Learndirect

Training company Learndirect, who have received more than £600m of public funding since 2011, was recently rated as inadequate by Ofsted.

No termination of contract notice has been issued, which would normally follow a similar rating.

It’s a very big contract and I am concerned the way Learndirect is treated is a sign the government considers it is too big to fail, which raises wider issues about how we contract these things out.

If something is failing, the government needs to take action. It needs to show there are consequences, and it’s a real slap in the face to providers out there doing a good job, who are rated good or excellent by Ofsted, who then see a failing provider seemingly getting away with it.

This has been reported by the BBC and FE Week.