Author: Fraser Whieldon

Delays have struck the break-up of the first college group to go insolvent owing to the “necessarily complex and resource-intensive” nature of the transaction. The transfer of Hadlow College’s home campus (pictured), West Kent and Ashford College’s Tonbridge provision and Princess Christian’s Farm facility to North Kent College was scheduled to take place on April […]

Training providers in Liverpool will continue to receive adult education payments to “provide stability and help to protect the sector during Coronavirus crisis”. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) told FE Week today it has guaranteed funding until at least the end of June, and it is “assuming” this will later be extended to July […]

The Department for Education said this week the independent report into their own oversight of college finances will be published “as soon as possible”. The former skills minister, Anne Milton, commissioned Dame Mary Ney to conduct the review after the shock collapse of the Hadlow College Group revealed serious failings by the funding body to […]

The Department for Education has suspended its new College Collaboration Fund to “help colleges focus on their staff and students’ welfare” during the coronavirus pandemic. Planned pilots for a governor recruitment scheme and board performance audits have also been paused. The £9 million collaboration fund was first unveiled last month and will allow bids of […]

An Ofsted consultation that includes plans to withhold inspection reports until complaints are resolved has been extended by four weeks. The ‘changes to Ofsted’s post-inspection processes and complaints handling: proposed improvements’ call for evidence was launched on 3 March and had a deadline of 31 March. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, the watchdog announced […]

Ofsted has paused the publication of inspection reports during the coronavirus crisis and promised that it will have “do the right thing” as its mantra going forward. Deputy director for FE and skills Paul Joyce (pictured) told an FE Week webinar on Saturday they had taken the decision because they are “well aware providers have […]

A north-west England university technical college has become the latest of its type to move towards joining a multi-academy trust – but this time the tables have turned. The leader of UTC Warrington, Lee Barber, has been appointed by the North West Academies Trust (NWAT) to be the interim headteacher of Rudheath Senior Academy, following […]

A university technical college has pulled itself out of ‘inadequate’, while two other FE providers, including an accountancy giant, slumped to the lowest rating this week. Health Futures UTC has been given a grade three, nearly two years after the 14 to 19 provider was hit with a grade four. Inspectors said it was previously […]