Billy Camden | FE Week

Hope for ESFA cap on subcontracting management fees ‘kicked into the long grass’

The government’s decision about introducing a cap on subcontracting management fees has been “kicked into the long grass” – delaying any verdict until at least the end of 2018. An update about the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s approach to top-slicing was published this afternoon after FE Week revealed on Friday it was getting ready […]

Sector leaders unite against T-level plans that would force students to wait a year for a retake

Sector leaders have urged Ofqual to reconsider its proposal to only allow T-level exams in the summer, as it means students would have to wait a whole year for retakes. One representative body warned the plan represents a “significant capacity risk for the whole exam system” while also being “overly burdensome” on learners. Ofqual received […]

ESFA set to rule on calls for a subcontracting management fee cap

The Education and Skills Funding Agency will imminently publish its first ever policy for management fees in subcontracting – but it is unlikely to enforce a hard cap, FE Week understands. The announcement, which could come as soon as this afternoon, will be the outcome of the agency’s review into top-slicing which got underway in […]

AEB devolution plan to link job outcomes with funding will require more robust learner destination data

Sadiq Khan is demanding London’s training providers collect more robust learner destination data as he ploughs ahead with plans to switch their adult education funding model to payment by results. But in recognising this action could impact on the resources available in colleges and other providers, the mayor is looking at establishing an “outcomes development […]

Education secretary ‘welcomes’ awarding bodies decision to withdraw T-levels legal challenge

Damian Hinds has “welcomed” the Federation of Awarding Bodies decision to drop its legal challenge against the government’s implementation of T-levels. In his reaction to the news that was revealed by FE Week this morning, the education secretary promised to “continue to have constructive discussions” with exam boards to make technical education “better for the […]

Exclusive: T-level legal challenge dropped after DfE offer to ‘re-set the relationship’ with awarding bodies

The Federation of Awarding Bodies has dropped its legal challenge against the government’s T-level implementation plans – paving the way for the planned rollout in 2020, FE Week can reveal. The decision, which came about after the Department for Education offered to “re-set the relationship” with awarding bodies, was revealed in a letter sent to […]

FE could face MORE budget cuts despite hopes for more cash

The FE sector could be in for another shattering round of funding cuts, after the chancellor reportedly told ministries without protected budgets to find savings. Philip Hammond (pictured) wants various Whitehall departments including further education to work with the Treasury over the summer to find areas for reduction ahead of next year’s spending review, according […]

DfE ploughs ahead with plans for college campus performance reporting

The Department for Education will go ahead with proposals to strengthen performance reporting for colleges that are part of a group or have multiple sites, it confirmed today. It means that from next year data on the performance of individual institutions or sites within mega-colleges will be made available – potentially paving the way for […]

Almost 350 Carillon apprentices to lose wage support

Nearly 350 former Carillion apprentices will have their wage support cut off next month after being made redundant. The government’s official receiver overseeing the liquidation revealed yesterday that 356 people will be leaving the business, 341 of which are apprentices. It means attempts to find new work for nearly a third (30 per cent) of […]