York College
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The government paid a “one-off settlement” to write off the pension liabilities of a cash-strapped sixth form college as part of a deal to secure new owners and remove it from the public sector, FE Week can exclusively reveal. The Education Funding Agency (EFA) paid Hampshire County Council the undisclosed figure, believed to run into […]
News
A college that fell two Ofsted grades from outstanding has issued a formal complaint against Ofsted claiming it unfairly judged a drop in success rates because of new rules on English and maths. Oldham College was given a grade three rating, as previously reported by FE Week, but it has now challenged the verdict. College […]
The prevention of extremism is a wide-ranging concern that reaches into vocational education and training issue, a Selina Stewart explains. The statutory duty to prevent extremism will soon come in to effect. However, as independent learning providers (ILPs) will know, Ofsted has been inspecting for compliance with the Prevent duty for several months. Ofsted expects […]
Opinion
Women from across the FE and skills sector were at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills conference centre in Westminster on June 17 for the WLN annual conference. Sara Mogel gives an overview of the event. Women leaders in FE were told by Anne Doyle, journalist, author and former director at Ford Motor Company, […]
Former European Commission consultant Nick Juba is to become the new chief executive of cash-strapped City College Brighton and Hove. He takes over at the 6,000-learner college from interim chief executive Monica Box, who is also interim principal, on September 21. His appointment comes after FE Commissioner Dr David Collins was sent in with the […]
Movers and Shakers
A struggling sixth form college in Hampshire has announced plans to become part of a national crime prevention charity after being branded as “inadequate” by Ofsted. The governing board at Totton College has this morning announced that from November it will “join with” Nacro, a charity which uses skills and training to reduce crime and […]
Apprenticeship funding could be “more effectively spent” with independent learning providers which can provide evidence of additional demand from employers, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) will say today. The AELP will renew calls for a review of apprenticeship reforms and a simpler contracting system as it launches its annual conference in London. […]
An “area-based assessment” is being carried out by FE Commissioner Dr David Collins (pictured) into provision in South London’s Lewisham, Southwark and neighbouring boroughs. Skills Funding Agency (SFA) chief executive Peter Lauener revealed details of the review in a letter to corporation chair of Lewisham Southwark College Christopher Bilsland, sent in April but made public Wednesday […]
New regional scrutiny committees will consider complaints about Ofsted from September as the education watchdog acts to address transparency criticisms. The eight bodies, each made up of an Ofsted official not involved in inspections along with an “external” provider leader put forward by “appropriate national representative bodies”, will rule on internal reviews of complaints about […]