Jessica Hill | FE Week

AI is moving too fast for colleges to go it alone

In FE, no single teacher, regulator or IT lead can keep pace with AI’s risks and opportunities. But together through communities of practice, we can cut through the noise and turn uncertainty into practical guidance

Scrapping AGQs will create a qualification black hole

By banning AGQs, ministers risk pushing thousands of young people out of education and employers into a skills crisis

When is a pass not a pass? When the system says so

Our obsession with the grade 4 ‘good pass’ is blinding us to the achievements of those hitting grades 1–3, often against far greater challenges

Forget the gloom, T Levels are turning a corner

Breaking the 90 per cent pass rate barrier, the falling drop-out rate and some excellent destinations are proving the value of T Levels as a serious rival to A Levels

We still need to tackle the high T Level dropout rate

Rising retention rates are welcome but with one in four T level students still quitting early, this flagship qualification is far from plain sailing

SEND colleges deserve better than off-the-shelf design standards

How can building design uplift neurodivergent students? We’ve identified key gaps in the government’s design guidance for SEND colleges, and proved that change is possible with thoughtful solutions

Skills England’s right about the shortages, but who will pay?

Skills England’s latest report maps UK skills gaps but without funding and action, its recommendations risk gathering dust says Heather Akehurst

Learning unlocked: The rise of functional skills in prisons

Nearly half of prisoners arrive without qualifications, yet functional skills achievements in prisons are rising fast through a blend of AI-driven assessment and tailored digital learning

Serious about productivity? Then get serious about R&D in FE

In Canada, a CEO recently told me that for every dollar invested in research and development (R&D) in colleges, on average five come back in return. Unlike in Australia and the UK where avenues for such investment are limited, Canada seems to have gotten the memo on the value of R&D in further education. For […]