Fraser Whieldon | FE Week

Ofsted watch: Universities falter while colleges shine

Universities have stumbled this week, with one being rated ‘requires improvement’ and another losing its grade one, while colleges have excelled. Specialist college Groundwork South and North Tyneside scored a grade two, improving on the grade three from its last inspection. Inspectors were impressed with how leaders had “accelerated the pace of quality improvement” by […]

St Helens College handed financial health warning

St Helens College has been served a financial health notice to improve by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. The notice was handed after the college was assessed as having ‘inadequate’ financial health in 2017/18. St Helens College’s accounts for 2017/18 show it generated a surplus of £8.8 million, with a total income of £43 […]

Banks’ power diminished with insolvency threats – but a short-term gain for long-term pain?

Despite the lack of media attention, the government’s introduction of the college insolvency regime now being tested on Hadlow College is, as I’ve previously described, a watershed moment. What some well-placed people have since told me is that they agree the government can’t guarantee colleges survive with never-ending bailouts, but they fear the unknowns. Once […]

AoC president faces challenger for the top job

Never mind the race to become prime minister, the race to elect the next president of the Association of Colleges is where the real drama is happening. Trafford College Group principal Lesley Davies has challenged incumbent leader Steve Frampton. Frampton, the former principal of Portsmouth College, is reapplying for the role after having completed one […]

‘There’s more than one way to be a gen sec’: New UCU boss up for the challenge

The new University and College Union boss has backed herself to successfully lead the organisation despite never having run an organisation before, saying “there is more than one way to be a general secretary”. Dr Jo Grady, a former student at Wakefield College, was announced as the new leader of the UCU last month, having […]

Queen’s birthday honours 2019: Who got what in FE and skills?

Eight leading figures from the further education sector have been recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours. These include five OBEs, one CBE, an MBE, and a British Empire Medal – but no knighthoods or damehoods. One of this year’s recipients, Milton Keynes College principal Dr Julie Mills, said it was “great FE is being recognised […]

Guns, machetes and iron bars: Why Unison wants college staff trained

A union has demanded college staff be trained in how to deal with weapons-related incidents, after workers from campuses across the country reported instances of violent gang attacks, stabbings, and guns being recovered. Unison surveyed 845 support staff at FE and sixth form colleges, including canteen workers, learning support assistants and librarians, who reported how […]

Struggling national college seeks partners in order to survive

A national college is seeking partner organisations after struggling to recruit learners and scraping through 2017-18 with a government bailout of over half a million pounds. The National College Creative Industries (NCCI), which opened its doors in 2016, has become the second of the flagship institutions to require a Department for Education hand-out to sign […]

West Notts College university centre less than half-full three years after opening

A university centre at the troubled West Nottinghamshire College has had to revise down its learner growth numbers by a massive 76 per cent. A report by local enterprise partnership D2N2 reveals Vision University Centre, based on the college’s main campus in Mansfield, is aiming to increase its number of students by just 140 in […]