Nick Linford | FE Week

DfE publishes list of mandatory qualifications for learners without grade C or above in GCSE English and maths

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a list of English and maths qualifications that providers must choose from as a “condition of funding” for 16 to 18-year-old learners that do not already have at least grade C in English or maths. The list of 245 eligible qualifications — part of the Study Programme implementation — includes […]

Niace chief in gruelling father-and-son charity cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats — and a bit

There are surely less gruelling ways of spending quality father-and-son time than a bike ride the length of Great Britain. But the opportunity to get back on the saddle and raise more than £1,000 for Oxfam proved too much for National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) chief executive David Hughes. The 48-year-old is spending the […]

So long, and thanks for all the FE

After 18 months at Newham College, and a number of FE Insider columns, Ben Nicholls is departing the world of FE and skills in a bid to become the Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey & Southampton North. The identity of his replacement as FE Insider columnist at FE Week will be officially revealed in the […]

Looking deeper into the reshuffle at DfE and BIS

While those in FE and skills wait with bated breath to find out how new Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Skills Minister Nick Boles view the sector, Alastair Thomson considers what can be expected of the Tory duo. Although the removal of Michael Gove as Education Secretary dominated much of the reshuffle coverage, a look […]

A bottom-up approach to CPD is ‘best’

Imparting knowledge of teaching is not always best done from the “top,” explains Andrea McMahon. After attending his first Learning Lunch in the newly-established Centre for Excellence in Teaching (CET) at Newham College, maths lecturer Anwar Faruqh summarised his experience, saying: “What an excellent idea – it’s like having our own Institute for Learning on […]

Gazelle ‘front-runner’ for ETF’s £1m learning tech contract

The Gazelle Foundation has been awarded a £1m learning technology contract from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) amid concerns about a lack of evidence surrounding its effectiveness. David Russell acknowledges such scepticism as he defends the award. The ETF has announced the latest of our contract awards and the biggest among them was a […]

What’s the ‘interest rate’ on FE loans now?

When I wrote in FE Week three months ago about the second annual round of FE Loans, the new application process had just opened. A few months on, what’s happening? Where are things heading? Most notably, moves to extend FE loans ‘downwards’ — both for age and level — have begun, and many preparing for […]

Trade union and business leaders set for agreement over traineeship pay and work experience

Trade union and business leaders are negotiating a joint agreement on traineeships over the issues of pay and work experience quality. Tom Wilson, director of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) learning and skills organisation Unionlearn, revealed that talks had been held with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on the issue. He tweeted: “Joint @unionlearn […]

Are UTCs another ‘purely political vanity project’ set for the history books?

Hackney University Technical College (UTC) is to shut at the end of 2014/15 because of low recruitment numbers — just 29 out a target of 75 pupils signed up for September. Dr Lynne Sedgmore looks at whether the UTC project as a whole is actually the problem. I have been working in FE Colleges for 34 […]