Shane Chowen
@ukshane.bsky.social
Editor at FE Week - reporting on further education, skills and apprenticeships. Story tips: shane.chowen@feweek.co.uk
Pinned
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
Looking forward to this one. Thanks for the recommendation @samfr.bsky.social
December 15, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Looking forward to this one. Thanks for the recommendation @samfr.bsky.social
AoC quids in after £9m cash windfall
New accounts also reveal the AoC's CEO has joined the £200k club
feweek.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Eton was planning on topping up funding by around £2,000 per student for its new sixth form colleges - two of them have just got the go-ahead, but one bid has been rejected
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
Eton gets go-ahead to develop 2 of 3 elite sixth forms
UTC among 28 of 44 free school proposals canned by DfE
feweek.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Eton was planning on topping up funding by around £2,000 per student for its new sixth form colleges - two of them have just got the go-ahead, but one bid has been rejected
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
December 11, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
Skills bootcamp provider CoGrammar (yes, the one's we caught charging students for free courses earlier this year) will take their claim for £3.8 million against the Department for Education to court in December 2026
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
Judge sets date for CoGrammar vs DfE bootcamps battle
Provider accused of fraud is suing the department over millions in withheld payments
feweek.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Skills bootcamp provider CoGrammar (yes, the one's we caught charging students for free courses earlier this year) will take their claim for £3.8 million against the Department for Education to court in December 2026
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
December 4, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
There was very little analysis of FE and skills performance in *checks notes* the Ofsted chief inspector's annual report
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
Top Ofsted grades soar in final year of overall effectiveness system
The proportion of FE and skills providers that hold Ofsted’s top two ratings boosted significantly in the final year of the watchdog’s ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’ grading system.
feweek.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 1:05 PM
There was very little analysis of FE and skills performance in *checks notes* the Ofsted chief inspector's annual report
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
🥇Breaking: Welsh colleges have dominated the medal table at the 2025 WorldSkills UK national finals
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
WorldSkills UK finals: Welsh colleges top 2025 medal table
'The future of the economy' honoured as gold, silver and bronze medals awarded after a tough week of national skills competition finals
feweek.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 9:29 PM
🥇Breaking: Welsh colleges have dominated the medal table at the 2025 WorldSkills UK national finals
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
Reposted by Shane Chowen
They are without a doubt diluting the assessment of apprentices.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
👎 Incoming assessment reforms will not 'dilute' or 'dumb down' apprenticeships, a Skills England boss has claimed following a backlash from employers feweek.co.uk/were-not-dil...
‘We’re not diluting apprenticeships’: Skills England deputy hits back at assessment reform backlash
Incoming assessment reforms will not “dilute” or “dumb down” apprenticeships, a Skills England boss has claimed following a backlash from employers.
feweek.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 9:16 PM
They are without a doubt diluting the assessment of apprentices.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
Coming up in this week's FE Week:
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
November 27, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Coming up in this week's FE Week:
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
OBR reports the apprenticeship levy will raise £5 billion sooner than planned - sadly, not all of that makes its way to apprenticeships and training budgets, despite lots of pressures on costs, a pre-axe rush on level 7s, new short courses and foundation apprenticeships
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
Budget 2025: SME co-investment relief extended to under 25 apprentices
The government is set to scrap co-investment payments that small and medium-sized employers have to pay for apprentices under the age of 25.
feweek.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
OBR reports the apprenticeship levy will raise £5 billion sooner than planned - sadly, not all of that makes its way to apprenticeships and training budgets, despite lots of pressures on costs, a pre-axe rush on level 7s, new short courses and foundation apprenticeships
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
🧰BUDGET: Around £725million from the growth and skills levy will go towards boosting under-25 apprentices - including fully subsidising training costs for small businesses
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
Budget 2025: SME co-investment relief extended to under 25 apprentices
The government is set to scrap co-investment payments that small and medium-sized employers have to pay for apprentices under the age of 25.
