Opinion

Whistleblowers in FE are vital for sector scrutiny

Whistleblowers aren’t treated with much respect in the UK, even though they generally have good intentions. Dame Ruth Silver...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

Let’s maintain the upward Ofsted trend for colleges!

Our analysis of colleges’ Ofsted grades suggests a significant improvement in the past five months. By the end of...

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

Qualifications in apprenticeship standards: IfA rule changes aren’t enough

The sector cheered when the IfA said it would allow qualifications in standards once again, but not all is...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

Non-levy apprenticeship funding process was as fair as possible

Every month, Anne Milton, the minister in charge of skills and apprenticeships, will write a column for FE Week,...

Anne Milton
Anne Milton
Opinion

Don’t judge colleges on Progress 8!

The government’s wrong-headed performance measures do not work for 14-to-16 provision, and cannot give vocational learning the credit it...

Sam Parrett
Sam Parrett
Opinion

Invest in Ofsted to guarantee apprenticeship quality

This week the number of providers and employers able to directly tap into an annual £2.5 billion apprenticeship pot...

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

T-level occupational maps must be flexible

Unless there’s the space for young people to transfer the skills they learn onto another route, we risk locking...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

What now for the levy reforms?

Apprenticeship take-up since the introduction of the levy last May continues to slide, but whether this represents a longer-term...

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

What does Ofsted consider a good college curriculum?

Amanda Spielman cited Harlow College as having particularly good curriculum design at the AoC conference in the autumn –...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor