Julian Gravatt is Deputy Chief Executive at the Association of Colleges where he works on in funding, finance, pensions and regulation issues on behalf of FE and sixth form colleges in England.
10 pieces
Newest first, since July 2014
· Comment
What would be the impact of the freedom of speech bill on colleges?
Further education colleges are used to being overlooked and underfunded – but the free speech bill will have serious consequences for the sector, argues Julian Gravatt
· Comment
Maybe this will be the government that delivers for further education
The further education sector has heard much of what the Secretary of State has to say before. But cynical responses don’t meet the increasingly urgent need for reform, says Julian Gravatt.
· Analysis
College mergers matter more to universities than you think
The area reviews of post-16 education and training have caused a commotion in FE and colleges sector. Julian Gravatt looks at the knock-on effect on the HE market, admissions, and regulation.
· Comment
The OfS must not overlook FE colleges
Julian Gravatt of the Association Colleges gives his take on the Higher Education and Research Bill and wonders if the OfS will account for all types of student.
· Analysis
Budget 2016: High politics may trump real policy
George Osborne will publish his seventh budget less than four weeks away on 16th March 2016 and with a looming referendum and high politics dominating the agenda, it’s likely to be his most short and technical to date.
· Analysis
Spending review: the unthinkable predictions
Returning to his ‘unthinkable’ work from December 2014, Julian Gravatt compares the worst predictions to the realities of the Spending Review and finds a mixed bag, with things not being nearly bad as it might have been,
· Analysis
The Budget: what it means for the longer-term
A few days on from the 2015 Budget, Julian Gravatt maps out the longer-term economic landscape for universities, science and the rest of the BIS budget which now faces further pressure and challenges.
· Analysis
£6,000 fees: unanswered questions
As the dust settles on the Labour announcement that they would lower fees to £6,000 next year, Julian Gravatt looks in detail at the policy and asks ten questions on funding, regulation and policy that are raised by the
· Analysis
Understanding the unthinkable post-2015 cuts
The Autumn Statement confirmed the Chancellor’s plans to make further substantial cuts in the next Parliament. Around £4bn will likely have to come out of the budget for Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Ju
· Analysis
The future of Higher National Diplomas
Anyone interested in higher education funding and regulation should take some time out in the next few weeks to think about Higher National Diplomas. The plan recently announced by BIS to transfer HNDs and HNCs out of th