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28 April 2026

Tag: colleges

We need more core funding not ‘initiative mania’, sector leaders tell MPs

Sector leaders have made an impassioned plea to MPs for the government to “stop the initiative mania” and focus on core funding ahead of the Budget day later this month. Representatives from the Sixth Form Colleges Association, the Association of Colleges and the National Union of Students were giving evidence to the education select committee’s […]

Parliamentary petition launched calling for sustainable college funding

A new parliamentary petition calling for college funding to be increased to “sustainable levels” has been launched today. Its creation comes ahead of Colleges Week, a week of action and events across the country demanding greater government investment in colleges. “We call on the government to urgently increase college funding to sustainable levels, including immediate […]

Lewisham Southwark College to become two separate colleges

Lewisham Southwark College is set to become two separate colleges again, just six years after it was formed through a merger. The move was announced today by Joe Docherty, chief executive of NCG, which the college joined in 2017. “This decision will allow the newly-established colleges to develop curriculum programmes that better meet the needs […]

AoC announces Julie Nerney as next chair

The Association of Colleges has announced Julie Nerney as its next chair of the board. She will take over when Carole Stott MBE steps down at the end of the year. Ms Nerney is currently chair of the board of governors at Greater Brighton Metropolitan College, having previously led the City College Brighton and Hove […]

Ofsted should renege on its merger deal

“Big isn’t always beautiful” is something of an understatement coming from Ofsted in the context of FE providers. The biggest private training provider, Learndirect, was awarded a grade four last year and in recent weeks the biggest college group, NCG, slumped to a grade three. Despite this, the average size of colleges, far from shrinking […]

What does a good college mental health strategy look like?

To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, Sarah-Louise Neesam explains how West Suffolk College has developed and implements a student welfare strategy I have been a student welfare manager for 17 years, a long period with which to watch changes in the demands made on the welfare service at West Suffolk College. Ten years ago, after seeing […]

Staff at colleges striking for up to 7 days in exam season

Staff at a host of colleges across the country will walk out on strike for up to seven days over exam season, in the latest action in an ongoing dispute over pay. Ten colleges, nine of which are in London, will be affected in the latest round of action in May and early June, organised […]

Government ignoring apprentices in mental health plans

Apprentices have been ignored in the government’s plans to improve support for learners with mental ill-health, according to a critical report from two influential committees of MPs. The education and social care select committees were full of criticism for proposals laid out in December in a green paper on beefing up mental health provision for […]