Author: Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu

Adult participation in education has fallen to record low with almost four million ‘lost learners’ since 2010, according to new data from the Learning and Work Institute. The policy, research and development organisation urged the government to put lifelong learning “at the heart of its domestic agenda” after just one in three adults were found […]

For the last 12 days of 2019 we’re running back through the previous 12 months of FE Week. Today we take a look at October… Colleges received a welcome boost when analysis revealed 78 per cent of them had received the top two Ofsted grades – ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ – a record high proportion since […]

For the last 12 days of 2019 we’re running back through the previous 12 months of FE Week. Here’s what September included… It was scoops galore for FE Week this month, featuring our front page about Highbury College principal Stella Mbubaegbu’s £150,000 expenses, which prompted government intervention. The story, which was picked up by a […]

For the last 12 days of 2019 we’re running back through the previous 12 months of FE Week. Today we take a look at August… There was no print edition this month during the summer holidays but there was no let-up for FE Week: Chancellor Sajid Javid announced a £400 million boost for 16- to […]

For the last 12 days of 2019 we’re running back through the previous 12 months of FE Week. Here’s what July involved… There was bad news for the sector this month after FE Week found only seven per cent of college principals were from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. Our analysis also showed […]

Three independent learning providers received a grade three from Ofsted, in a mixed week for FE providers. One independent learning provider, City College Nottingham, was found to be inadequate by the education watchdog but there were eight ‘good’ grades across the sector. Green Labyrinth, a Swindon-based independent learning provider, dropped from a grade two to […]

The chief executive at a college under investigation for nepotism and ‘financial wrongdoing’ is leaving, FE Week can reveal. In an email to all staff seen by this newspaper, the chair of the corporation confirmed “Michelle Swithenbank will be leaving Hull College at the end of this term” but investigators had found “no impropriety”. She […]

A college embroiled in an expenses scandal has appointed an ex-chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC) as its new interim chair. Martin Doel CBE, who was previously brought in to chair West Kent and Ashford College’s board at the request of the Further Education Commissioner, joined Highbury College today. He was elected by members […]

An investigation has been launched at Gateshead College after it had an unexplained deficit in the last financial year. FE Week also understands its finance director went on sick leave following the revelations. The grade one college confirmed it has been working with the ESFA and FE Commissioner. A spokesman for Gateshead College said: “There […]