Jessica Hill | FE Week

Lisa O’Loughlin, principal and CEO

As Nelson and Colne College Group unveils a new identity, its leader Lisa O’Loughlin reflects on tackling illness, steering a landmark curriculum review, and why she believes FE can’t lose its heart Lisa O’Loughlin and the college group she leads have both undergone a transformation. Her organisation is changing its name from Nelson and Colne […]

Bootcamps fray and wear thin as providers begin race to the bottom

As funding pressures mount and oversight gaps widen, the long-term future of bootcamps depends on better accountability and sustained quality

Exams disadvantage the anxious and fail to prepare the crammers

Exams have long been the currency of education but in professional pathways such as HNDs this model feels increasingly outdated

We must stop chasing unicorns and start valuing sustainability

The dominance of private equity and venture capital in FE is leaving behind quality, sustainability and learners. It’s time to question the system we’ve taken for granted

Young people have spoken. Now it’s time for government to listen

The youth-led shadow curriculum and assessment review sets out 14 bold recommendations for a more inclusive, relevant and empowering education system

We’re reaching those young people who left the classroom behind

 As school avoidance and elective home education soar, thousands of young people risk falling through the cracks without qualifications. Wigan & Leigh College’s Re-Engage programme is proving there is a way back

Why we’re ditching pass/fail for bronze, silver and gold

Embedding WorldSkills UK’s excellence framework into everyday teaching helped redefine success for students who came to college with a perceived sense of failure

GCSE results expose a broken system, but adults prove what’s possible

For too many, compulsory GCSE resits are a treadmill to nowhere. Without proper investment in alternative pathways, the government’s skills agenda will remain a fantasy