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11 April 2026

Author: Paul Offord

National Audit Office to investigate Learndirect and the DfE

The National Audit Office has officially launched an investigation into Learndirect and the Department for Education following outcry from the Public Accounts Committee. The special treatment offered to the nation’s biggest FE provider following its grade four from Ofsted last month has raised eyebrows across the sector, especially at the government’s handling of the situation. […]

FE principals angry with academy chain small sixth form plans

Two FE principals are up in arms over a planned new academy-chain small school sixth form, which they claim will dangerously increase competition for local students. The Trafalgar College opened last September as a free school run by the Inspiration Trust academy chain, which also runs the nearby Great Yarmouth Charter Academy for 11- to […]

Corbyn speaking at AoC annual conference

Jeremy Corbyn will address this year’s Association of Colleges annual conference. The annual event at at the ICC in Birmingham is one of the key events in the FE calendar, and takes place this year from November 14 to 15, and the resurgent Labour leader is one of the headline speakers. Other highlights announced include […]

AoC boss expresses regret over 1 per cent pay offer

The Association of Colleges has expressed regret for offering staff a one-per-cent payrise – and has come in for heavy criticism from the unions for its trouble. “We wish we were in a position to make a better recommendation today, but current funding levels for colleges do not allow us to do so,” claimed AoC […]

Cable backs lifelong learning accounts at Lib Dems conference

The Liberal Democrat leader has backed the creation of lifelong learning accounts in his party conference speech today. Sir Vince Cable, who published a report with the National Union of Students on how to improve learner experience in post-16 education, explained to delegates in Bournemouth how he would like to help more people retrain or […]

Grenfell fire survivor leads battle to save college campus

A college in one of London’s richest boroughs has delayed its final decision on whether to abandon one of its campuses to make way for housing, amid mounting protests from Grenfell Tower campaigners determined to defend adult education for poorer people in the area, FE Week understands. The site on Wornington Road is one of […]

Commissioner report exposes financial turmoil at London SFC

A sixth-form college is in grave danger of running out of cash in the next 12 months, after a report uncovered shocking financial turmoil. The sixth-form commissioner Peter Mucklow has demanded an immediate recovery plan for Brook House Sixth-Form College in London, after a meeting of the board of governors revealed a huge deficit for […]

Five new UTCs open doors to students

Five new university technical colleges have opened their doors this month, including one that was so popular it had to increase capacity before it even opened. But with four more of the troubled 14-to-19 technical institutions closing in the summer, this still represents a net increase of just one, bringing the total to 49. Ron […]