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FE Week
@feweek.bsky.social
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Leading the way in further education, skills & apprenticeships news, views and investigations. Published by EducationScape
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FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · 3d
🗞️This week's FE Week front page:

National Apprenticeship Week: Minister confirms leadership and management apprenticeships in the firing line

Subscribe | feweek.co.uk/subscribe/

#TomorrowsPapersToday
feweek.bsky.social
🥇 A former Come Dine With Me winner and Geri Halliwell tribute act star in this week's movers

https://feweek.co.uk/movers-and-shakers-edition-523/
February 16, 2026 at 8:05 AM
feweek.bsky.social
ESOL success is still judged by attendance and test scores, but real progress often happens in everyday conversations long before it shows up in the data
Dr Nafisa Baba-Ahmed, education and social justice scholar
https://feweek.co.uk/we-fail-to-score-esol-students-real-progress-in-real-life/
February 16, 2026 at 12:00 AM
feweek.bsky.social
'Employers will continue to view them as high-risk, high-cost propositions'
Charlotte Bosworth warns an eight-month apprenticeship model may suit policy design, but not fast-moving sectors or frontline services
https://feweek.co.uk/one-size-fits-all-foundation-apprenticeships-just-wont-work/
February 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM
feweek.bsky.social
'I’ve made no secret about my concerns over the future of apprenticeships'
Sarah Beale, CEO of AAT reflects on a year of apprenticeships policy change
https://feweek.co.uk/a-year-of-change-for-apprenticeships-the-good-the-bad-and-the-worrying/
February 14, 2026 at 5:01 PM
feweek.bsky.social
👶 Ministers have launched a £3.2 million grant scheme to subsidise training and employment costs in a drive to recruit 400 early years teacher degree apprentices

https://feweek.co.uk/grants-launched-to-jumpstart-early-years-degree-apprenticeships/
Grants launched to jumpstart early years degree apprenticeships
Ministers have launched a £3.2 million grant scheme to subsidise training and employment costs in a drive to recruit 400 early years teacher degree apprentices.
feweek.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 5:27 PM
feweek.bsky.social
🍒 Ofsted is requesting education providers publish a QR code link alongside any content they share from new report cards to help prevent leaders 'cherry picking' grades shared with parents and stakeholders https://feweek.co.uk/ofsted-requests-providers-publish-qr-code-with-report-card-content/
Ofsted requests providers publish QR code with report card content
Watchdog wants parents to get links to full reports to avoid 'cherry picking' only positive grades
feweek.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 1:50 PM
feweek.bsky.social
Exclusive: Leadership and management apprenticeships are on the chopping block under plans to find savings and tilt the apprenticeship system towards young people, skills minister Jacqui Smith has confirmed https://feweek.co.uk/management-apprenticeships-on-the-chopping-block-minister-confirms/
Management apprenticeships on the chopping block, minister confirms
Government gears up to tell employers which apprenticeships 'aren't appropriate for public funding'
feweek.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 12:52 PM
feweek.bsky.social
KCSIE 2026: Everything colleges need to know https://feweek.co.uk/kcsie-2026-everything-colleges-need-to-know/
KCSIE 2026: Everything colleges need to know
Colleges should report concerns about a student carrying a weapon and make sure they review internet filtering system effectiveness at least once a year, draft new safeguarding guidance states. The Department for Education is consulting on draft ‘keeping children safe in education’ guidance until April. It applies to children and young people aged under 18 and
feweek.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 12:48 PM
feweek.bsky.social
Exclusive: Employers will face no cap on the amount of levy funding they can spend on new apprenticeship units when an initial ‘tight group’ launches in April, skills minister Jacqui Smith has said https://feweek.co.uk/tight-group-of-apprenticeship-units-to-launch-in-april/
'Tight group' of apprenticeship units to launch in April
'Paltry' initial short course offer expected to focus on engineering/construction and AI
feweek.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 12:36 PM
feweek.bsky.social
✍️There is a lot to be positive about, but our recent survey found cost-of-living now tops the list of apprentices' concerns

Hannah Mehr, Association of Apprentices

https://feweek.co.uk/apprentices-dont-believe-their-voices-are-heard-by-ministers/
Apprentices don’t believe their voices are heard by ministers
Our AoA survey found 80 per cent of apprentices dear they are ignored - but if we want a system that works, listening must come before reform, says Hannah Mehr
feweek.co.uk
February 13, 2026 at 11:55 AM
feweek.bsky.social
🧑‍⚖️ An ex-trainee lecturer must pay £19,000 towards her union’s costs after a judge ruled she pursued discrimination claims with 'no reasonable prospect' of success

https://feweek.co.uk/ucu-wins-19k-from-teacher-it-represented-in-court-claim/
February 13, 2026 at 10:05 AM
feweek.bsky.social
🗞️This week's FE Week front page:

National Apprenticeship Week: Minister confirms leadership and management apprenticeships in the firing line

