Author: Jude Burke

The government has said that it will address recommendations made by a parliamentary committee that found evidence of “unacceptable” bullying of transgender adult learners. The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee’s Transgender Equality report, published on Thursday (January 14), called on the government to take action in a number of areas, including post-school education, […]

An ongoing dispute over a Hampshire college’s VAT rebate that has “a potentially wide impact” has gone all the way to the European courts, after a third visit to the courtroom failed to resolve the college’s battle with the taxman. The European Court of Justice will now decide whether supplies for Brockenhurst College’s training restaurant, […]

The government was today still unable to say how small businesses who don’t pay into the apprenticeship levy would access funding for the programme — despite them delivering more than 90 per cent of all apprenticeships. From April 2017, employers will have to pay 0.5 of their pay roll costs to the apprenticeship levy, the […]

The government’s area reviews of post-16 education and training are already running behind schedule, with the government accused of working to an “unrealistic” timetable. According to the government’s own published guidance, the first wave of reviews in Birmingham and Solihull, Greater Manchester, and Sheffield City region, which began in early September, ought to be wrapping […]

A college has turned to its county council for a £700,000 loan to help address a “need for short-term cashflow support”. A Carlisle College spokesperson told FE Week on Tuesday (January 5) that the loan from Cumbria County Council would be repaid “in May 2016”. The announcement prompted general secretary of the Association of School […]

Summer exams will be affected by the timing of Ramadan for the next four years, with GCSE re-sits compounding the issue for colleges, a senior exams officer has warned. Andrew Harland, chief executive of the Exam Officers’ Association (pictured above), said the summer exam period was expected to clash every year between now and 2019 […]

Seventeen general FE colleges and six sixth form colleges (SFCs) will be included in the first two “sub-regional” area reviews of post-16 education and training in London, it was announced today. The two reviews, in London (Central) and London (West), are the first of four London reviews to be announced and are expected to get […]

A new interim principal will take the reins at troubled City College Coventry early next month. Dr Elaine McMahon (pictured above) will start in the role at the 5,944-learner college on January 4. She will take over from current principal Steve Logan, who has spent just 18 months in the post. The change is set […]