Fraser Whieldon | FE Week

Ofsted launches review into ‘very poor’ prison education

Ofsted and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons are launching a review into the “very poor state” of prison education. Chief inspector Amanda Spielman and her opposite number at the prisons inspectorate Charlie Taylor have published a joint commentary on the impact of Covid-19 on inmate learning. This is based on 25 remote visits to adult […]

‘Alarming’ lack of BAME students in first year of T Levels

Black, Asian and minority ethnic students were “alarmingly” under-represented in the first year of T Levels, FE Week can reveal. But some colleges report a rising uptake among non-white learners starting the second wave of the flagship qualifications this month. The Department for Education (DfE) told FE Week in answer to a freedom of information […]

Private providers excluded from DfE’s latest Covid safety scheme

Independent providers are outraged after the government barred them from a scheme to tackle Covid infections in education settings. After originally announcing last week “all” state-funded education settings would receive carbon dioxide monitors to improve ventilation, the Department for Education has now told FE Week that private providers will be excluded. Colleges, students of which […]

Colleges sought to create new ‘short’ courses in ‘important’ subjects

Colleges have been invited to bid for a share of a £2 million fund to develop new short higher education courses in “important” subject areas. The Department for Education has today announced 20 colleges and universities will be chosen to develop level 4 to 6 courses between six weeks and a year in STEM, healthcare, […]

WorldSkills UK finals to take place at venues across the country

More than 400 students and apprentices will take part in 64 skills competitions around the country for the WorldSkills UK national finals in November. After a year without competitions, the finalists will be competing for gold, silver and bronze medals between November 9 and 18. In contrast to previous years, where the finals have been held in Birmingham, this year the finals are going on the road to 25 […]

Sustainability issues could be prioritised in qualifications to break down barriers to teaching

How learners can protect the planet is set to be bumped up curriculums, after teachers complained the lack of such content in syllabuses stops them promoting sustainability to students. Over half of the respondents to a new survey by the Education and Training Foundation said they do not include sustainability issues in their teaching because […]

All colleges to receive carbon dioxide monitors to help ventilation

The government is going to hand out around 300,000 carbon dioxide monitors to colleges in a £25 million scheme to help improve ventilation from September. It follows pressure from unions who called for “urgent action” this week on ventilation before students return to classrooms next month. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School […]

Johnson defends ‘heroic’ Williamson as reshuffle rumours swirl

Boris Johnson has defended Gavin Williamson for doing a “heroic job” in “difficult circumstances”, amid rumours he could be replaced as education secretary. The prime minister gave his public backing to Williamson, who is one of several cabinet ministers tipped for demotion or the sack in the rumoured upcoming reshuffle. The education secretary has faced […]

DfE refuses petition’s call to back down from defunding BTECs

The Department for Education has stood firm on plans to strip public funding from a range of qualifications at level 3 in the face of a 13,000-strong petition protesting the move. The petition was started by the Sixth Form Colleges Association as part of its #ProtectStudentChoice campaign and calls on government to reverse a decision […]