Author: Paul Offord

An Ofsted report into the nation’s largest college has still not been published more than four months after it was inspected due to a row over the result, FE Week has discovered. According to several sources who wish to remain anonymous, NCG (formerly Newcastle College Group) is actively disputing the overall grade-three, or ‘needs improvement’, […]

Tougher rules surrounding the quality requirement for apprenticeship providers have been called for by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP). The association has today published its response to a government consultation, on funding proposals for how the system will work after the new apprenticeship levy for large employers is launched next April. The […]

Changes to how the government collects data charting student progress after they finish key stage five courses have dramatically improved success rates for colleges compared to schools. Destination data showing levels of progress to sustained education, employment, and training in the year after learners complete A-levels and other level three qualifications — sat by 16 […]

They may say at Tesco that “every little helps” — but Bromley College faced criticism that it had overstepped the mark by touting for students in a supermarket on a rival’s patch. The college initially tweeted at lunchtime today that it was at Lewisham Tesco, and invited anyone interested to “come along and find out […]

Friends and colleagues of former Leeds City College and Stockport College principal Peter Roberts CBE came together for the unveiling of a plaque in his memory. The ceremony took place at the college’s Printworks Campus on Saturday (July 30) to remember the widely-respected FE figure, who passed away on New Year’s Eve aged 60. The […]

The first three members of the Chartered Institution for Further Education have been unveiled. Hawk Training, Blackpool and The Fylde College, and Bridgwater College will each pay £8,000 to join the membership body for “high-performing” FE colleges and training providers. The institution was granted chartered status in October last year and has been open to […]

An ‘outstanding’ college was chosen by Justine Greening MP as her first FE institution for a visit since she became education secretary. The new minister, who replaced Nicky Morgan earlier this month, was given a tour of Walsall College — which was the first to receive a grade one Ofsted rating under the inspectorate’s previous […]

The jobs of up to 80 FE-specialist civil servants based in Sheffield have been saved by the decision to move skills policy to the Department for Education, FE Week understands. The former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced in May that it was definitely going ahead with closing its office in the northern […]