This book review has been kindly contributed by Francis Green, Professor of Work and Education Economics at UCL Institute of Education, and co-author, with historian David Kynaston, of ‘Engines of Privilege. Britain’s Private School Problem’, (Bloomsbury 2019). Private school leaders and sector authorities are sometimes more informative and thought-provoking when…
A guest blog from Patrick Mulrenan, the course leader for the BSc Community Development and Leadership at London Metropolitan University. One of the challenges of policy making is that issues are sometimes defined in stereotypes. This is particularly true of university education. Television programmes such as Fresh Meat have portrayed…
This guest blog responding to yesterday’s media stories about independent schools and university entry has been kindly contributed by Chris Ramsey, Headmaster of Whitgift School, and spokesperson on universities for the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC). Journalists’ headlines are fair game of course, and always have been, but sometimes you wince a bit more than usual, and reading…
A guest blog kindly contributed by Dennis Sherwood, founder of Silver Bullet Machine. When the history of the world is written in 1,000 years’ time, Friday 10th May 2019 will be identified as a landmark date. For it was an event that happened on that day that enabled that history to…
This is a guest blog contributed by Professor Steven Spier, Vice-Chancellor at Kingston University. Helping people achieve their aspirations and unlock their potential are surely two of the key missions of higher education. And while it should not be necessary to add to that mission, regardless of one’s background, the…
Lucian J. Hudson writes in a personal capacity. He is Interim Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Oxford University, and a past Director of Communications at The Open University and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office At the HEPI Annual Policy Briefing Day, the starkest of conclusions was reached by…
This is a guest blog kindly contributed by John Claughton, who was Chair of HMC Sports Committee from 2009 to 2016 and the Chief Master of King Edward’s School, Birmingham from 2006 to 2016. Professor Clough of Huddersfield University produced research for HMC that proved that taking part in competitive…
This is a guest post kindly contributed by Louis Coiffait, Head of Policy at London Metropolitan University. He writes here in a personal capacity. HEPI had no role in the placement of organisations on the graphs below. It’s a common question, but one that’s tricky to answer. Here are two…
Thank you, OfS, for publishing Contextual admissions – promoting fairness and rethinking merit. The fundamental premise is that access to higher education is being unfairly denied to disadvantaged students, as evidenced, for example, by the fact that ‘in 2018, 18-year-olds from the most advantaged areas were 2.4 times are more likely…
A guest blog kindly contributed by Dr Anna Bull, senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Portsmouth and a founding member of The 1752 Group, a UK-based research and lobby organisation working to end staff-to-student sexual misconduct in higher education. The #MeToo movement has led students who experience sexual harassment at…