feweek.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 2:09 PM
🧰BUDGET: Around £725million from the growth and skills levy will go towards boosting under-25 apprentices - including fully subsidising training costs for small businesses
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
As youth NEET figures stubbornly hover around 950k, @jessjanehill.bsky.social goes behind the scenes to find out what it takes for FE providers to keep young people *in* education and training
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
How NEET providers are propping up a failing system
An inside look at the pressures facing NEET provision, from pastoral care demands to restrictive funding rules
feweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 7:52 PM
As youth NEET figures stubbornly hover around 950k, @jessjanehill.bsky.social goes behind the scenes to find out what it takes for FE providers to keep young people *in* education and training
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
Reposted by Shane Chowen
No surprises here, sadly. YOIs are really, really struggling to provide a regime that gets young people out of their cells.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.
👮 None of England’s young offender institutions provided children in their care with the education they were entitled to during the last three years, an FE Week probe has revealed
feweek.co.uk/englands-thr...
feweek.co.uk/englands-thr...
England's three YOIs fail 15-hour education requirement
None of England’s young offender institutions provided children in their care with the education they were entitled to during the last three years reveals probe
feweek.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 10:44 AM
No surprises here, sadly. YOIs are really, really struggling to provide a regime that gets young people out of their cells.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.
Unreliable. Unqualified. Unsafe. That’s what some employers are saying about the government’s proposed apprenticeship assessment reforms.
@billycamden.bsky.social investigates
feweek.co.uk/business-bac...
@billycamden.bsky.social investigates
feweek.co.uk/business-bac...
Business backlash builds over ‘dumbed down’ apprenticeships
Ministers are facing a “tsunami” of employer backlash against their apprenticeship assessment reforms that are being “bulldozed” through despite widespread safety fears. FE Week understands that busin...
feweek.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Unreliable. Unqualified. Unsafe. That’s what some employers are saying about the government’s proposed apprenticeship assessment reforms.
@billycamden.bsky.social investigates
feweek.co.uk/business-bac...
@billycamden.bsky.social investigates
feweek.co.uk/business-bac...
Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
💥Employers line up to attack apprenticeship assessment changes
🔍As NEET figures hover just under 1m, we look at what it takes to keep young people *in* education & training
‼️Exclusive figures show every YOI is failing to meet its 15-hour per week education duty
💥Employers line up to attack apprenticeship assessment changes
🔍As NEET figures hover just under 1m, we look at what it takes to keep young people *in* education & training
‼️Exclusive figures show every YOI is failing to meet its 15-hour per week education duty
November 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
💥Employers line up to attack apprenticeship assessment changes
🔍As NEET figures hover just under 1m, we look at what it takes to keep young people *in* education & training
‼️Exclusive figures show every YOI is failing to meet its 15-hour per week education duty
💥Employers line up to attack apprenticeship assessment changes
🔍As NEET figures hover just under 1m, we look at what it takes to keep young people *in* education & training
‼️Exclusive figures show every YOI is failing to meet its 15-hour per week education duty
✍️LETTER TO THE EDITOR ✍️
'In recent weeks, each of us has witnessed attempts to sow fear in our communities, particularly the targeting of migrants and minority groups. We feel compelled to speak out against ugly racist attacks, reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s.'
feweek.co.uk/letter-to-th...
'In recent weeks, each of us has witnessed attempts to sow fear in our communities, particularly the targeting of migrants and minority groups. We feel compelled to speak out against ugly racist attacks, reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s.'
feweek.co.uk/letter-to-th...
Letter to the editor: Protecting British values in education
As college leaders, we call on the sector to speak out, protect learners and defend British values against far-right attacks on and off campus
feweek.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 9:04 AM
✍️LETTER TO THE EDITOR ✍️
'In recent weeks, each of us has witnessed attempts to sow fear in our communities, particularly the targeting of migrants and minority groups. We feel compelled to speak out against ugly racist attacks, reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s.'
feweek.co.uk/letter-to-th...
'In recent weeks, each of us has witnessed attempts to sow fear in our communities, particularly the targeting of migrants and minority groups. We feel compelled to speak out against ugly racist attacks, reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s.'
feweek.co.uk/letter-to-th...
