Articles
The impact of the Education Estates Strategy on colleges and post-16 education
16 Mar 2026The Department for Education (DfE) published its Education Estates Strategy: A Decade of National Renewal in February 2026. This strategy outlines the government’s long-term approach to managing and improving education buildings across England. It includes further education (FE) colleges and sixth-form colleges within the national education estate, which collectively account for 9 million square metres of publicly funded internal space.
The strategy marks a significant shift in addressing decades of underinvestment in school and college buildings. It introduces a systematic approach to estate governance, lifecycle planning, and data-driven investment, aiming to improve not only capital funding but also governance structures, estate management capabilities, and the alignment of infrastructure with skills policy.
Recruitment and probation under the Employment Rights Act 2025
16 Mar 2026The Employment Rights Act 2025 (the Act) is set to introduce significant reforms that will reshape the legal framework for employers. For colleges, one of the most important areas of change will be the rules governing unfair dismissal. These reforms, due to come into force on 1 January 2027, will have important implications for recruitment, probation management and early-stage employment decisions across the further education sector.
SEND reform and the Schools White Paper: implications for the further education sector
16 Mar 2026The Government’s Schools White Paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving (2026), alongside the wider SEND reform programme, represents one of the most significant proposed changes to SEND provision since the Children and Families Act 2014. While the policy narrative is largely school-focused, the reforms will have substantial legal and operational implications for the further education (FE) sector, which supports thousands of young people with SEND aged 16–25 as they transition into adulthood. The White Paper should lay the ground for improvement in young people's journeys through the education system into the future.
Proposed OfS reforms to the regulation of further education colleges offering higher education
26 Jan 2026The Office for Students (OfS) has launched a consultation on proposals to change how it regulates statutory further education providers delivering higher education in England. The consultation, which runs until 10 February 2026, aims to reduce regulatory duplication for eligible providers while maintaining robust oversight to protect students and public funds.
