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Thursday 22 October 2026Home of the higher education debate

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Policy Watch

OfS begins second round of consultation on future TEF quality assessments

The regulator for providers in England has said how it sees the new Teaching Excellence Framework unfolding from 2027–28. Debbie McVitty works through the proposals

Debbie McVitty|22/10/26

Continue reading

OfS begins second round of consultation on future TEF quality assessments

In the scramble to AI-proof assessment, fluency isn’t competence

In the scramble to AI-proof assessment, fluency isn’t competence

Glenn Hurst|22/10/26

PhD students to get parental leave, but no support with childcare costs

PhD students to get parental leave, but no support with childcare costs

Kate Bowen-Viner|22/10/26

Wonk Corner

Are there really more graduate NEETs than A-level NEETs

Jim Dickinson|15/10/26

A slightly better outlook for graduate jobs

David Kernohan|14/10/26

AI marking could cost universities their get out of jail free card

The real collaboration question isn’t what, but why – and how?

The real collaboration question isn’t what, but why – and how?

Debbie McVitty|Comment|24/08/26

On 3 November Wonkhe will host The Collaboration Question in London. Debbie McVitty assesses where the conversation has got to and where it needs to go from here

The real collaboration question isn’t what, but why – and how?

On 3 November Wonkhe will host The Collaboration Question in London. Debbie McVitty assesses where the conversation has got to and where it needs to go from here

Debbie McVitty|Comment|24/08/26

Policy Watch

Jim Dickinson|13/10/26

Students are being nudged into housing they can’t afford that may also be unsafe

Jim Dickinson|12/10/26

The Sunday Times has counted postgrads as rich kids turning down maintenance loans

Jim Dickinson|10/10/26

EU fees have been parked, but Europe’s real bill for UK higher education is still coming

Jim Dickinson|06/10/26

Another reminder about in-year student data

David Kernohan|06/10/26

The student protection gap is about more than providers

Jim Dickinson|05/10/26

Wonkhe event12 days to goThe collaboration questionTuesday 3 November · Impact Hub Euston, LondonBook your place

The Post-18 Project: Happily HEVA after

The Post-18 Project: Happily HEVA after

Antony Moss|The Post-18 Project|25/09/26

The Post-18 Project: Making Wales the best place in the UK to be a student

The Post-18 Project: Making Wales the best place in the UK to be a student

Gwenno Roberts|The Post-18 Project|10/08/26

The Post-18 Project: No country for young men

The Post-18 Project: No country for young men

David Kernohan|The Post-18 Project|22/07/26

The Post-18 Project: The silence of the loans

The Post-18 Project: The silence of the loans

John Blake|The Post-18 Project|07/07/26

The Post-18 Project: A ministry for Manchesterism

The Post-18 Project: A ministry for Manchesterism

John Blake|The Post-18 Project|29/06/26

The Post-18 Project: Demographic downturn and the post-18 system

More at post18.co.uk →

Counting the cost of teaching higher education in England

Counting the cost of teaching higher education in England

Last seen around the time of the Augar review, KPMG has updated work on the costs of teaching. DK finds evidence of cost cutting everywhere

David Kernohan|Policy Watch|18/09/26

Ministers dodge the question of candour in universities

Ministers dodge the question of candour in universities

Jim Dickinson|Policy Watch|12/10/26

The tone has changed on free speech, but the architecture hasn’t

The tone has changed on free speech, but the architecture hasn’t

Jim Dickinson|Policy Watch|17/09/26

Student loans are still broken and unfair

Student loans are still broken and unfair

Jim Dickinson|Policy Watch|13/09/26

We’re very sorry, and we won’t do it again

We’re very sorry, and we won’t do it again

David Kernohan|Policy Watch|04/09/26

Data on Wonkhe

Can a dashboard solve higher education planning?

Can a dashboard solve higher education planning?

OfS has built one dashboard to rule them all - DK has thoughts

David Kernohan|Data|16/09/26

Everything you ever wanted to know about TRAC

Everything you ever wanted to know about TRAC

David Kernohan|Data|18/08/26

A bumper crop of higher education entrants, but is university becoming less popular among the better off?

A bumper crop of higher education entrants, but is university becoming less popular among the better off?

David Kernohan|Data|13/08/26

The NSS shows us that students still seem to like higher education

The NSS shows us that students still seem to like higher education

David Kernohan|Data|09/07/26

What can GCSE performance tell us about salaries aged 27?

What can GCSE performance tell us about salaries aged 27?

David Kernohan|Data|25/06/26

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Latest Articles

Students of faith need more than a prayer room

Students of faith need more than a prayer room

Mary Hunter|Comment|21/10/26

Understanding universities from the perspective of place

Understanding universities from the perspective of place

David Mba|Comment|21/10/26

Wales picks benchmarks over bright lines to judge tertiary quality

Wales picks benchmarks over bright lines to judge tertiary quality

Jim Dickinson|Policy Watch|20/10/26

Universities should stop selling degrees and start building lifelong relationships

Universities should stop selling degrees and start building lifelong relationships

Dirk Schaefer|Comment|20/10/26

Universities can’t leave LGBTQ+ researchers to manage the backlash alone

Universities can’t leave LGBTQ+ researchers to manage the backlash alone

Rosie Nelson|Comment|20/10/26

Boards can’t predict the future, but they can make sure their institution is ready for it

Boards can’t predict the future, but they can make sure their institution is ready for it

Debbie McVitty|Comment|19/10/26

The Higher Education Show

Podcast: Innovation nation, emerging leaders, graduate recruitment

Team Wonkhe|16/10/26

Podcast: Academic integrity and AI, Conservative conference

Team Wonkhe|08/10/26

Podcast: Hope (again), Mi5

Team Wonkhe|02/10/26

Podcast: International recruitment, graduate social mobility

The Post-18 Project: Demographic downturn and the post-18 system

David Kernohan|The Post-18 Project|08/06/26

Team Wonkhe|25/09/26

Research policy · News · Intelligence

The new daily news and intelligence service for UK research policy.

Free to read through the founding period – until January 2027.

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Latest from Research Agenda

Innovation and industry22 OctGovernment declines call for update to spinout review
Government and politics21 OctMPs call UKRI’s IP policy “far too cautious”
Government and politics21 OctWhere will the £1bn for world-leading clusters come from?

The long read – 27 September

Making Sense of Higher Education – the literature review

Team Wonkhe dives into the books, resources and ideas that have helped us make sense of higher education in our own ways

Read the full article

Making Sense of Higher Education – the literature review

Essay·20 OctThe moon and the ghetto, revisited

Government and politics·20 OctJonathan Reynolds: some of the R&D budget could be spent “in a better way” at the local level

The research system·20 OctThe British Academy asks whether the dual support system is fit for the future