Subscribe | feweek.co.uk/subscribe/

#TomorrowsPapersToday
February 12, 2026 at 8:33 PM
feweek.bsky.social
England’s apprenticeship budget was topped up with an extra £43.2m halfway through this financial year, underscoring mounting financial pressures and intensifying government’s drive to tighten control of the system https://feweek.co.uk/apprenticeship-budget-top-up-piles-cost-pressure-on-ministers/
Apprenticeship budget top-up piles cost pressure on ministers
Mid-year adjustment to 2025-26 allocation reinforces warnings the system is operating on increasingly fine margins
feweek.co.uk
February 12, 2026 at 4:07 PM
feweek.bsky.social
🪑 A new chair of the Student Loans Company has been appointed. Gary Page will oversee the organisation as it implements major reforms like the lifelong learning entitlement, which is due to open for applications in September

https://feweek.co.uk/student-loans-company-turns-the-page-with-new-chair/
Student Loans Company turns the Page with new chair
Board member Gary Page will take over from Peter Lauener in April
feweek.co.uk
February 12, 2026 at 3:14 PM
feweek.bsky.social
👏 Waltham Forest College principal Janet Gardner has announced that she will retire in August this year after six years in post

https://feweek.co.uk/changing-of-the-guard-at-waltham-forest-college/
Changing of the guard at Waltham Forest College
Waltham Forest College principal Janet Gardner has announced that she will retire in August this year after six years in post.
feweek.co.uk
February 12, 2026 at 2:03 PM
feweek.bsky.social
🏗️ Applications have opened for the government’s post-16 and construction capacity funding grants, as the DfE has promised a 'decade of national renewal' through a new education estates strategy
https://feweek.co.uk/national-college-capacity-funding-opens-alongside-new-dfe-estates-strategy/
College capacity funding opens alongside estates plan
Applications have opened for the government’s post-16 and construction capacity funding grants, as DfE promises 'decade of national renewal' estates strategy.
feweek.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 5:35 PM
feweek.bsky.social
🪓 The Department for Education is considering the future of the T Level in finance, which launched in 2022, after no awarding organisations bid to run it in the latest procurement round

https://feweek.co.uk/finance-t-level-faces-write-off-after-no-aos-bid-to-run-it/
Finance T Level faces write-off after no AOs bid to run it
Engineering licenses will transfer to Pearson from City & Guilds
feweek.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 9:41 AM
feweek.bsky.social
University and College Union leader Jo Grady has accused her election opponents of taking private messages out of context and 'seeking to frame' her social media usage as a breach of campaign rules

feweek.co.uk/jo-grady-hit...
Jo Grady hits back at claims of UCU election breaches
Full account of Grady showdown with election opponents at certification officer hearing
feweek.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 6:27 PM
feweek.bsky.social
👉 The Department for Work and Pensions’ most senior official has announced he is stepping down this summer.

feweek.co.uk/dwp-permanen...
DWP permanent secretary to step down
The Department for Work and Pensions’ most senior official has announced he is stepping down this summer.
feweek.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 5:01 PM
feweek.bsky.social
''Pass the learning around the classroom in the mould of a creative midfielder'
Clare Dignum, South Bank Colleges on lessons FE teachers can learn from Arsenal football players
feweek.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 4:27 PM
feweek.bsky.social
👋 Basingstoke College of Technology principal Anthony Bravo retired on Monday, leaving the college under interim leadership in the middle of the academic year
feweek.co.uk/bcot-princip...
BCoT principal Anthony Bravo suddenly retires
Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) principal Anthony Bravo retired on Monday (Febuary 9), leaving the college under interim leadership mid-year
feweek.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 12:36 PM
feweek.bsky.social
'The old infrastructure for essential skills provision is increasingly creaking and dated'
@lwalexs.bsky.social , @learnworkuk.bsky.social on how joining up Jobcentres and adult
learning could be a gamechanger, with the right vision
feweek.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 10:05 AM
feweek.bsky.social
🏗️ Construction firms working on school and college buildings will be forced to offer apprenticeships and T Level placement opportunities to students to work on site, the government has said
feweek.co.uk/school-and-c...
School and college builders will have to hire apprentices
Construction firms working on school and college buildings will be forced to offer apprenticeships and T Level placement opportunities to students
feweek.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 9:20 AM
feweek.bsky.social
🧑‍💻 An apprenticeship brokerage pilot run by metro mayors will offer a university 'clearance style system' for young people whose applications have been rejected, the government has said
feweek.co.uk/clearance-st...
'Clearance style' apprenticeship pilot to be run by mayors
An apprenticeship brokerage pilot run by metro mayors will offer a university “clearance style system” for young people whose applications have been rejected
feweek.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 5:44 PM
feweek.bsky.social
'SMEs’ engagement in apprenticeships has been flagging in recent years'
says Alice Gardner of @edgeuk.bsky.social - but there's an easy fix to this #NAW2026
feweek.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 3:32 PM