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
💻 Revealed: Two IoTs ditch the brand as ministers pivot to TECs
🚧 College waiting lists soar in priority subjects
🔍 Will this NEET review be any different?
PROFILE: Karen Redhead, West London College
Subscribe | feweek.co.uk/subscribe/
💻 Revealed: Two IoTs ditch the brand as ministers pivot to TECs
🚧 College waiting lists soar in priority subjects
🔍 Will this NEET review be any different?
PROFILE: Karen Redhead, West London College
Subscribe | feweek.co.uk/subscribe/
November 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
💻 Revealed: Two IoTs ditch the brand as ministers pivot to TECs
🚧 College waiting lists soar in priority subjects
🔍 Will this NEET review be any different?
PROFILE: Karen Redhead, West London College
Subscribe | feweek.co.uk/subscribe/
💻 Revealed: Two IoTs ditch the brand as ministers pivot to TECs
🚧 College waiting lists soar in priority subjects
🔍 Will this NEET review be any different?
PROFILE: Karen Redhead, West London College
Subscribe | feweek.co.uk/subscribe/
ICYMI: I quizzed skills minister Jacqui Smith on the post-16 white paper on Monday - followed by post-match analysis with Ben Rowland, Julian Gravatt, Caroline McDonald and Anna Fritz
Catch up here:
youtu.be/Hl5pVS9xLWU?...
Catch up here:
youtu.be/Hl5pVS9xLWU?...
Unwrapping the Post-16 Skills White Paper | FE Week Live Stream Recording
YouTube video by EducationScape
youtu.be
November 8, 2025 at 5:52 PM
ICYMI: I quizzed skills minister Jacqui Smith on the post-16 white paper on Monday - followed by post-match analysis with Ben Rowland, Julian Gravatt, Caroline McDonald and Anna Fritz
Catch up here:
youtu.be/Hl5pVS9xLWU?...
Catch up here:
youtu.be/Hl5pVS9xLWU?...
Reform UK politicians appear to be getting themselves into a bit of a bind over ESOL, and it speaks to conflicts at the heart of their politics.
They cry out for integration, but are uncomfortable paying for it.
feweek.co.uk/reform-uk-ma...
They cry out for integration, but are uncomfortable paying for it.
feweek.co.uk/reform-uk-ma...
Jenkyns’ Reform of ESOL remains an outlier… for now
A Reform UK mayor’s plans to ditch ESOL courses because they don’t benefit 'native' residents have not yet been copied elsewhere in England.
feweek.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Reform UK politicians appear to be getting themselves into a bit of a bind over ESOL, and it speaks to conflicts at the heart of their politics.
They cry out for integration, but are uncomfortable paying for it.
feweek.co.uk/reform-uk-ma...
They cry out for integration, but are uncomfortable paying for it.
feweek.co.uk/reform-uk-ma...
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s @feweek.bsky.social:
🏷️ A white paper, the CAR, and a quals consultation have landed
💡Brand damage, units register, transparency promise - what we learned at AELP’s autumn conference
🔍 Andrea Jenkyns vs ESOL
🧑⚖️ Why the judge threw out the Marples vs DfE case
🏷️ A white paper, the CAR, and a quals consultation have landed
💡Brand damage, units register, transparency promise - what we learned at AELP’s autumn conference
🔍 Andrea Jenkyns vs ESOL
🧑⚖️ Why the judge threw out the Marples vs DfE case
November 6, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s @feweek.bsky.social:
🏷️ A white paper, the CAR, and a quals consultation have landed
💡Brand damage, units register, transparency promise - what we learned at AELP’s autumn conference
🔍 Andrea Jenkyns vs ESOL
🧑⚖️ Why the judge threw out the Marples vs DfE case
🏷️ A white paper, the CAR, and a quals consultation have landed
💡Brand damage, units register, transparency promise - what we learned at AELP’s autumn conference
🔍 Andrea Jenkyns vs ESOL
🧑⚖️ Why the judge threw out the Marples vs DfE case
Some updates on this breaking story:
📢 The Marples family said they are "extremely disappointed" and are discussing next steps with their lawyers
💷 Both parties have a week to agree on costs
❓The family has three weeks to apply for permission to appeal
feweek.co.uk/case-dismiss...
