FE Week Reporter | FE Week

Students tackle radio advert competition

A team of creative media production students from Cheshire are set to take the airwaves by storm after winning a competition to produce a radio advert for a local rugby team. Final year Macclesfield College students Matt Turner, Adam Holmes, Luke Crawforth, all 17 and Mark Taylor, 19, took first place in the ‘U-Create’ competition […]

Young diver wins big down under

A young diver from London made a splash in Sydney winning three bronze medals with team GB in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. Georgia Ward, 17 and from Perivale, claimed medals in individual 10m platform, 10m synchronised platform and 3m synchronised springboard. Georgia, who studies BTec National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science at Uxbridge […]

Drawing support for epilepsy charity

Oodles of doodles were created by learners in Wales who put pen to paper to raise money for epilepsy sufferers. Students at Coleg Gwent raised £70 for Epilepsy Action by taking part in national Doodle Day. Doodlers donated a pound and produced a range of imaginative designs, from patterns and cartoon characters to animal sketches […]

Making waves to create opportunities

Employability skills learners in Cornwall took to the high seas to develop their teamwork, confidence and skills base by building a traditional boat. The group of unemployed people worked as a crew over five days to build a small coracle as part of a programme run by Cornwall College’s Work Skills Training Academy, Job Centre […]

Best foot forward for MidKent learners

Kent health and social care students began moving to a Latin beat when their lecturer persuaded them to shake it up with Zumba. MidKent College learners were introduced to the energetic South American dance-inspired exercise by their lecturer Caroline Lee-Abraham, after she learned that many of her students did little to no physical exercise. Caroline […]

Talented learners rocking all over the world

Young musicians from Derbyshire have hit the right note after battling it out to win the national final of the School Jam UK. Indie rock band Indigo Sky, made up of Burton and South Derbyshire College music learners Ashley Hubbard, 18, Laura Edwards, Alex Raworth, Huw Griffiths, and Chloe Freer, all 17, wowed judges with […]

FE is at risk of getting left behind in the digital dust

With advancements in technology, FE has moved on, too – not that you’d be too aware of that if you were a visitor to this year’s Bett show, argues Bob Harrison. It was a promising start to my 12th Bett (formerly British Educational Training and Technology) conference. Following Business Secretary Vince Cable opening the show […]

Rising to the challenges we all face

Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw had some tough words for FE at a recent Education Select Committee hearing, and while some of his comments may not have been well-received, that’s no reason to be dismissive says Lynne Sedgmore. I speak frequently with Ofsted during these delicate and complex times. I believe all colleges set out […]

New funding reform ‘is a real nightmare’

A bill setting out exciting aspirations for people with special educational needs (SEN) could be stymied by funding reforms warns Alison Boulton. Launching the Children and Families Bill this month, Children’s Minister Edward Timpson said the intention was to create a system that put children, parents and young people in the driving seat. Legislation that […]