Nick Linford | FE Week

Were college’s students told cladding on halls of residence ‘failed’ a fire safety test?

The cladding at a college’s halls of residence for students under the age of 18, the type used on the Grenfell Tower, failed a safety test several months ago. But speaking to FE Week the chair of governors “can’t remember” and a spokesperson “declined to comment” on whether the board or resident students were ever […]

Don’t blame providers for the levy’s unintended consequences

Apprenticeships may have cleared one storm, but new clouds are already gathering on the horizon. Simon Ashworth charts the troubled seas that could sway ESFA apprenticeships director Keith Smith’s appearance at the AELP autumn conference on Tuesday I can see the headlines now: “Apprentices let down by poorly performing providers”, providing meat and drink for […]

Revealed: More than one in ten colleges lose cash under controversial English and maths condition-of-funding rules

Twenty three of the 171 (13 per cent) colleges have been stripped of £1,468,934 in their funding allocation due to the controversial English and maths condition-of-funding rule, according to new government figures. A further 46 private providers (38 per cent) lost £495,133 and 24 UTCs and Studio Schools (32 per cent) lost £411,777. But the […]

Monthly apprenticeships update: July starts up just 2% on last year

Apprenticeship starts for the month of July 2019 are up just 2 per cent on the previous year and 5 per cent higher for the full year. The figures published this morning show 25,700 starts in July compared to 25,200 the previous year. Provisional starts for the full 2018/19 year are 21 per cent down […]

Principal goes on ‘leave of absence’ at college under investigation for nepotism and ‘financial wrongdoing’

The principal and chief executive at a college under investigation for nepotism and ‘financial wrongdoing’ is now on a ‘leave of absence’, FE Week can reveal. Hull College Group has confirmed that Michelle Swithenbank is no longer running the college. It is understood that the FE Commissioner, Richard Atkins, visited the college following the revelation […]

DfE reveals who will be allowed to deliver T-levels in 2022 – but there is a catch

[UPDATE: Following this story the DfE changed its guidance to state that providers selected to deliver T-levels from 2022 will be able to offer the T-levels introduced in that year, as well as those rolled out in 2020 and 2021.] The Department for Education has this morning revealed what it will take to join the […]

Does the FE funding boost mean colleges can afford to increase wages?

After mounting pressure (from all quarters) to invest in further education, the new chancellor today announced an extra £400 million for further education in the next financial year. Nick Linford crunches the numbers to see just how big a deal this is, starting with the rise in the base rate. The Treasury took the lead […]

Meet the Government’s college finance Tsar who – like the NAO – will review DfE monitoring

The Government today announced Dame Mary Ney will lead a review into the way the Department for Education monitors college finances and financial management. In May the then Skills Minister, Anne Milton, told Association of College conference delegates that there would be an “external review to look at the systems within the DfE, so that […]

Pass rate falls for GCSE English and maths resits

Figures published this morning for those aged 17 and over in England that sat GCSE English show the pass rate fell 2.7 percentage points to 30.3 and for GCSE mathematics the pass rate fell 1.4 percentage points to 21.2 (see table above). Click here to download all JCQ provisional GCSE results. More to follow…