Author: Alix Robertson

The Department for Education (DfE) will take over responsibility for FE, skills and higher education. Until now, the further and higher education sectors have been under the remit of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). But a spokesperson for Number 10 told FE Week: “The DfE has taken on responsibility for higher and […]

FE Week understands that a long-awaited update to the apprenticeship levy guidance was due to be released tomorrow morning (July 14). However, skills minister Nick Boles resigned this afternoon, which makes it likely the government will delay any policy announcement before appointing and briefing a replacement. Mr Boles announced at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers […]

Nick Boles MP has resigned from his role as skills minister. In a post on his Facebook page, posted at 3.40pm today, Mr Boles said that it was the “right time for me to return to the back benches”. His resignation, which he confirmed on Twitter, comes almost exactly two years to the day that […]

A college has been hit with an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating in a report that raised grave questions about leadership and management, just a few weeks after its chair and vice-chair resigned without explanation. FE Week reported on June 18 that Amersham and Wycombe College’s chair and vice-chair of governors, Jenese Joseph and Andrew Walker, had […]

The government has agreed to implement all 14 recommendations from a taskforce commissioned to explore how access to apprenticeships can be improved for people with learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD). The taskforce was jointly commissioned by skills minister Nick Boles and minister for the disabled Justin Tomlinson (both pictured above), and both of their departments […]

A successor group to the defunct Network for Black and Asian Professionals (NBAP) will be launched tomorrow at the FE Week Festival of Skills. The new organisation will be called The BAME Principals Group. It will comprise serving principals and chief executives of FE institutions and chaired by Jat Sharma, who is an Association of […]

An influential committee of MPs has rejected the government’s proposal of Amanda Spielman to become the next chief inspector of Ofsted. Ms Spielman, who is chair of Ofqual, was put forward for the role last month by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who named her as the government’s preferred candidate to succeed Sir Michael Wilshaw. But […]

Ofqual has announced that its’ first ever fine to an awarding organisation will be for City & Guilds, over the late issuing of more than 22,000 results. The qualifications and exams regulator published a notice of intention to impose the £38,000 financial penalty yesterday. An Ofqual spokesperson confirmed to FE Week this “would be the […]

The principal of Cornwall College has resigned, according to a statement from the chair of the board of governors exclusively revealed to FE Week. Amarjit Basi, who has been principal and chief executive of The Cornwall College Group since 2013, will leave his post on July 31, when his deputy Raoul Humphreys will become acting […]