Jude Burke | FE Week

Movers and shakers: Edition 257

Your weekly guide to who’s new and who’s leaving Paul Wakeling, interim principal, Havering College Start date: October 1 2018 Previous job: Principal and chief executive, Havering Sixth Form College (he remains in post) Interesting fact: Paul’s hobby is long distance walking: when he was 14, he convinced his parents to let him disappear for days, then weeks […]

Have hopes for the new national colleges been derailed?

Nearly three years ago the government pledged to create five national colleges that would train more than 20,000 students between them by 2020. Over the weekend one of these, the National College for High Speed Rail, hit the headlines after it emerged it had just 93 learners last year. That prompted FE Week to take […]

Ofsted watch: A mostly positive week for FE and skills

It’s been a mostly positive week for FE and skills, with one provider receiving a grade two on its first ever full inspection and five early monitoring visit reports returning ‘reasonable’ grades. The only blemishes on this otherwise glowing picture are two apprenticeship providers found to be making ‘insufficient’ progress. Leaders at independent learning provider […]

Colleges to march on parliament in funding protest

Up to 3,000 people are expected to march on parliament on Wednesday to demand more funding for colleges. The march for FE, organised by the University and College Union in partnership with the National Union of Students and the Association of Colleges, is the main event taking place during Colleges Week, from October 15 to […]

Major subcontractor heavily criticised in ‘insufficient’ Ofsted monitoring visit report

A major subcontractor has been heavily criticised in a new apprenticeship provider Ofsted monitoring visit report that found it to be making ‘insufficient progress’ in all areas under review. Cumbria-based NC Training started delivering levy-funded apprenticeships in July 2017, but also held eight subcontracts worth £1.6 million last year. The verdict means it can expect […]

UCU follows Scottish government in paying for sanitary products for learners

A local University and College Union branch has become the first in the country to offer college learners free sanitary products, as union leaders call on the government to do more to tackle period poverty. The campaign at Newcastle College is the first at an English college, and follows a successful fight in Scotland – […]

We need more core funding not ‘initiative mania’, sector leaders tell MPs

Sector leaders have made an impassioned plea to MPs for the government to “stop the initiative mania” and focus on core funding ahead of the Budget day later this month. Representatives from the Sixth Form Colleges Association, the Association of Colleges and the National Union of Students were giving evidence to the education select committee’s […]

Parliamentary petition launched calling for sustainable college funding

A new parliamentary petition calling for college funding to be increased to “sustainable levels” has been launched today. Its creation comes ahead of Colleges Week, a week of action and events across the country demanding greater government investment in colleges. “We call on the government to urgently increase college funding to sustainable levels, including immediate […]

Kick poor-performing new providers off RoATP, education committee urges

Poor-performing apprenticeship providers should be kicked off the government’s register – not just barred from taking on new starts, the education select committee has urged. It made the call in its new report, ‘The apprenticeships ladder of opportunity: quality not quantity’, published today, based on the findings of its recent inquiry. The report outlines a […]