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15 May 2026

Author: Billy Camden

Government silent on adult skills behavioural research centre funding

The government is refusing to say whether more funding will be given to two “pioneering” FE research centres after their start-up grants end shortly. The Behavioural Research Centre for Adult Skills and Knowledge was given £2.9 million by the former Department for Business Innovation and Skills back in 2014, to carry out randomised control trails […]

Banned subcontracting hidden through widespread ‘associate partnerships’

Colleges and training providers are hiding banned subcontracting through the use of so-called ‘associate partnerships’, FE Week can reveal – potentially allowing millions of pounds-worth of public funds to change hands without proper scrutiny. A recent Ofsted report has for the first time listed “training provided by an associate partner” as an arrangement not “sanctioned […]

Shocking associate partnerships need to be tackled

It is clear the SFA crackdown on subcontracting is increasingly pushing it underground. Our findings this week on the rise of this hidden subcontracting have genuinely shocked me. Some will try to claim ‘associate partnerships’ aren’t subcontracting because it is no different from using a recruitment agency to source a trainer. This is nonsense, given […]

Another 100 students left with FE loans and no courses after demise of provider Edudo

Another 100 learners appear to have been left with heavy student loans debt but no qualifications to show for it, after their training provider under investigation by the Skills Funding Agency went bust. FE Week is demanding justice for them and hundreds of others left in the lurch – through our new #SaveOurAdultEducation campaign which […]

Ofsted watch: FE college overcomes ‘inadequate’ period

An FE college has climbed its way out of being ‘inadequate’ while an adult and community learning provider and a private provider boosted their provision upwards to ‘good’ in this week’s Ofsted reports. City College Coventry was rated ‘requires improvement’ in a report published Wednesday (February 22) following an ‘inadequate’ grade in November 2015. While […]

BREAKING: London area review reports and recommendations published

This afternoon the Department for Education published the reports and recommendations for the four London reviews in the area reviews process. London was split into four sub-reviews, two of which were originally part of wave two, but were put back to coordinate with the other two reviews in wave three. Download links below: West London […]

Principal racked up £60k bill on overseas trips

A former principal spent more than £60,000 on worldwide recruitment trips but it’s unclear if he managed to persuade a single overseas student to join his London college, it has been revealed. Kensington and Chelsea College spent tens of thousands of pounds on jetting Mark Brickley (pictured above), who unexpectedly resigned last November, on eight […]

Lord Baker scored a victory for FE

Lord Baker deserves a big pat on the back for his victory in the House of Lords this week. The Baker Clause, as it will inevitably come to be known, will force the hand of many in schools that are clearly biased against post-16 skills training. They haven’t done enough to steer students more suited […]

Ofsted watch: week of two halves for FE providers

In a week of two halves, a private training provider plummeted from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ in one of Ofsted’s most damning reports ever, while the first FE college to open in over 20 years was finally graded ‘good’. Platinum Employment Advice & Training Limited received the lowest Ofsted grade across the board, with inspectors finding […]