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‘ofsted’

DfE U-turns on loans write-off for learners

The government has agreed to write off the loans for another group of learners left with no qualifications after their provider closed, despite a previous investigation that concluded they were still liable to make repayments. Questions have now been raised about the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) after it appeared to re-open their cases […]

News

Apprenticeship providers struggling to adapt to new Ofsted framework?

Last September Ofsted began inspecting apprenticeship providers using their new framework.  Out went the Common Inspection Framework (CIF), in which inspector judgements relied heavily on achievement rates. In came the Education Inspection Framework (EIF), in which judgements focus far more on the appropriateness of the curriculum.  Six months into the EIF, FE Week took a […]

News

MBA apprenticeship faces cull as Williamson ‘unconvinced’

The education secretary has demanded a review into the controversial MBA apprenticeship “to safeguard the integrity of the apprenticeship brand and value for money of the levy.” The letter, sent today from Gavin Williamson to the new boss at the Institute for Apprenticeships, Jennifer Coupland, sets 1 June as a deadline for determining whether the […]

News

DfE launches £9m College Collaboration Fund to replace £15m Strategic College Improvement Fund

The education secretary Gavin Williamson is launching a new £9 million “collaboration” fund in a bid to improve governance and leadership at colleges which aren’t “getting it right”. Bids of up to £500,000 can be submitted by groups of colleges to “share good practice and expertise”, but they will be required to stump up an […]

News

WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence project aims to support 1,000 lecturers

The organisation behind the UK’s performance in international skills competitions is launching the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence project to train around 1,000 FE lecturers. WorldSkills UK has today announced the three-year project backed with £1.5 million from awarding organisation NCFE. Five training managers – fresh off mentoring WorldSkills UK competitors for various skill challenges […]

News

Who’s who? Your guide to the new ministerial line-up at the DfE

The remits of the new ministerial team at the Department for Education have been confirmed following Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit reshuffle. For FE, the new line-up includes the first dedicated apprenticeships and skills minister since Anne Milton’s resignation last July. Gavin Williamson remains as education secretary. Here is your guide to the ministers and their responsibilities. […]

News

Government praise for ‘new and enthusiastic’ staff at council-run grade four provider

An FE Commissioner report published today praised a council’s response to a grade four from Ofsted, after the result “reinvigorated” their resolve to improve adult learning with “new and enthusiastic” staff. North Lincolnshire Council was referred to commissioner intervention after it was rated ‘inadequate’ in almost every area of a full inspection in June last […]

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Why I’m striking: a list of austerity’s devastating impacts

Since 2010 there has been a 16 per cent cut in funding for sixth-form colleges. Here, Andy Stone spells out what that has meant in day-to-day experience for teachers and students alike. This Thursday morning I’ll be on a picket line – my fifth this academic year. After what will probably be another cold and […]

Opinion

Catholic sixth form in need of partner to survive, claims FE Commissioner

A Blackburn-based catholic sixth form college is no longer “sustainable” due to falling student numbers, the FE commissioner has claimed. St Mary’s College, which is the smallest sixth form college in England, received two visits from Richard Atkins’ team in 2019 and has now been placed in “supervised status”. It was first warned four years […]

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