The Global Equity Policy Map represents a first attempt to build an international database on national equity policies in higher education. The first report looking at these policies “All around the world – Higher education equity policies across the globe” contains information on each country obtained by consulting official websites, official documents, academic publications and the advice of government officials or academics. Read More.

Elite universities are all but failing to increase access for disadvantaged pupils, according to a study published by the public services thinktank Reform. In the past five years, the average annual increase in the proportion of disadvantaged students at each of 29 elite universities has been less than 1 per cent. "According to Ucas, more 18-year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are entering higher education than ever before, with an increase of 78 per cent since 2006 for the most disadvantag...

A reduction in tuition fees would make it harder for disadvantaged students to go to university, according to a group of funding charities. A post-18 education commission, set up by Theresa May, is reported to be considering recommending fees be cut to £6,500 from the current £9,250. At the moment universities are required to set aside part of their income to help students from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds enter higher education. That works out at about £860m for this year. But six charitie...

Too many graduates in England are being left with big debts for too little payback, MPs are warning. Nearly half of recent graduates were not working in graduate roles in 2017, the Commons education committee says. Its chairman Robert Halfon also highlights the excessive pay of some university vice-chancellors, saying that is not value for money. The government is reviewing post-18 education and funding to see how it can ensure that value. The Augur Review, which is due to report early...

Prospective university students turn to parents and friends as much as teachers for advice on their options, new polling for the Office for Students shows. The poll, by YouthSight, comes as a new report from CFE Research calls for a more tailored approach to information provision that reflects individual students’ needs, backgrounds and preferences. The poll sought the views of over 2,000 current, prospective, and previous higher education students. It found that 71 per cent per cent of prospect...

Traditionally, universities looking to widen access have focused on secondary aged children preparing to take their next step in education. This is certainly an important moment in a young person’s life, but in many cases it may be too late to shape their decision-making. Universities are looking to solve problems which can become entrenched far earlier in a child’s education. In 2016, a Ucas survey pointed out that children who know they want to enter higher education by age 10 or earlier ar...

These six young people are ambitious and determined. They are an aspiring teacher, a future social worker, a would-be accountant, a budding cardiologist, a wannabe pilot and a veterinary surgeon of tomorrow. But they fear their dreams, and those of young people like them, may be thwarted by further education funding pressures. They are all students at New City College in east London, which is closing the doors to its six campuses on Wednesday so staff can join a march against the cuts. ...

How does a school go from having one of the worst truancy records in the country to having one of the best attendance records? "No nonsense and no excuses." That's the message that you keep hearing from staff at Co-op Academy Manchester. There is also a very direct approach from the school's attendance team. Even if a parent rings to say their child is poorly, there could still be a knock on the door to check out the story. Jenny Robey, the school's attendance manager, says she migh...

Ofsted plans to overhaul the way it inspects schools in England, downgrading the influence of exam results in favour of a closer look at pupil behaviour and at the breadth of subjects being taught. Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of schools, outlined details of the new inspection regime, with the current category of “outcomes for pupils” that includes exam performance to be dropped in Ofsted’s inspection reports. “For a long time, our inspections have looked hardest at outcomes, placing t...