Skinners’ Academies Trust
‘ofsted’
Guidance on apprenticeships needs a “no-holds-barred” review, NUS president Toni Pearce has claimed despite official figures indicating application numbers rocketed more than 30 per cent last year. She spoke out with statistics from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) showing that 1.4 million applications were made online last year — an increase of 32 per cent […]
News
As the government does away with the legal requirement for defined teaching qualifications in FE, Noel Johnson discusses the problems that could arise as a result. After working so hard over the past 20 years to achieve recognised, legislated professionalism within the post-16 sector, it is disappointing (and worrying) to see government moving away from […]
Opinion
Four advisers, including a former 157 Group chair and an ex-college finance director, have been appointed to the new FE Commissioner’s office. The commissioner is yet to be appointed, but the adviser posts have gone to Marilyn Hawkins, Malcolm Cooper, Lynn Forrester and David Williams (see biogs below for full details). Between them, they are […]
A former Association of Colleges president has become City College Coventry’s new governors’ chair after a disastrous Ofsted report resulted in the Skills Funding Agency calling for “fundamental changes”. Maggie Galliers, who was the association president for 2011/12, was unanimously voted into the post and joins new interim principal John Hogg in a revamped leadership […]
Lead providers took on nearly £300m of subcontracted provision last academic year, Skills Funding Agency (SFA) figures have revealed. More than 1,600 subcontracting agreements, totaling £283m of funding, were in place between providers who already held their own direct contracts with the SFA. It is the first time that the extent of inter-lead subcontracting has […]
New Gateshead College principal and chief executive Judith Doyle said she was “thrilled” and “proud” to be taking up the post. She had been deputy principal for curriculum and quality at the college for four years before taking over the role on August 1 following the retirement of Richard Thorold. “I am thrilled to be […]
A new principal has been appointed at City College Coventry just months after its disastrous inspection report. Former City of Wolverhampton College interim principal John Hogg has taken over at Coventry where he has begun a series of meetings with staff and students and is developing an improvement plan. “The college has a lot to offer, […]
A Lancashire college purchasing officer could be facing a spell behind bars after she used a work credit card to rack up £21,000 of debt on holidays, sunglasses, solicitors and supermarket shopping. Included in the spending of Shaheda Lorgat (pictured, right) at Blackburn College’s expense was also £465 on a trip to Alton Towers. The […]
The Skills Funding Agency has announced rates from £500 to £900 for work placements in the government’s new traineeship programme. Agency officials laid out payment bands of 100 to 199 hours; 200 to 499 hours; and, 500 hours-plus in a sector webinar on Monday (see slides below). They said the bands would mean training providers […]
