Politics

The FE sector has an ethics problem; it needs accountability, not NDAs

Too much in further education is hidden behind legal letters and non-disclosure agreements. If ethical leadership means anything, it…

Jessica Hill
Tom Bewick
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship reform may save money now but cost growth later

Ministers’ proposals risk undermining leadership development, training infrastructure and employer engagement. A tiered co-investment model offers a smarter way…

Jessica Hill
Mark Bremner
Apprenticeships, Awarding

Nostalgia is not a strategy to navigate assessment evolution

Mark Carney’s catchphrase applies as much to apprenticeships as Western powers in the Trump era – we must move…

Shane Chowen
Steve Smith
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship reform risks solving the wrong problems

Ministers want faster routes into work for young people, but defunding leadership apprenticeships and tinkering with clearing systems won’t…

Jessica Hill
James Farr
Young people

We need a 14-24 participation strategy to tackle NEET crisis

With no post-16 attendance tracking or coherent transition support, early warning signs are missed and disengagement becomes a NEET…

Jessica Hill
Claire Green
Adult education

Adult education is also about strengthening our democracy

Adult education has been reduced to an economic tool, but its real power lies in rebuilding connection, confidence and…

Jessica Hill
Dipa Ganguli


Inclusion

SEND reform will reshape colleges, but workload shock is coming

New individual support plans could finally embed inclusion in mainstream education, but they also shift legal responsibility and risk…

Jessica Hill
Richard Freeth
Inclusion

There is hope in SEND reform if we help steer what comes next

Imposing solutions designed for schools on colleges comes with risks, but there is time to get proposals right, says…

Shane Chowen
Clare Howard
Inclusion

SEND reforms spell diet EHCPs and red herring funding

Replacing EHCPs with a three-tier system could end the Gladiators-style Gauntlet parents face, unless ministers fix the diagnosis…

Jessica Hill
Chris Quickfall
Inclusion

SEND reform must mean better support, not fewer rights

The government’s new SEND reforms offer a rare chance to fix a system that forces families to fight for…

Jessica Hill
David Hughes
Apprenticeships, Inclusion

As SEND needs rise, apprenticeships face an inclusion reality check

New ILR data shows a sharp rise in apprentices requiring additional learning support, leaving providers at risk of being…

Jessica Hill
Mark Abrahams
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships were never just for the young – history proves it

As ministers rethink apprenticeship funding, they risk forgetting a simple truth: apprenticeships were designed for mastery, not youth unemployment…

Jessica Hill
Rob May