Before the Whitson holiday, I was (like most of my colleagues) exhausted, and when I walked around the College I could see the strain on the faces of staff. The reasons are multifaceted, but they reflect the sheer diversity of what we do and the clever game now is to keep all of the plates spinning...

Reports in the media of underspent adult allocations by colleges, and conversely colleges who have over delivered being denied money, makes very poor reading for funding allocations.

I read an article in the newspaper last week considering the efficiency of anti-depressant drugs and the extent to which they have helped individuals deal with crises in their lives.

Meagre is an interesting word, it means deficient in amount or quality or extent. It is a frightening word for Further Education in particular because there is meagre understanding of our sector, meagre allocation of funding and meagre attention to the implications of the massive magnitude of change being thrown at the sector.

I interviewed a candidate for a Lecturer in Health & Social Care this week. She had no teaching experience, a wealth of industrial experience but moreover a passion to engage students. The interview was a pleasurable experience on feedback from both the panel and the candidate.

Christmas is but days away, my local schools, academies and Universities are closed but irrespective the College continues to deliver teaching and learning!

It is that time of year when in the middle of juggling the key FE priorities the ‘gathering of the clans’ event heralds itself.

The magnitude of change and to some extent unanswered questions on the horizon point to an uncertain future for the FE sector.

September is here again and already the College environment is manic as students of all ages descend upon us – some aged 16 and straight from school or academy, others using FE as a stepping stone in their life and career options, and others simply exploring what we have to offer...