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12 April 2026

Frustration builds as Ofsted refuses to inspect paused providers

The indefinite pausing of Ofsted inspections could force an apprenticeship provider to make redundancies, its managing director has told FE Week. Wiser Academy Ltd was suspended from recruiting new apprentices following an early monitoring visit last August which resulted in two ‘insufficient progress’ judgments. Its “frustrated” leader, Crescens George (pictured), said the firm has 30 […]

The transition to our new normal will not be straightforward

From next Monday, colleges and providers will have the flexibility to offer more students face-to-face learning, explains Gillian Keegan Last month I virtually visited Weston College to meet students and staff. It was another incredible insight into how a college has been able to successfully move its learning and resources online at speed, with an […]

DfE scraps provider quality criteria in final phase of T-level roll out

The requirement for colleges and other training providers to be rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted to deliver T-levels will be dropped by the government from 2023. But those with ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ grades from the education watchdog will initially only be able to teach the T-level routes introduced in 2020 and 2021. Only […]

T-level wobble as another four providers cancel September launch plans

Four providers due to teach the first T-levels in just three months’ time have announced they will delay delivery for at least a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It means the number of colleges, schools and other providers in England in wave one of the rollout of the new post-16 technical qualifications has fallen […]

T-levels: The providers selected to run courses in 2022

The names of a further 88 colleges, training providers and schools chosen to deliver T-levels in the third wave of their rollout have been announced today. They will teach the new post-16 technical qualifications from September 2022 in subjects including law, engineering and manufacturing, and legal, finance and accounting. A total of 18 T-levels will […]

ESFA ‘considering’ extensions to coronavirus supplier relief schemes

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is “considering” reopening its Covid-19 supplier relief after the Cabinet Office announced the scheme will continue until October 31. The Cabinet Office’s Procurement Policy Note (PPN 02/20), which allows public authorities to pay their suppliers in advance of delivering during the coronavirus pandemic, was due to end on July […]

Worth the wait: ‘Outstanding’ grade for Riverside College

A college in Cheshire that recruits most of its students from areas of “high social and economic deprivation” is celebrating after being rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. Riverside College, which had its report published today following an 11-day inspection in February, was lauded by the education watchdog for applying a “culture of relentless self-improvement” which “permeates” […]

Senior MPs question £3m spent on UTC membership body

An influential cross-party group of MPs have raised concerns over the value for money offered by the membership body for university technical colleges, after its cost to the taxpayer reached £3 million. The public accounts committee (PAC) has today published a report following a National Audit Office (NAO) inquiry last year which laid bare the […]

AELP calls for one-off £8.6bn post-pandemic skills package

The government should set aside an extra £8.6 billion for a one-off skills package to “reboot” the economy post-Covid-19, according to the Association of Employment and Learning Providers. AELP says a large chunk – £3.6 billion – of the “costed” proposal should be spent on subsidising wages for half a million young apprentices to protect […]