📢 The Marples family said they are "extremely disappointed" and are discussing next steps with their lawyers
💷 Both parties have a week to agree on costs
❓The family has three weeks to apply for permission to appeal
feweek.co.uk/case-dismiss...
Case dismissed: Marples loses High Court claim against DfE
A judge has dismissed a multi-million-pound claim brought by former training boss Peter Marples and his family against the Department for Education
feweek.co.uk
October 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Some updates on this breaking story:
📢 The Marples family said they are "extremely disappointed" and are discussing next steps with their lawyers
💷 Both parties have a week to agree on costs
❓The family has three weeks to apply for permission to appeal
feweek.co.uk/case-dismiss...
📢 The Marples family said they are "extremely disappointed" and are discussing next steps with their lawyers
💷 Both parties have a week to agree on costs
❓The family has three weeks to apply for permission to appeal
feweek.co.uk/case-dismiss...
Does the post-16 white paper have the right answers, or even the right questions?
@nickhillman.bsky.social and I join @tom-richmond.com to chew over what it has to say on quality, collaboration and specialisation in the latest episode of Inside Your Ed
insideyoured.buzzsprout.com/1874905/epis...
@nickhillman.bsky.social and I join @tom-richmond.com to chew over what it has to say on quality, collaboration and specialisation in the latest episode of Inside Your Ed
insideyoured.buzzsprout.com/1874905/epis...
Does the Post 16 White Paper have the right answers, or even the right questions? - Inside Your Ed
It is entirely normal for a Government to announce plans to reform either Higher Education (HE) or Further Education (FE). What is much less normal is a Government announcing a plan to reform HE and F...
insideyoured.buzzsprout.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Does the post-16 white paper have the right answers, or even the right questions?
@nickhillman.bsky.social and I join @tom-richmond.com to chew over what it has to say on quality, collaboration and specialisation in the latest episode of Inside Your Ed
insideyoured.buzzsprout.com/1874905/epis...
@nickhillman.bsky.social and I join @tom-richmond.com to chew over what it has to say on quality, collaboration and specialisation in the latest episode of Inside Your Ed
insideyoured.buzzsprout.com/1874905/epis...
Some suprising twists and turns in the post-16 white paper this evening.
Buckle up for your trusty @feweek.bsky.social roundup:
feweek.co.uk/new-law-to-b...
Buckle up for your trusty @feweek.bsky.social roundup:
feweek.co.uk/new-law-to-b...
New law to bar ‘unsuitable’ FE leaders among skills white paper reforms
The government’s post-16 strategy has finally been unveiled
feweek.co.uk
October 20, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Some suprising twists and turns in the post-16 white paper this evening.
Buckle up for your trusty @feweek.bsky.social roundup:
feweek.co.uk/new-law-to-b...
Buckle up for your trusty @feweek.bsky.social roundup:
feweek.co.uk/new-law-to-b...
So kind of DfE to drop a white paper and a consultation on level 2 and 3 qualifications at the same time
First up - here's everything we know about V Levels, brand new T Levels and sweeping reforms to level 2 provision, including the end of the T Level foundation year
feweek.co.uk/what-we-know...
First up - here's everything we know about V Levels, brand new T Levels and sweeping reforms to level 2 provision, including the end of the T Level foundation year
feweek.co.uk/what-we-know...
V Levels, new T Levels and the end of the T Level foundation year
Plans for V Levels, new T Levels and new level 2 programmes have been revealed in a new government consultation
feweek.co.uk
October 20, 2025 at 9:05 PM
So kind of DfE to drop a white paper and a consultation on level 2 and 3 qualifications at the same time
First up - here's everything we know about V Levels, brand new T Levels and sweeping reforms to level 2 provision, including the end of the T Level foundation year
feweek.co.uk/what-we-know...
First up - here's everything we know about V Levels, brand new T Levels and sweeping reforms to level 2 provision, including the end of the T Level foundation year
feweek.co.uk/what-we-know...