Alix Robertson | FE Week

Who got what in Queen’s birthday honours for FE

The principal of Weston College Group has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list. Dr Paul Phillips (pictured left), who joined Weston College in 2001, was made an OBE in 2011 and achieved an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted grade in 2014, has been recognised in the list published today. The keen wrestling fan, according […]

Judge and principal blast college nepotism scandal

A senior manager at the country’s biggest college group was somehow permitted to interview and appoint her own husband to another top post, in a situation that a judge described as being “quite extraordinary”. Deni Chambers, the director of creative and digital industries at NCG, formed a panel with just one other colleague to award […]

Investigation into DfE handling of apprenticeship figures demanded by expert

An independent expert in government statistics has called for an investigation after the Department for Education encouraged the use of “misleading” provider apprenticeship achievement rate data, rather than publish the revised figures. In February the DfE revised its figures for 2015/16, causing a fall of nearly five percentage points in recorded achievement rates, after it […]

Cash-strapped Harlow UTC looks to join academy trust

Another university technical college in dire financial straits is planning to pause recruitment at 14 as it looks to join a multi-academy trust to survive. Sir Charles Kao UTC, a 14-19 institution in Harlow specialising in computing, science and engineering, is “100 pupils short of achieving a break-even position”, according to its income summary for […]

Association of Colleges appoints new deputy chief executive

Kirsti Lord, acting principal at City College Coventry, has been appointed as the new deputy chief executive of the Association of Colleges. She will take up the role with a specific focus on member services, alongside current deputy chief executive Julian Gravatt (pictured below left). Ms Lord (pictured above) has been acting principal at the […]

Who is Anne Milton? 11 facts about the new skills minister

FE Week has today exclusively announced that our sector’s new apprenticeships and skills minister will be Anne Milton, a former nurse and MP for Guildford. Here we have pulled together a few key facts about Anne, to help you get to know your next FE and skills representative: Anne Milton was born on November 3, […]

Halfon loses apprenticeships and skills ministerial role in reshuffle

It is a change that will shock the FE sector. Apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon has this evening been told he will not return to his ministerial role, FE Week understands. Mr Halfon, who took up the role of Apprenticeships and Skills Minister from Nick Boles on July 17, 2016, is well known for his […]

‘New approach’ called for after principal quits

The principal of Salford City College has reportedly quit after just two years at the helm, with a “new approach” now being called for following academic success but sweeping job cuts. John Spindler, who joined in April 2015, will leave his post at the end of this month. A college spokesperson told FE Week this […]

Employers slam “inordinately long” development time for apprenticeship standards

Employer groups have complained about the “inordinately long time” it has taken to develop the new apprenticeship standards, some of which were first published over two years ago but are still unready for delivery. FE Week analysis has found that 16 apprenticeship standards published on the gov.uk website between April 2014 and March 2015 have […]