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The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) has picked up a new member that quit rival organisation the Association of Colleges (AoC). FE Week revealed last September that Burton & South Derbyshire College was leaving the AoC, although no comment was provided at the time to explain its reasons for doing this. It has […]
News
FE Week reported last week that around 60 of the country’s 93 SFCs had registered an interest in converting to an academy. Bill Watkin reflects on their option. Recently both Sir Michael Wilshaw (Ofsted chief inspector) and Sir David Carter (national schools commissioner) discussed with MPs the part played by multi-academy trusts (MATs). Both agreed […]
Opinion
Graham Taylor explains why he thinks university technical colleges (UTCs) are failing to attract enough students. FE Week has exposed numerous examples of recruitment difficulties for UTCs. It was for example reported last month that 39 were open — but four were closing (or have closed) due to low student numbers. Interest from parents and […]
Paul Joyce explains what Ofsted inspectors are looking for from traineeships — beyond high quality English and maths provision. With a greater emphasis being placed on apprenticeships and vocational education, it can sometimes be easy to forget about traineeships and the important role they play in preparing many learners for their next steps. There is […]
English and maths judgements do not exert an “overriding influence” on Ofsted’s college inspections, despite a recent spate of ‘inadequate’ ratings, according to its deputy director for FE and skills. Paul Joyce (pictured) has written to FE Week to defend Ofsted’s recent ratings spree, which has seen 10 colleges receive the lowest possible rating since […]
Darlington College has recovered to an Ofsted ‘good’ rating a little over a year after it was branded ‘inadequate’. The education watchdog deemed the provider to be ‘good’ across the board and ‘outstanding’ in its delivery of adult learning programmes, in a report released on June 23. It was previously hit with a grade four […]
AoC blames programme design after analysis shows they’re responsible for barely a quarter of starts AELP claims independent training providers best placed to make a success of under-fire scheme Barely a quarter of traineeship starts over the past three years were with colleges, analysis by FE Week has revealed. This startlingly low figure, which was […]
Ofsted’s chief inspector is set to call on the government to insist that every major multi-academy trust (MAT) includes a university technical college (UTC). Sir Michael Wilshaw will speak out on the issue during his speech, starting at 1:30pm today, at the Festival of Education. He will say: “The government should insist that every major multi-academy […]
The Association of Colleges is looking forward to “a new era for Ofsted” — after Education Secretary Nicky Morgan confirmed the government’s approval of Ofqual chair Amanda Spielman as the next chief inspector. Ms Morgan made the announcement on Friday (June 10), and ministers will now wait on agreement from the Commons education select committee […]
