Author: Fraser Whieldon

More than half the providers of two care worker apprenticeship standards are decreasing their starts, or pulling the programmes altogether, due to the government’s refusal to increase their funding. That’s according to a new Association of Employment and Learning Providers survey, which says providers of the level 2 adult care worker and level 3 lead […]

With the government about to reopen the window in which sixth-form colleges can academise, Jess Staufenberg asks how the process has worked out for the first principal who did so. Matthew Grant, the principal of Priestley College in Warrington, was awoken at 7am by two texts: “Let’s do it”, was the gist of the messages […]

A college at risk of insolvency after its income halved in seven years has been handed a financial health notice to improve by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College is one of two colleges to be handed such a notice today; the other, Warrington and Vale Royal College, was […]

It’s been a week of celebrations for most providers, as nearly 40 reports have returned mainly positive results. A highlight was Lincoln UTC, which climbed from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’, but scored a grade one in three areas of its inspection. Its report reads: “The determined and ambitious leadership of the principal, senior leaders and […]

The chief executive of the Education and Training Foundation has warned that FE is on the brink of a “crisis” in leadership because of a historic lack of investment. David Russell was speaking to FE Week in an interview marking five years in post at the body which provides professional development to the sector. The […]

Apprenticeship starts for 16- to 18-year-olds have continued to fall, and level 2 starts have dropped by more than 50 per cent since the apprenticeship reforms were introduced, according to the latest government statistics. Skills minister Anne Milton said she was “pleased” that starts overall have risen by seven per cent between the first three-quarters […]

St Helens College is at “high risk of insolvency” without action to mitigate its financial position following an underfunded merger, according to an FE Commissioner report. The college did not properly predict how much money it would need for a 2017 merger with Knowsley College to form the SK Colleges Group, which was supported by […]

Quality-marking level 4 and 5 qualifications, to help boost the overlooked programmes, has become the latest addition to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s expanded remit. Education secretary Damian Hinds has announced a consultation on whether qualifications at those two levels, which are offered at universities, colleges and national colleges, should be renamed Higher […]