Billy Camden | FE Week

Sharp rise in loans for EU students before Brexit

There was a sharp rise in the number of EU students taking up advanced learner loans this year despite the looming spectre of Brexit, government statistics show. Figures for take-up of all FE loans were released by the Department for Education last week, and the overall picture showed starts had gone up compared with the […]

Ofsted to lose £15m funding by 2020

Ofsted’s inspection budget is expected to fall by nearly £15 million over the next three years, despite more than doubling the number of providers in scope for inspection. The education watchdog released its annual report and accounts this morning. Since 2010/11, Ofsted’s financial resource has been reduced by over £54 million. It currently sits at […]

Decisiveness and clarity needed on T-Levels

As reported last week, the new Skills Minister Anne Milton is seen as a fixer, brought in to sort out the stumbling apprenticeship reforms. And this week we have revealed how DfE plans for T-Levels appear in trouble, so its little wonder Ms Milton (who is also responsible for them) has already spent so much […]

Six MPs stand for election as education committee chair

Six Conservative MPs, including three former education ministers, have been nominated to stand for election to chair the House of Commons education committee. The deadline for nominations officially passed at 3pm today, and Nick Boles, Rehman Chishti, Robert Halfon, Tim Loughton, Stephen Metcalfe and Dr Dan Poulter have officially made the ballot. The MPs had to […]

Milton visits first FE college since becoming minister

A college in the midst of completing a three-way merger was chosen by Anne Milton as her first FE provider to visit since she became skills minister. Ms Milton (pictured above right), who replaced Robert Halfon after a shock sacking last month, was given a tour last week of Surrey-based Carshalton College – which is […]

Iraqi refugee turned biomedical scientist crowned BTEC student of the year

An “inspirational” refugee student from Salford City College has been crowned ‘BTEC student of the year’ at a prestigious national awards ceremony hosted by Pearson this afternoon. The stunning Royal Horticultural Halls in London was the setting for the seventh National BTEC Awards, where 22 students, teachers and employers were singled out for excellence, from […]

Provider’s grade four imperils hundreds of learner loans

Hundreds of learners on loans-funded courses are facing an uncertain future after their training provider received the lowest Ofsted rating. Health and Fitness Education Ltd, in Lancashire, received an ‘inadequate’ across the board in a report published June 27. It delivers training in health and fitness through government-funded advanced learner loans, and had around 225 […]

Ofsted survey tools used by only 2% of learners

Two Trip Adviser-style tools for rating providers during inspections which cost Ofsted just over £90,000 to develop receive responses from just two per cent of learners on average, FE Week analysis reveals. Learner View was launched in 2012 and cost £65,000 to create. It was designed to draw together the opinions of students about their […]

Minister met with key studio school officials to discuss ‘review’ of model

Academies minister Lord Nash met with key officials from the studio schools programme to discuss a review of the model’s “concept”, new documents have indicated. The Department for Education meeting records showed that Lord Nash (pictured) met the Studio Schools Trust in March, with the purpose of the meeting listed as being “to review the […]