Jude Burke | FE Week

College slumps to ‘inadequate’ Ofsted after coming bottom in FE Week league table

The college that came out bottom in FE Week’s national college league table, unveiled just four days ago, has slumped from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ in a new Ofsted report. Hereward College was only given a grade two rating last January – but it received the lowest possible overall rating in a report out today that […]

Lauener reveals staffing levels for new Institute for Apprenticeships

Answers have finally been given to key questions over staffing levels for the new Institute for Apprenticeships. The body, which will play a key role in policing apprenticeships and technical education, will have around 90 employees once it is fully up and running. The figure was revealed by Peter Lauener (pictured), shadow chief executive of […]

FE Week’s annual charity auction raises a whopping £14,000

A last-minute donation from the new FE commissioner pushed the total money raised at the FE Week 2016 annual charity auction past £14,000 – breaking the previous record. Richard Atkins made the generous donation of £120 at the end of the event on the first evening (November 15) of the Association of Colleges conference in […]

Richard Atkins: The FE sector ‘is doing pretty well’

The FE sector is not doomed, the new commissioner has insisted during upbeat speech dismissing claims that it was “failing”. In his first major address to sector leaders since he took over from Sir David Collins in October, Richard Atkins told a packed reception for governors’ at the Association of Colleges annual conference that “the […]

Exeter College is the best college in the country, according to FE Week’s new league table

Sector leaders should expect sage advice on how to excel in all areas from the new FE Commissioner, now that his former college has come out on top in FE Week’s first ever rankings table. Exeter College, which was led by Richard Atkins CBE until he retired in March, scored a perfect 16 in our […]

Funding threshold will be extended, EFA director announces

Ministers have decided to extend the five per cent threshold of tolerance on the condition of funding rule into 2017/18 allocations, the director at the Education Funding Agency announced today. Peter Mucklow told delegates at the Association of Colleges conference this afternoon (November 16) that the decision was made in recognition of the “huge effort” […]

Reverse decline in higher level technical qualifications, demands Professor Wolf

Leading vocational education adviser Professor Alison Wolf has demanded action from the government to stem the decline in higher level technical qualifications. Her new report for the Education Policy Institute warned only 4,900 learners achieved level four awards or above under the adult education budget in 2014/5 – a 36 per cent drop on the […]

K College rescuer East Kent College in merger talks with neighbour

A college that leapt to the rescue during one of the most disastrous mergers of recent years now plans to join forces with its neighbour. East Kent College, which took on two of K College’s campuses following the latter’s meltdown in 2014, has announced plans “in principle” to join forces with Canterbury College (pictured above), […]

Institute for Apprenticeships questions dodged, says Gordon Marsden

The government’s handling of the new Institute for Apprenticeships has been “shambolic” according to shadow skills minister Gordon Marsden, after it evaded a series of parliamentary enquiries about its capacity. He says that questions he asked about staffing, resources and appointments in a letter posted on November 1 were dodged. His queries were prompted by […]