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Principal and deputies on leave at Lowestoft College after consultant criticises rate of improvement

The principal and two deputies at Lowestoft College have taken leaves of absence after a consultant reported the college was not making improvements fast enough. The 4,000-learner college in East Anglia was given a grade three “requires improvement” rating by Ofsted last June, but the college has now announced that principal Simon Summers (pictured above) […]

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UTCS may not be the answer, Labour warned

The Association of Colleges (AoC) has warned Labour-backed proposals for 100 more University Technical Colleges (UTCs) to be established by 2020 “may not be the best response” to skills shortages. The AoC was joined by former government advisor Sam Freedman in questioning whether there was enough evidence to support the plans, outlined by Lord Adonis […]

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Ofsted confirms it will grade school sixth forms from September

School sixth forms are to receive a separate grade from September 2014, Ofsted has confirmed. The decision to include a separate grade follows an open consultation which ended in May, which sought views on the introduction of separate graded judgements on early school years and the sixth form. In a letter to schools this week, chief inspector […]

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SFA in discussions with Ofsted about having a greater focus on large subcontractors

BBC Radio 4 will today broadcast an interview with the Skills Funding Agency during which they confirm they are in discussions with Ofsted about the possibility of having more focus on the large subcontractors. The interview will feature on the BBC’s consumer affairs programme Face the Facts which has carried out an investigation in to […]

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Labour to call for 100 more University Technical Colleges by 2020

The Labour Party is expected to back calls to establish 100 more University Technical Colleges (UTCs) by 2020, despite a string of poor Ofsted gradings for existing UTCs. Labour leader Ed Miliband (pictured above) will accept a series of recommendations from the Adonis Review, ‘Mending the fractured economy: Smarter state, better jobs’.  The review, written […]

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College principal takes ‘temporary leave of absence’ as chair of governors becomes interim chief

Warwickshire College principal Mariane Cavalli has taken a “temporary leave of absence” and will be replaced on an interim basis by chair of governors Sue Georgious. The board of governors broke the news to staff at the college in an email, seen by FE Week, this morning. Ms Cavalli (pictured) joined the college in 2010 […]

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Edition 108: Jack Carney, David Law and Andy Sparks

The Manchester College’s Jack Carney has announced he will be retiring after 35 years at the college — having spent the last two as principal. Mr Carney’s tenure at the top has seen the 26,000-learner college move from an Ofsted grade three to two, but he plans to retire during the next academic year. “It’s […]

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The principal of a large and well-established FE college writes about life at the top — the worries, the hopes, the people and the issues they have to deal with every day.

Time to budget Further education is a funny place to be at the best of times, but this time of year it’s always testing and leaves most principals mentally exhausted, not to mention bereft of humour. The budget of course and, sadly, the more-often-than-not resulting cost savings that prove necessary along with the dreaded reorganisation […]

Opinion