Author: Billy Camden

Only around a quarter of eligible training providers applied for the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s Covid-19 supplier relief scheme, FE Week analysis suggests. The agency told this newspaper today that they have received 162 applications for the extra financial support, which opened on 24 April and closed on 3 May. The figure is 22 […]

Chichester College Group has become the second general further education college to be rated ‘outstanding’ under Ofsted’s new inspection framework. The group, which formed in 2017 following mergers between Brinsbury College, Chichester College, Crawley College and then Worthing College in 2019, received grade ones across the board in a report published today following a visit […]

First year students on all two-year 16 to 19 vocational study programmes, such as BTECs, should start returning to college from 1 June alongside GCSE and A-level learners, the government has confirmed. Last night, the Department for Education released guidance on its phased approach for the wider opening of schools and colleges in the face […]

The third webcast in FE Week’s series – further education sector’s response and requirements to the coronavirus pandemic – was broadcast yesterday. It featured Shane Mann, managing director of FE Week’s publisher Lsect, in conversation about the phased reopening of colleges with two principals, Luke Rake from Kingston Maurward College and Mike Hopkins from South […]

Colleges have been asked to begin face to face teaching with students currently in their first year of sixth form from 1 June. The Department for Education tonight announced the first steps to its phased approach for the wider opening of schools, colleges and nurseries after the government published its full Covid-19 “recovery strategy” this […]

The government is considering a U-turn on its planned date to switch off old-style apprenticeship frameworks as providers raise major concerns over the deadline. Numerous training firms and colleges that spoke to FE Week warned they will have to pause starts in areas such as construction, stonemasonry, hairdressing, beauty therapy and logistic operations as they […]

A long-running adult education charity has been saved from going under after a local council agreed to a £100,000 rescue deal. The Friends Centre was on the brink of collapse after losing access to direct government skills funding, hitting repeated financial deficits and experiencing a substantial drop in cash reserves. Brighton and Hove City Council, […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is taking legal advice on whether it can intervene at new providers before Ofsted publishes their inspection reports. The watchdog paused the publication of all further education and skills reports on March 20 owing to the coronavirus pandemic, but later said it would release them sooner if requested by […]

The Department for Education has relaxed its requirement for students on traineeship programmes to record 100 hours of work experience owing to the social distancing measures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Providers will be allowed to the mark the component as complete if the trainee has completed more than 70 placement hours and they are […]