National Colleges, led by groups of employers to provide specialist skills for their industry, have been approved so far — one each for advanced manufacturing, wind energy, creative and cultural industries, onshore […]

FE college staff in the dark over potential impact of new strike laws

FE staff will have to wait to hear whether proposed new strike laws will affect them after the government confirmed it was consulting on how a new 40 per cent support threshold would affect certain providers. Under new rules set out in the government’s trade union bill, a 50 per cent turnout requirement will be […]

Former Deputy PM Clegg could face BIS and DfE merger question in Lords committee grilling

Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg could be grilled by Lords tomorrow morning on whether the Department for Education (DfE) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) should merge. The ex-Lib Dem leader is due before the House of Lords Social Mobility Committee and is expected to face a number of questions covering related issues such […]

Are Lib Dems set for an FE college-educated leader?

The final votes in the contest to lead the Liberal Democrats were being cast today with the prospect of an FE-educated man at the helm proving the bookies’ favourite outcome. Former House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee member Tim Farron (pictured main), who revealed in an FE Week profile interview in February that […]

Local authority in Lewisham Southwark College takeover bid to address ‘lack of imagination and robustness’

Southwark Council has called on the FE Commissioner to support its bid take over half of Lewisham Southwark College, criticising it for “a lack of imagination and robustness in curriculum, in strategic and financial planning”. The council’s cabinet member for children and schools and chair of the corporate parenting committee, Councillor Victoria Mills, has written to commissioner […]