Department for Education | FE Week

U-turn welcomed on funding for employees taught outside the workplace

Courses for people in employment are once again allowed to use public funding, so long as they are taught outside the workplace, the Education and Skills Funding Agency has confirmed in a significant policy U-turn. Training in the workplace is not typically funded from the Adult Education Budget, but the sector kicked up a stink […]

Government sets December deadline in 16-to-18 data reporting crackdown

Colleges must publish vital 16-to-18 performance data by a strict December deadline, in a Department for Education crackdown apparently prompted by an FE Week investigation that uncovered widespread ignorance of the requirements. We reported in June that the DfE had decreed that all providers – including colleges and sixth form colleges – were meant to have published five […]

Exclusive: T-Level crisis exposed as DfE fail to appoint any advisory panel members

More trouble has erupted in T-Level planning, after it emerged that no-one has yet been appointed to the advisory development panels that should have met for the first time four months ago. FE Week made a Freedom of Information request for the names of all the appointments made to these technical education panels, after the […]

First degree apprentices in UK graduate

The first group of degree apprentices in the UK have graduated today, with seven out of the 11 gaining first class honours. The Aston University learners were awarded bachelors of science degrees in digital and technology solutions, following three years of combined study and work with the global consulting, technology and outsourcing company Capgemini. The […]

Statistics regulator pressured DfE into achievement rate U-turn

The government was pressured into its major U-turn on the publication of hidden achievement rate data in the wake of FE Week reporting, the national statistics regulation boss has revealed. The Department for Education last month released 2015/16 National Achievement Rate Tables for individual providers, a few months after it closed several significant “loopholes”, […]

Exclusive: Date revealed for when DfE will publish revised 2014/15 achievement rate data

Long-awaited revised achievement rates for individual providers will be published on July 27, FE Week can reveal. The Department for Education released the 2015/16 National Achievement Rate Tables for individual providers on June 15 after what they described as closing significant “loop-holes” – but failed to provide comparable figures for previous years, as they normally […]

Government to ‘formally intervene’ at 35 providers with achievement rate failures

More than 30 private training providers, colleges and councils have been slapped with a notice of concern or serious breach, for falling below qualification achievement rate thresholds. The Education and Skills Funding Agency has today published an update list of providers given the notice, which for the first time lists those providers now subject to formal intervention […]

Cost of Digital Apprenticeship Service revealed

The government expects to spend at least £12.5m on delivering its new Digital Apprenticeship Service, FE Week can reveal. The budget will cover both costs to the Skills Funding Agency and suppliers of services such as web development and user research, according to the Department for Education. A DfE spokesperson told FE Week: “The cost of building […]

Court date set for AoC judicial review over new sixth form

The court start date has been set for the Association of College’s first judicial review against the government in more than a decade. The AoC revealed a month ago that it was going to take legal action over the Department for Education’s controversial decision to fund a new sixth form at Abbs Cross Academy and […]