Jude Burke | FE Week

Hull College overspent by almost £10 million in 2016/17, overdue accounts reveal

Cash-strapped Hull College overspent by even more in 2016/17 than the previous year, according to its recently published and long-overdue accounts. The college, which reportedly received a massive £54 million government bailout earlier this year in order to balance the books, recorded a deficit before tax of £9.69 million in 2016/17 – an increase of […]

Baker clause update: DfE gears up to start ‘direct intervention’ as minister encourages providers to grass on schools

The Department for Education is threatening “direct intervention” from September at schools that are failing to open their doors to FE providers, as part of a crackdown on non-compliance with the controversial ‘Baker clause’. At the same time skills minister Anne Milton (pictured above), writing for FE Week, is encouraging providers to grass on schools […]

Ofsted watch: A ‘reasonable’ week for new apprenticeship providers

It’s been a ‘reasonable’ week for FE and skills, as two ‘new’ apprenticeship providers have been given the thumbs up following monitoring visits. Employer provider Flight Centre (UK) Limited was found to be making ‘reasonable progress’ in all areas under review in a report published August 3 and based on a visit in mid-July. The […]

Ofsted: more cash needed before campus-level inspections become reality

Ofsted is keen to introduce campus-level inspections but would need more cash from the Department for Education before they could become a reality, FE Week can reveal. On Wednesday the DfE confirmed it would introduce campus-level performance reporting from next year, following a consultation earlier this year. Ofsted’s response to the consultation, seen exclusively by […]

The ‘transformational bridge’ of continued adult education

Everyone, from business people to politicians agree that infrastructure makes a huge difference to economic performance. Digital, transport links and R & D are all considered as central to the future of British business and all have powerful and visible lobby groups to make their case to government for both regional and national investment. One […]

Ofsted criticised for allowing college mergers to be excuse for turning a blind eye to failure

The chair of the influential education select committee has called on Ofsted to “learn the lessons” from Learndirect, after an FE Week investigation found failing colleges that still hadn’t been visited by the education watchdog a year after they merged. Mid-Cheshire College, rated ‘inadequate’ for the second time in a row in May 2017, merged […]

IfA quality committee fears conflict of interest the ‘biggest risk’, newly published documents reveal

Conflicts of interest are the “biggest risk” to the effectiveness of external quality assurance, the Institute for Apprenticeships has admitted. Employer groups developing apprenticeship standards name the organisation to deliver this service, but so far just a quarter – 10 out of 40 – of those chosen have been approved by the IfA. The body’s […]

August is key merger month amid 17 partnerships for 2018

A partnership that was bitterly opposed by a local council, and the first university-college link-up in six years, are among four mergers set to go through on August 1. They are among 17 partnerships due to be formalised this year, despite Ofsted’s recent warning that bigger colleges are not always better. Financially stricken Epping Forest […]

Ofsted watch: Three ‘new’ apprenticeship providers make reasonable progress

Three ‘new’ apprenticeship providers have been found to be making ‘reasonable progress’ in all areas, while an adult and community learning provider has held onto its grade two rating this week. Monitoring visit reports into apprenticeship providers SIGTA Limited, FWD Training and Consultancy and Northwest Education and Training Limited were all published this week, with […]