Author: Fraser Whieldon

Students enjoyed some of their “best experiences” at the first fully virtual Natspec Games last week. Organisers are even looking at using a mix of virtual and in-person events for future games, which are run by the specialist providers’ organisation Natspec, with help from AoC Sport. Over 40 specialist colleges took part in the games, […]

A multi-million-pound redevelopment which put a college’s finances at “significant risk” has now delayed its much-needed merger. Richmond-upon-Thames College had been due to merge with HCUC (Harrow College Uxbridge College) on July 30, 2021 but announced on Tuesday this had been called off with no new date in sight. A spokesperson told FE Week the […]

More than one-third of organisations signed up to deliver apprenticeship assessments are yet to award any certificates, FE Week can reveal. A freedom of information request shows that 125 companies on the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s 324-strong end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) register have not recorded any assessments. Smaller EPAOs which spoke to FE Week […]

The government is on the hunt for local authorities to take part in a £3 million pilot to extend its “pupil premium plus” scheme into further education. Applications have opened today for the trial which will see “virtual school heads”, tasked with improving outcomes for looked-after children and care leavers, work with colleges and training […]

More than 250 students at 58 colleges will have their work on the theme of ‘Fake News’ published in a Sixth Form Colleges Association exhibition. Today has seen the launch of this year’s SFCA virtual showcase of photos and artwork by students, with the exhibition running from 1 July to 22 July. Association chief executive […]

Several major retailers have turned their backs on delivering their own apprenticeship training, with one blaming the costs of training as the reason for their exit. Sixty-four providers made “unplanned exits” from publicly funded provision in 2019/20, as revealed in the impact assessment for the government’s landmark Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, published in May. […]

Gavin Williamson has put forward his own policy adviser to be the next chief regulator of Ofqual, prompting warnings over the body’s supposed independence. The Department for Education announced last week that Dr Jo Saxton, who founded and ran the Turner Schools academy trust before moving to her current job, was the education secretary’s preferred […]

A new human resources T Level has been pulled from the flagship qualifications’ rollout after no awarding organisations could be found to develop it. An update from the Education and Skills Funding Agency today revealed development work had ceased on the T Level as of this month. “We were not able to award the contract […]