Opinion

Post-16 reforms could worsen the NEET problem, not solve it

ITPs provide courses that work for students who have struggled in education – they must be protected in the...

Jessica Hill
Stuart Allen
The Staffroom - opinion

I’m squinting at the future but my vision remains out of focus

We teachers need to admit we don’t know what upheaval AI will unleash – will the subjects that we...

Jessica Hill
David Murray
Colleges

Leader wellbeing is central to the success of our college students

Technical CPD alone won’t sustain a workforce navigating funding pressures, safeguarding complexities and rising SEND. Colleges must rebuild leadership...

Jessica Hill
Dr Sam Parrett and Andy Wolfe
Skills England

Without real teeth, Skills England risks drifting off course

It has a capable chair and a credible start. But unless ministers give it teeth, funding and genuine...

Jessica Hill
John Cope
Skills reform

For Skills England to succeed, the sector must lead

Skills England is already on borrowed time, because no quango survives the churn of Westminster. If the sector wants...

Jessica Hill
Mark Dawe
Colleges

To lead on inclusion, FE needs more neurodiverse thinkers at its top tables

If the sector wants innovation, empathy and resilience, it must open the door to the leaders who think differently

Jessica Hill
Imran Mir
digital skills

We’re training brilliant digital talent only for employers to overlook them

While ITPs race ahead on AI, skills and retraining, hiring practices remain stuck in the past

Jessica Hill
Ben Cheema
Colleges

A volunteer-led approach could break the resit failure cycle  

The new 100-hour rule for English and maths may increase teaching time, but without personalised support, it won’t shift...

Jessica Hill
Tim Dalton
NEETs

The NEET crisis won’t be solved by fashionable theories

Billions in piecemeal initiatives won’t reverse youth inactivity, and claims of ‘deficit thinking’ risk obscuring what’s actually happening. Only...

Jessica Hill
Alun Francis