Author: Jude Burke

The first ever standalone university technical college (UTC) to be hit with a financial improvement notice must draw up a recovery plan and explain how it will increase student numbers. The notice to Daventry UTC was sent to trust chair Professor Nick Petford on April 14, but was only officially published by the Education Funding […]

A second standalone university technical college (UTC) has been handed a financial notice to improve over an “apparent loss of financial control”. The notice to Buckinghamshire UTC was sent to interim principal Tony Withell on May 5 and published by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) today (May 13). It was issued as a result of […]

The apprenticeship levy could be used to train the next generation of Church of England (CoE) vicars. The CoE is in talks with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) about how it can use its levy funding, it has told FE Week. The move comes after second church estates commissioner Caroline Spelman told […]

A college hit with two inadequate Ofsted ratings in three years has been told by Skills Minster Nick Boles that it is “failing too many of its students”, following an FE Commissioner report. Dr David Collins’ team visited City College Coventry in February, following its most recent Ofsted inspection in November. The report, dated April […]

Bridgwater College in Somerset is the latest new member of the 157 Group, it has been revealed this morning. The announcement was made by the college group via Twitter at 11am, and brings the total number of members to 32. Bridgwater is the sixth college to have signed-up since 157 Group exclusively revealed its expansion […]

Two sixth form colleges have joined forces in what they claim is the first merger of its kind in 18 years. The formal merger between Prior Pursglove College in North Yorkshire and Stockton Sixth Form College in Stockton-on-Tees went through on May 1. The combined institution is now called Prior Pursglove and Stockton SFC (PPSSFC). […]

A struggling college is in danger of becoming the third in London to be placed into administered status by the FE Commissioner, according to the latest intervention report. Dr David Collins’ team visited Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College (EHWLC) in December, after the college had been rated inadequate by Ofsted following an inspection in […]

A fourth university technical college (UTC) has announced it will be shutting its doors due to low student numbers. UTC Lancashire said in a statement on May 3 it would close for good at the end of this term — just three years after it opened — due to difficulties in enrolling enough students “to […]

More than 50 MPs have urged Chancellor George Osborne to clarify VAT rules that could see sixth form colleges (SFCs) who convert to academy status being hit with even larger tax bills. Mr Osborne announced in his November budget speech that SFCs could convert to academy status “so they no longer have to pay VAT”. […]