Author: Alix Robertson

As the curtain comes down on Rio 2016, FE students past and present have helped Team GB storm to a record-breaking Olympic games. Two additional gold medals and a bronze medal over the weekend mean there have been 11 winners of the world’s top sporting prizes from the FE Sector. Former Hopwood Hall College student […]

More than ten colleges could be excluded from accessing apprenticeship funding because of their grade four Ofsted rating, FE Week can exclusively reveal. As part of a consultation on the new apprenticeship provider register, expected to be released tomorrow, FE Week understands the government will consider excluding ‘inadequate’ providers. There are 13 colleges currently rated grade four with a combined […]

The chief executive of a charity and independent learning provider focused on helping people with disabilities has declared the timing of his organisation’s latest Ofsted inspection “not right nor in the interests of learners”. Roy O’Shaughnessy, head of The Shaw Trust, said the inspection had come at an “inappropriate” stage and he was “disappointed” with the […]

Long-awaited information on the apprenticeship levy is finally due to be released this Friday, after a series of delays. The details, which were originally expected in June, will now be distributed via press release at the end of the week on August 12, the Department for Education has confirmed to FE Week. FE Week revealed […]

The inspection regime is being tightened up by Ofsted to keep track on rocketing numbers of college mergers. Ofsted uploaded its revised skills inspection handbook, to apply from September, on gov.uk this morning. The only reference to mergers in the old handbook stressed that newly joined-together colleges would “normally be inspected as a new provider […]

After the turmoil of recent months 2016’s silly season has finally rolled around, heralded by the Skills Funding Agency’s (SFA) choice to brand one of its newest teams ‘PRAt’. FE Week was today made aware of the unfortunate label, which has so far not been made public.  An SFA spokesperson told FE Week: “The establishment of the Funding […]

The responsibilities of newly appointed minister Robert Halfon have yet to be officially announced, raising concerns from the sector that this could mean yet more delays to policy guidance.  Over a week since Mr Halfon’s appointment, the Department for Education (DfE) website still lists him only as “Minister of State”, and does not clarify whether he will definitely take […]

Updated guidance on the apprenticeship levy which was due out in June may now be postponed until September, FE Week understands. FE Week submitted an enquiry to the Department for Education (DfE) about a potential change to the release date – which would be the second delay so far – but the DfE refused to confirm or deny the prospect. […]

Apprenticeships have secured a place on the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) early autumn programme of work this year. They feature among ten topics for the committee’s inquiries in September and October, which have been published on the parliament.uk website. Other areas for inquiry include child protection and the financial sustainability of local government. The decision comes […]