Author: Billy Camden

The government appears to have broken its own rules in its Institutes of Technology competition, by putting NCG through to the final bidding round despite the group’s grade three Ofsted rating. An update about the IoTs process was published yesterday which stated the Department for Education has now sent “interim guidance” about the next stage […]

Ofqual will soon begin auditing apprenticeship end-point assessment organisations to find out how they are mitigating risks around the capacity and capability of assessors. The exams regulator today confirmed its approach to its external quality assurance of EPAs, by publishing a final set of rules. The conditions and guidance, which come into force tomorrow, will […]

Over three quarters of a million pounds will be invested in colleges over the next two years to engage inactive students in sport and physical activity. AoC Sport announced today that Sport England will devote the sizeable chunk of its National Lottery funding to colleges from September 1, 2018 until August 31, 2020. It will […]

Training providers will have their European Social Fund cash protected until the end of 2020, even if a “no-deal” Brexit is reached. Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured) made the promise today that any funding that organisations secure through EU programmes will be “guaranteed” by the UK government until that date. It was always the case that […]

The Department for Education has this morning published its annual report, revealing payoffs, various bonuses and millions in unrecoverable debt. The accounts sets out the expenditure and performance of the department over the period April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. FE Week has the main findings:   1. Hinds’ ministerial direction ‘demonstrated strong commitment’ […]

An independent specialist college showed the best of FE this week as it maintained its ‘outstanding’ rating, but the worst of the sector was also displayed when a private provider was branded ‘inadequate’. Foxes Academy, based in Somerset, was given a grade one across the board for the third time since 2007, in a report […]

The Department for Education spent more than £90 million on university technical college and studio school projects that went on to fail, new data shows. The government updated its register of capital spending on free schools, which includes the acquisition and construction costs for the 14 to 19 technical institutions. Analysis of the data shows […]

The government has watered down a number of rules in its procurement process for T-levels following outcry from the sector – but it’s unlikely to appease the Federation of Awarding Bodies’ legal action. The draft invitation to tender for awarding organisations was published by the Department for Education today. It follows two market engagement events […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has this afternoon published its annual report for 2017-18, revealing huge bailouts, questionable bonuses and resource issues. This is the first set of accounts for the agency, which formed last April, bringing together the Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency. FE Week has the main findings:   The […]