Nursery World - Spending watchdog to investigate Learndirect and DfE

The National Audit Office has officially launched an investigation into Learndirect and the DfE’s decision to continue to fund the training provider after it was rated 'inadequate'.

Despite receiving the lowest inspection grade by Ofsted in March, Learndirect, the largest further education training provider in the country, has yet to have its contracts terminated by the Department for Education.

The DfE said in August that it would gradually wind down Learndirect’s funding for adult education courses by next July as it wished to avoid to disruption to Learndirect’s 73,000 learners.

Typically, providers in receipt of Government funding that are found to be inadequate by Ofsted are given a three-month termination notice from the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), the executive agency of the DfE that is accountable for funding education and training. However, the DfE told Nursery World that the notice period can be longer in certain circumstances.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included