Author: Fraser Whieldon

The last campuses of the first colleges to go into administration have been taken over by a new provider, following multiple delays. Hadlow College, its facility for people with learning difficulties Princess Christian Farm, its equestrian centre in Greenwich, and the Tonbridge campus of West Kent and Ashford College (WKAC) were transferred to North Kent […]

Exams regulator Ofqual has cancelled a meeting with the Association of Colleges amid chaos and widespread anger over the awarding and appeals process for A-level and GCSE results.  This morning’s meeting was called off while the independent watchdog and the Department for Education are fighting a wave of public anger after many students’ saw the […]

The exams regulator sensationally removed its guidance on mock exam appeals just hours after first publishing it – claiming the policy is now being “reviewed”. On Saturday afternoon, Ofqual published the eight criteria that mock exam grades must meet to be deemed valid and used as part of appeals for downgraded pupils. However the guidance […]

An Ofqual adviser has broken ranks to brand the handling of this year’s results as an “absolute shambles”, suggesting the only solution to quell the growing outrage may be to award pupils their teacher grades. Professor Rob Coe, who sits on the regulator’s standards advisory committee, told the Radio 4 Today programme the awarding of […]

The Office for Students has lost a Court of Appeal case over its decision to refuse a provider admission to its register of English higher education providers.  The decision to refuse Bloomsbury Institute meant it was denied access to HE public grant and student support funding, could not recruit international students, nor apply for degree […]

New rules on funding 19 to 24 year-olds completing traineeships have been released by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, after the government announced a £111 million boost for the ‘proven’ programme.  Guidance around initiatives announced by the ESFA last month, such as cutting the hours for the programme’s mandatory work placement from 100 to […]

The government may face legal action on behalf of students affected by this year’s A-levels debacle. At least two legal challenges are in the early stages of being mounted, following upset across England in response to grades issued yesterday. It comes after the Equalities and Human Rights Commission warned it may intervene following a day […]