area reviews | FE Week

Government wants £140k-a-year director to oversee area reviews

The government is on the hunt for a permanent director to run its transaction unit following the area reviews process – a job which co-mes with a £140,000 salary comparable to that earned by FE’s busiest civil servant, Peter Lauener. An advert for the role was recently posted by the Department for Education, with a […]

‘Inadequate’ Gateway SFC pulls back from Leicestershire area review

A struggling sixth form college has pulled out of its ongoing area review, after a special intervention by sixth form commissioner Peter Mucklow. The Leicester-based Gateway SFC received an ‘inadequate’ grade from Ofsted in October, and Mr Mucklow (pictured) made the recommendation based on a visit he made in November. His report into the 1,600 […]

Wave three area review reports and recommendations published

This afternoon the Department for Education published most of the reports and recommendations for its area reviews in wave three. Download links below: Cumbria further education area review report – wave 3 Black Country further education area review report – wave 3 Coventry and Warwickshire further education area review report – wave 3 North and mid-Hampshire […]

Delayed area reviews outcomes bring limited change

Most colleges involved in the first two waves of the area reviews will neither change nor merge, it has been revealed. This lack of change was laid bare in the long overdue reports into the first 13 areas, which were finally published on Tuesday (November 29). Just 21 mergers involving 45 colleges are proposed – […]

Area reviews have lost their true purpose

The link between area reviews and their original aim – of matching skills to labour market need – has been lost, says Caireen Mitchell. When BIS announced the area reviews in March, the process had at its core a complex but noble purpose: to deliver financially viable, resilient institutions, with strong reputations, delivering a high-quality […]

FE Commissioner backs widening of area reviews

A post-16 review of sixth forms outside of the FE sector would be “very helpful”, the FE Commissioner has told the Education Select Committee. Sir David Collins spoke out on the issue this morning, during a special evidence session for the committee’s enquiry in to ongoing area reviews of post-16 education, which currently do not […]

FE commissioner to face questions on area reviews

Sir David Collins is to face a grilling from MPs on the progress of the area reviews of post-16 education and training next week. The outgoing FE commissioner will be giving evidence to the education select committee’s area reviews inquiry on Wednesday morning. The evidence session will focus on the progress, effectiveness and impact on […]

Exclusive: AoC India to close after 25 colleges quit

A college partnership network set up by the Association of Colleges to provide UK vocational education and training programmes to India is to close after losing over three quarters of its members. AoC India was established in 2012 as a partnership of 33 FE colleges, but after being left with just eight members this year […]

College asset stripping fears eased by area review guidance

Fears that private equity firms could be allowed to asset strip failed colleges have been eased, with the publication of key area review documents by the Department for Education. A draft version of one of the documents – the due diligence framework – seen by FE Week in June included ‘Acquisition of an FE college […]