Nick Linford | FE Week

WonderWalsall

The first general FE college to achieve an outstanding grade under Ofsted’s tough new inspection regime has been announced. Walsall College, in the West Midlands, won glowing praise from the education watchdog across its headline fields. Its success means the college is also the first to get a published Ofsted report with outstanding for teaching […]

Halesowen staff escalate action

Halesowen College staff have pledged to boycott lesson observations as four sacked staff announced they were taking the college to an employment tribunal. The University and College Union (UCU) said that from today around 60 of their members at the college, near Birmingham, would snub “anything to do with lesson observations” as the row over […]

Colleges keep sign–off on 16 to 18 provision

The government has clarified its position on local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) after FE leaders were left scratching their heads after what one sector leader called “bizarre” official advice. The confusion revolves around the extent to which LEPs had sign-off on 16 to 18 provision. On Monday, March 18, the government said that “all FE learning […]

Scrabble to rename the FE Guild

The proposed FE Guild could have a different name by the time it is launched in August. Peter Davies, who heads a project helping to shape the guild, said a survey was set up after consultation revealed that more than 60 per cent of respondents did not like the original title. He said that many […]

Funding protection outlined by Skills Funding Agency

The Skills Funding Agency has announced more detail on a measure to protect providers from potentially huge drops in funding under a new payments regime. The agency revealed that it would be acting to stop providers’ funding dropping by more than 3 per cent in the next academic year. Agency payments for delivering qualifications under […]

‘Inadequate’ grading triggers government funding threat

City of Liverpool College could have its funding withdrawn after falling from outstanding to the lowest Ofsted grade of inadequate. The Skills Funding Agency and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said they were “considering action” in response to the 17,000-learner college’s inspection result. Options listed in the agency’s Provider Risk Assessment and […]

Effective Leadership and Governance supplement

Download your free copy of the FE Week 16 page special supplement on effective leadership and governance, sponsored by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS). Click here to download (18mb) Introduction College leaders operate in an ever–changing world against which they must act predictively and react prudently. From considerations surrounding the new student intake […]

Government launch consultation in response to Richard Review

The government has today published their response to the Richard Review in a “plan to redefine apprenticeships”, starting with a formal consultation. The document, The Future of Apprenticeships in England: Next Steps from the Richard Review, comes four months after Doug Richard’s independent review of apprenticeships, and asks 24 questions. Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “These plans will radically change […]

Richard Marsh, director, National Apprenticeship Service

Richard Marsh remembers his first job well. “It was the Eighties, just after the Berlin Wall had come down, and loads of construction work was being done,” he says of working in post-Cold War Germany. “I was part of a roving gang of builders, tarmacking roads and improving infrastructure, which felt a bit like an […]