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8 June 2026

Army recruits (again): IfA appoints deputy director to oversee T-levels

The Institute for Apprenticeships has appointed yet another military person to its leadership team – and they’ve been given the unenviable task of running T-levels. Carmel Grant OBE, who had been the head of army reform at the Ministry of Defence since January 2016, has taken on the role of deputy director of technical education […]

Fresh trouble for NCG as its flagship free school is forced to close

A free school sponsored by England’s largest college group, and which is led by some of its top people, is closing down. The Discovery School in Newcastle, which cost £9 million to set up, opened in 2014. It will shut this year over “capability and capacity issues” that have concerned ministers. Last July, the school […]

Highbury College tumbles two grades from ‘outstanding’

Highbury College has dropped two grades from ‘outstanding’ in an Ofsted report that brands its teaching “uninspiring” and raises concern over low attendance. The verdict was a serious blow to a heavily criticised leadership team led by Stella Mbubaegbu (pictured above), who maintains that the college has “already embarked on our journey back to ‘outstanding’”. […]

Keeping Carillion apprentices gainfully employed cost the government £3m

Finding new work for apprentices left jobless in the wake of the collapse of Carillion cost the government around £3 million, a National Audit Office report has revealed. A total of 1,148 trainee bricklayers, carpenters and builders suddenly found themselves out of work when the outsourcing giant went into liquidation on January 15. A rescue […]

DfE exceeds 2.3% public sector apprenticeships target

The Department for Education exceeded its own target for recruiting apprentices last year. Ever since the apprenticeship levy was launched last April, public-sector bodies have been obliged to make sure at least 2.3 per cent of their workforce start and apprenticeship every year. One year on and the DfE has met the target and then […]

London mayor’s skills strategy signals funding switch from qualifications to job outcomes

London will shift its adult education budget payment model away from funding qualifications towards wider outcomes such as progression into work, its first ever skills strategy has confirmed. The mayor Sadiq Khan unveiled the final plan in the launch of his ‘Skills for Londoners’ strategy today, ahead of the Greater London Authority’s takeover of the […]

ESFA to consult on ‘new’ register of apprenticeship training providers

The government is preparing to launch its consultation on the design and development of the revamped register of apprenticeship training providers. Employers and providers have been denied the opportunity to win a place on to RoATP ever since the third and most recent application window shut at the end of October. The application process has […]

London mayor to use AEB top-slice to lobby for more powers

A £3 million department created by the Greater London Authority using part of the capital’s adult education budget will also be used to lobby for control of 16-to-18 funding. The plans were revealed in a job description for one of the top roles in the new AEB team, seen by FE Week, and have attracted […]