Cross-party parliamentarians launch inquiry on adult education

A cross-party group of parliamentarians are coming together to put adult education under the microscope for a new inquiry. The APPG for FE and Lifelong…

FE sector is key to relieving mounting pressure on NHS services, finds new report

Further education colleges are key to relieving mounting pressure on NHS services, says a new report from the Association of Colleges.   At a time when…

New AoC Report Highlights Impact of Practitioner Research on College Sector

Practitioner researchers from the college sector are not only improving their own practice, but also impacting learning and teaching in their institutions and beyond, a…

AoC Sport helps college students break down barriers as they embark on life-changing trips to America

One hundred sport and physical activity students from colleges from Sunderland to Wolverhampton are jetting off on transformative international experiences. They will be visiting Miami and…

AoC: Colleges could be forced to turn away tens of thousands of learners due to funding shortfall

AoC warns that thousands of people are at risk of being turned away by their local college this September without more funding from the government…

WHo has joined the AoC FE Hall of Fame this year?

An award-winning chef, an Olympic boxer, and an MP have all been honoured in recognition of their contribution to their local college. This week, as…

Government Must Fund 14 to 16 Provision in Colleges in line with Schools, says New Report

The vital role of further education colleges in the education experience of thousands of 14 to 16-year-olds across England is unveiled in a new report…

Pat Carvalho: my vision as AoC president

I have been Principal and CEO of Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMET) for the last three and a half years and have worked in the FE…

AoC Recommends 2.5% Pay Rise for Colleges | Sector Reaction

After constructive and positive National Joint Forum meetings with the college unions, AoC is making a formal pay recommendation for the 2024/25 academic year of…

BMet College's Pat Carvalho elected as the new AoC President

Association of Colleges is delighted to announce that Pat Carvalho has been elected as the new AoC President. Taking over from Corrienne Peasgood, she will…

AoC Mental Health report: almost a third of Colleges reported at least one death by suicide in past year

The scale of the mental health and suicide crisis among young adults has been laid bare in new research published by the Association of Colleges…

Qualification reform: the key challenges facing colleges

As the rapid review of Level 3 qualifications gets underway, AoC’s Cath Sezen and David Holloway look at the challenges it must address for colleges.…

The new government should reverse the new condition of funding on GCSE resits, says AoC

The new government should reverse the additional English and maths condition of funding announced earlier this year and work with colleges to design a better…

Qualification Reform: A Pause and Review Must Be Announced by 1 August

The next government must announce a pause and review of qualification reform by 1 August, the Association of College has said today. Following a rapid…

LSIPs must evolve to deliver on their ambition, say college leaders

One year on from the national roll-out of local skills improvement plans (LSIPs), colleges have set out a blueprint for how the plans need to…

AoC launch their latest report Strengthening governance arrangements in the English post-16 skills system

The next government must introduce a new national skills body to oversee a post-16 education and skills strategy, argues a new report published today by…

Ofsted needs to act on the concerns of colleges, says AoC

Colleges welcome the opportunity to have their say in the debate and discussion about how Ofsted inspections operate, the AoC has said as Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation…

We need to win hearts and minds before we unleash the robots

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform education – but to be able to fully embrace it, colleges need the space and time to think…

FE and Skills must be reformed to meet the economic and social needs of the nation, says AoC

AoC launch the 100% opportunity: the case for a tertiary education system report The future government must reform the apprenticeship levy, introduce a young person’s…

AoC Pleased with Education Secretary’s renewed commitment to seeking better funding for colleges and to support better pay for Educators

Gillian Keegan has responded to two recent letters sent to Gillian Keegan by the AoC on funding for English and Maths, and a second on…

Access to HE courses offer better value than foundation years, says AoC

In response to the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI)’s report, “Cracks in our foundations: Evaluating foundation years as a tool for access and success”, Marguerite Hogg,…

Colleges Week 2024 Kicks Off!

Colleges Week 2024: Why colleges are at the heart of public policy priorities As Colleges Week 2024 kicks off, and with a spring budget, mayoral and…

Fair pay must be addressed to deliver on English and maths, warns AoC

David Hughes (@AoCDavidH), Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, comments on addressing fair pay to deliver English and Maths: “Today’s 1.89% increase in 16-18…

T Level decisions undermine confidence in qualification, says AoC

Recent decisions on T Levels are undermining confidence in the qualifications and making it harder for colleges to deliver the high-quality technical offer for young people,…

The Advanced British Standard must be backed by FE investment, says AoC

If the Prime Minister wants to realise his vision for the Advanced British Standard (ABS), he must back investment in further education colleges, David Hughes,…

Sunderland College students awarded work experience with AoC Conference & Exhibition

A trio of Media Practice students from Sunderland College showcased their skills and talent at the Further Education sector’s flagship event.  Madison Henderson, Lydia Judge…

Pressure on colleges mounts as booming number of students resit GCSE maths and English

Tens of thousands more students will be retaking their English and maths GCSEs in the 2023-24 academic year, data from the Association of Colleges reveals. Around…

AoC sector reaction for Results day

Results Day 2023: Colleges respond on A Level, T Level, Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications and Applied Technical results day. As students across the…