FE Week Reporter | FE Week

A capital in crisis?

Tumbling inspection grades over the last two years have begged the question ‘is London learning?’ Chris Henwood looks at what’s happening to the capital’s big colleges. Are London colleges failing city learners? It’s a simple, but critical question based on a “worrying” trend in Ofsted judgements over the last two years. Of the nine inspections […]

Priestley College cricket star to play for England

A young cricketer from Cheshire will be stepping up to the crease to play for England this month in a series of matches in South Africa. Rob Jones, 17 and from Stockton Heath, is studying BTec sports performance and excellence at Priestley College and is one of 18 boys chosen from the England Development U17s […]

Getting up to date with exams modernisation

The cost of exams is a major entry in the expenditure column of a college’s balance sheet, but, as Rob Elliott explains, moves to simplify the current FE exams process could lessen their financial impact. Different awarding bodies in the FE world currently require candidate data to be sent in a multitude of different formats […]

Work hard, play harder

The Industry Apprentice Council with FE Minister Matthew Hancock. From left: Louis Chinea, 24, Jonathan Sixsmith, 22, Drew Reidy, 20, Sam Dutton, 19, Matthew Hancock MP, David Ferguson, 21, Jordan Philips, 18, Sam Ball, 20, Jack Stearn, 19, Natalie Harris, 18, Elizabeth Moffatt, 19, James Turner, 24, John O’Driscoll and Hal Willis, both 20 Thirteen […]

ADVERTORIAL: New app helps students to learn smarter

Learning Smarter is a revolutionary new web application using the latest mobile technology to improve learners’ experience in colleges, schools and training providers. Learners use technology already in their possession – their smartphone or tablet (or any device that can access the web) – to ask and answer questions, and also to evaluate and reflect […]

Getting our priorities right

After a lukewarm reception, the guild project seems to be picking up steam. As the consultation period begins and the guild’s future hangs in the balance, Peter Davies reflects on how far they’ve come and how far they still have to go. It has been a hectic 11 weeks since the launch of the guild […]

Paul Phillips, principal, Weston College

Wrestling fan, booker of TV celebrities and former disco promoter — it’s a picture of North Somerset principal Paul Phillips that not many will recognise. Mention instead the honorary doctorate of letters from Bath Spa University for promoting higher education in FE, an Ofsted additional inspector’s post, or the 13 years he’s spent at the […]

The AELP calls for funding change

Independent learning providers are calling for an end to a dual funding system that sees them denied overpayments while colleges get to keep cash despite underdelivering on education. Graham Hoyle (pictured), chief executive at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), said he wanted to see the system changed so that either his members […]

Warning over Heseltine’s single funding pot for LEPs

Lord Heseltine’s proposal to hand-over the entire skills budget to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) could become a reality with the government having launched informal discussions. The Association of Colleges (AoC) and Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) have both been in talks with the government about LEPs, and both expressed opposition. A BIS spokesperson […]