Alix Robertson | FE Week

Leading the ILP way on new short inspections

Hull Business Training Centre this month became the first FE and skills independent learning provider to undergo Ofsted’s new short inspection. Johanna Rudd describes the experience. Our last inspection was in January 2010 so we thought we might get the call before the new inspection methodologies and common inspection framework (Cif) came in. It was […]

The Principal’s Office — English and maths challenge

The national 16 to 18 A*-C pass rates in 14/15 were 35.8 per cent (38.9 per cent) for GCSE maths and 35.1 per cent (37.9 per cent) for English — a drop of 3.1pp and 2.8pp respectively on 13/14. Success rates are published soon and they’ll be down too. That’s because these GCSEs (and Functional […]

‘Keep out of it’ – AELP boss Stewart Segal warns Skills Minister Nick Boles off apprenticeships

Skills Minister Nick Boles has been urged to stay out of apprenticeship delivery business after telling college principals that independent learning providers (ILPs) were “nicking” their lunch. Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Stewart Segal hit back at Mr Boles who told Association of Colleges (AoC) conference delegates that ILPs were better than […]

SFA warns colleges of a future without sub-contracting

Skills Funding Agency funding and programmes director Keith Smith (pictured above) has warned college leaders they were facing a “huge challenge” when the apprenticeship levy allows subcontractors to receive funding directly from the government. He said the changes could have a serious impact on college funding, during an update he gave in a breakout session […]

Gill Clipson, deputy chief executive, Association of Colleges

After taking time out from primary and secondary school teaching to have a family around 30 years ago, Gill Clipson had her eye on a career change. She went against the guidance of a Stratford-Upon-Avon careers adviser who tried to point out that she was really “a people person” and embarked on an evening class […]

Record-breaking £14k raised for Helena Kennedy Foundation at FE Week charity auction

The FE Week 2015 annual charity auction and raffle raised a record-breaking £14,000 for the Helena Kennedy Foundation. Leaders from across the world of FE were at Birmingham’s Hyatt Hotel on the first evening (November 17) of the Association of Colleges (AoC) conference for a three-course meal before the auction and raffle took place. The […]

Staring into the funding abyss – Skills Minister Nick Boles paints stark picture of cuts to hit sector

The sector has been left staring into the financial abyss after Skills Minister Nick Boles warned Association of Colleges (AoC) conference delegates that FE would not be “insulated from further cuts” in the spending review. Mr Boles issued the stark warning during his keynote speech to college leaders at the ICC Birmingham on Tuesday (November […]

‘Remarkable how colleges have kept going’ says AoC chief Martin Doel

Ahead of the Association of Colleges (AoC) 2015 conference, chief executive Martin Doel tells FE Week reporter Alix Robertson how his members have a fundamental place in delivering government goals. With the government spending review on the horizon, and post-16 education and training area reviews sweeping across the country, attendees at this year’s AoC conference […]

College chairs’ bid to prevent Chancellor George Osborne raid on finances

More than 100 college governors’ board chairs put on a united front to Prime Minister David Cameron in a desperate bid to defend FE funding from Chancellor George Osborne and the impending Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). They wrote to Mr Cameron outlining the sector’s “parlous financial state that has been caused by the impact of […]