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13 May 2026

Author: FE Week Reporter

Women ‘not at’ FE colleges table

More taxpayers’ cash should be spent on attracting women to college governors’ boards in a bid to combat under-representation, according to the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN). The campaign group’s chair, Sally Dicketts (pictured right) said the “magnitude of the role and the need to have the right people” meant more needed to be done to […]

January exams at centre of row with watchdog

Plans to scrap staggered A-level exams and limit resit opportunities have been branded “overzealous changes” that could “thwart” learning. The Institute for Learning (IfL) hit out after exam watchdog Ofqual announced that from September next year students in England would no longer be able to sit papers in January, and from 2014 candidates would get […]

January exams at centre of row with watchdog

Plans to scrap staggered A-level exams and limit resit opportunities have been branded “overzealous changes” that could “thwart” learning. The Institute for Learning (IfL) hit out after exam watchdog Ofqual announced that from September next year students in England would no longer be able to sit papers in January, and from 2014 candidates would get […]

Bosses to get place at heart of Richard Review

Employers are set to figure at the heart of a much-awaited review of apprenticeships, FE Week can exclusively reveal. Former Dragons’ Den star Doug Richard (pictured right), whose independent review is expected to be published by the end of the month, said he wanted to see “much more employer involvement” on apprenticeships. “I’ve been doing […]

New ofsted regime returns good news

The first general FE college inspection carried out under a new common inspection framework (CIF) has returned a good grading, while positives also emerged from the first re-inspection. Ofsted inspectors armed with the new CIF gave City College Plymouth two days’ notice for an inspection between October 1 and 5. They judged the 17,000-learner college […]

Get set, it’s time for The Skills Show

The LG Arena in Birmingham will host a glittering ceremony on Wednesday night to mark the start of the first Skills Show. Hundreds of the UK’s most talented young people will have spent the weekend cramming in a vital last bit of practice before their skills are put to the test in their bid to […]

Apprentice star advises aspiring tycoons

Television star and businesswoman Karren Brady,centreabove, hasbackedan entrepreneurship programme run by an East Midlands college. Lord Sugar’s aide on the BBC television series The Apprentice, who is also vice-chairman of West Ham Football Club, visited West Nottinghamshire College to launch a scheme in which experts coach aspiring tycoons to help them to get their business ideas off […]

SFA takes tougher line on charges

The Skills Funding Agency has “hardened it’s position” on fees charged to fully-fund- ed learners over 19. Kirsty Evans, director of funding policy at the agency, told delegates at Lsect’s autumn finance conference held at Morley College on November 6, that it now tried to avoid “might” in its documents, using “must” and “have to” […]

Celeb inventor unveils new engineering base

Celebrity engineer and inventor Dick Strawbridge was on hand to open a Yorkshire college’s new £7.5m engineering base. Kirklees College marked the opening of its state-of-the-art learning centre with fireworks, tours and demonstrations, and a guest list of careers advisers, local business men and women, students and education partners. Dick said: “Being an engineer is fundamental […]