FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Ofsted to launch consultation on ‘satisfactory’ grade for colleges

Ofsted is to consult on replacing the ‘satisfactory’ grade with ‘requires improvement’ for FE colleges. Matthew Coffey, national director of learning and skills at Ofsted, said: “Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, announced on 17 January 2012 his intention to scrap the ‘satisfactory’ grade for school inspections and to replace it with ‘requires improvement’. “The […]

Work Programme at risk of fraud and under-delivery, say NAO

The government’s Work Programme is being exposed to fraud and will help significantly less people than expected to secure a job, a new report has revealed. The National Audit Office (NAO) says the scheme will put just over a quarter of claimants who are on Jobseekers Allowance and aged over 25 into employment, compared to […]

New register launched

The new Register of Training Organisations has been launched. It follows an extensive review and evaluation of the former Approved College and Training Organisations Register (ACTOR) during 2011. All organisations that wish to be considered for funding to deliver Education and Vocational Training Services, including European Social Funding and Apprenticeships will needto complete the Due […]

IfL begins work on commission into adult education and vocational training

The Institute for Learning (IfL) has announced a research project to help the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) prepare for an independent commission into adult education and vocational training. The institute wants 100 of its members to complete “reflective diaries” which explain how they plan for classes, meet curriculum requirements and the needs of […]

Filton College students work with charity

A college has teamed up with housing provider 1625 Independent People to solve issues for local young people. Students on Building and Construction Courses at Filton College will take on repair jobs in the charity’s properties. Groups of four or five students and their tutor will take on repair and maintenance jobs as part of […]

Success rates are due

The Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) will publish 2009/10 school and academy 16-19 qualification success rates on February 2. The 16-19 success rates show, at a headline level, the proportion of young people that start a qualification in an institution and achieve it by the end of the required period of study. This measure has […]

Merger plan unveiled

A consultation is underway for the proposed merger of Lewisham and Southwark Colleges. The document sets out an “exciting and radical vision for a college of the future” in south-east London. It adds: “Lewisham and Southwark Colleges firmly believe that by working together we will be able to get more local people into work and […]

FE seeking some stability at EMFEC Centenary celebration

EMFEC celebrated its one hundredth anniversary with an FE star-studded conference in Daventry last week. The event invited key leaders, commentators and policy makers to reflect on some of the biggest announcements made in FE recently, including the departure of Geoff Russell, chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), and Simon Waugh, chief executive […]

FE Week mini-mascot (Edition 16)

Follow the adventures of FE Week’s biggest and smallest fan! Mostly this week I have been looking for my ‘I love my duck’ book” And also you can follow our FE Week mini-mascot on Twitter @daniellinford