Colleges, Long read

Topping the Bill

Chief executive Bill Jones tells of his route to Luminate’s top job via TEFL training, how the group is...

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
Colleges

Colleges are losing students in the system

When colleges miss their enrolment targets, the usual assumption is weak demand. More often, the problem may be a...

Jessica Hill
Antony Wambua
Adult education

FE is the missing partner in social prescribing

FE institutions are rebuilding confidence, reducing isolation and supporting wellbeing every day, yet they remain largely invisible in health...

Jessica Hill
Dipa Ganguli
The Staffroom - opinion

A night in the cells set students free to play and make connections

A criminology residential in a preserved Victorian prison revealed something unexpected: when teenagers are given space to play, connection,...

Jessica Hill
Grace England
FE workforce

Colleges could pay teachers more but are choosing not to

The pay gap with schoolteachers is often blamed on funding but colleges need to confront uncomfortable truths about how...

Jessica Hill
Ian Pryce
Opinion

‘Computer says no’ is a huge concern among young people

AI may promise efficiency, but many job candidates fear it’s a barrier that shuts down opportunity and stops employers...

Jessica Hill
Raya Wexler
Ofsted

‘Meets expectations’ isn’t good enough if old mindset persists

Scrapping the overall effectiveness judgment was meant to reduce inspection pressure but people are wrongly translating the new framework

Jessica Hill
Lou Doyle
Apprenticeships

We must measure what matters in this new era of AI upskilling

While the government is finally starting to meet apprenticeship needs on AI, outdated assessment measures risk holding back progress...

Jessica Hill
Euan Blair
Long read, Young people

How one FE college is turning the tide on NEETs

Jessica Hill visits a former branch of Debenhams, where Blackburn College has created the Launchpad hub to re-engage the...

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill