The HEPI Blog aims to make brief, incisive contributions to the higher education policy landscape. It is circulated to our subscribers and published online. We welcome guest submissions, which should follow our Instructions for Blog Authors. Submissions should be sent to our Blog Editor, Rose Stephenson, at [email protected].
This blog has been contributed by Professor Colin McCaig, Sheffield Hallam University. With the publication of, and ongoing fall-out from, the Augar Review of Post-18 Finance, it has become clear that there is a surprising degree of misunderstanding about various aspects of the HE market established in England over the…
Dear Ofqual, Thank you for making your position on grade (un)reliability so explicit in the statement posted on your website on Sunday, 11 August. But may I seek clarification on some of the content, please? Firstly, you state: …more than one grade could well be a legitimate reflection of a student’s performance…
The annual conversation about whether or not people should be offered places in higher education only after receiving their exam results, known as PQA, is well underway. But many important points tend to be overlooked in this regular conversation. The differences between Post-Qualification Applications (when you apply for a place after…
This blog has been contributed by Professor Tristram Hooley, Chief Research Officer of the Institute of Student Employers (ISE). The ISE is an employer association that is focused on entry-level and early-career recruitment. When you work or study in the education system, it can be very difficult to gain a…
This week students across the country will receive their A level results, finding out whether they have secured their place at university. Even if students haven’t quite made their grades, they are in a particularly strong position to negotiate with their chosen university, due to demographic changes. The number of…
This blog has been kindly contributed by Professor Dave Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University The Augar Review has provided much to consider; and one area on which it shines a gentle light is that of “Non-Prescribed” qualifications. For those who are unfamiliar, Non-Prescribed courses lead to qualifications, which,…
It was a busy news day on the 25th of July, with Boris Johnson’s new cabinet just announced so you may have missed discussion of our latest Policy Note: What do students think of contextual admissions? Based on a survey of 1,035 students conducted by Youthsight, it was the first…
This is a guest blog kindly contributed by Professor Nick Braisby, Vice-Chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University Whatever one may think of the Augar report and its varied recommendations, it appears to have focused generally on the right questions and to have appropriately considered existing research and evidence. However, one section…
At this time of year, we tend to take stock at HEPI. Not only does the end of July mark the end of our financial year, but many students have now left their campuses for the summer, graduands are becoming graduates, academic staff are hoping (finally) to make faster progress…
The Office for Students is over a year old now, and today gain its full regulatory powers. Even during their initial year, they have made significant interventions in higher education on widening participation, safeguarding students and contextual offers, as well as focusing on getting providers onto the register. However today…