York College
‘ofsted’
Size matters, at least when it comes to sixth forms – as FE Week discovered when we investigated the issues surrounding smaller providers. Mick Fletcher, an FE policy expert and the founder of Policy Consortium, insisted that the government decision to set the minimum number of students at 200 was “well-founded”. Smaller sixth forms “don’t […]
News
The nation’s largest college has won its battle with Ofsted with the awarding of a grade two overall – more than four months after it was inspected. Today’s long overdue report comes two weeks after FE Week reported that the college group had been disputing the ‘requires improvement’ grade it was due to have been […]
Battle lines have been drawn by the Association of Colleges, after it launched its first judicial review against the government in more than a decade. The legal action, which has cost AoC £50,000 so far, concerns the Department for Education’s decision to fund a new sixth form at Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College in […]
David Vasse has been appointed as the new principal of Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College. He joins the college with a wealth of experience working in the FE sector, having worked at five sixth form colleges over the past two decades. During his career, Mr Vasse has worked for Ofsted, and was principal of […]
Movers and Shakers
Two new super-colleges are set to be created in the north-west through mergers involving six colleges and one university. Consultation opened this week on the first phase of a proposed new Cheshire-wide college, which will be formed by a link-up between four Cheshire and Warrington colleges. Meanwhile a massive new university and college group, which […]
The longest-serving FE college principal in the country will finally retire next year, after more than 33 years in post. Dr Steve Dowbiggin (pictured) joined Capel Manor College in 1982 as vice-principal and became head two years later, in 1984. This comfortably makes him the UK’s most senior principal — and his commitment was recognised […]
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’, […]
A University Technical College (UTC) developed in partnership with Burton and South Derbyshire College will never open, despite the government spending more than £8m setting it up, the Department of Education (DfE) has confirmed. Approval for the Burton and South Derbyshire UTC was withdrawn “following low pupil recruitment numbers” a spokesperson for the department said, adding […]
The 157 Group is set to rename and announce new ‘ambitions’ next month, less than a year after completing a strategic review. It comes just 10 months after the group, which has over 30 college members, completed a strategic review which included six themes, such as “diversifying revenues” and responding to the “devolved skills agenda”. […]
