prison education | FE Week

Prison Education unlocked: The system that’s failing its learners

The prison population is estimated to pass 100,000 by 2030. With re-offending rates starting to increase and new prison education contracts out to tender, Jessica Hill and Sophie Carlin explore this hidden world – and find out what needs to change After prisoners at HMP Warren Hill in Suffolk have been unlocked from their cells, […]

‘Ground-breaking’ prisoner apprenticeship scheme flops

DfE slammed for leaving prisons to figure out apprenticeships after changing the law

From prisoner to prison reformer – one student’s amazing transformation

Kamali Stevens jumped up and punched the air in delight when he was announced as the winner of the higher education student of the year award at this year’s Association of Colleges annual conference. The 41-year-old’s elation at that moment was understandable. He had undergone an incredible journey from prisoner to prison reformer, after being […]

Prison leaders slammed for ‘slow progress’ on reading education

Education and prisons watchdogs criticise lack of progress on last year’s damning report on reading education

We are working with a fraction of the prisoners we could be

The next prime minister must take radical action on prison education as evidence shows education providers face multiple barriers, writes Peter Brammall “While talent is spread equally across our country, opportunity is not. Levelling up is a mission to challenge, and change, that unfairness. Levelling up means giving everyone the opportunity to flourish.” So said […]

MPs call for overhaul of prisoner education assessments and in-cell laptops for learning

In a new report, the House of Commons education select committee highlighted what it called the ‘cracks in a clunky, chaotic, disjointed system’

Here are 5 ways ministers can improve prison education now

Yet another review has found that prison education fails learners at every stage. Action must be taken straight away, writes Francesca Cooney The challenges of teaching people in prison to read reflect the challenges facing prison education as a whole. Prison education is not organised in a way that supports people to improve their reading […]

Prisoners to finally be offered apprenticeships

The scheme will initially be offered to up to a hundred prisoners across England before being rolled out across the wider prison estate

The new white paper is far too vague about prison education

The strategy is making the right noises, but key details – including any new funding for prison education – are worryingly absent, writes Jon Collins The focus on getting people leaving prison into jobs in the government’s new prisons strategy white paper is welcome. But education is the key building block that enables prison-leavers to […]