Mike Ratcliffe
@mike-rat.bsky.social
đ€ 555
đ„ 91
đ 944
Student and university administrator
https://moremeansbetter.wordpress.com
Sites of former HE providers: a series. In 1335 the regulator (Edward III) suppressed the University of Stamford. Masters of Arts at Oxford continued to swear not to teach at any other university in England except Cambridge and specifically not Stamford until 1827.
#Histed
about 19 hours ago
1
0
0
While itâs possible for a government to do two things at once, it does seem extraordinary that the US government has turned its attention to the money being spent on College football.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
loading . . .
Urgent National Action to Save College Sports
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/urgent-national-action-to-save-college-sports/
4 days ago
0
0
1
More on the potential sale of the University of Buckinghamâs operation to a for-profit company. Thereâs a fine piece of mischief in here - the picture used is of the former Crewe campus - an utterly disastrous initiative.
thecritic.co.uk/asset-stripp...
loading . . .
Asset-stripping on campus? | Tim Congdon | The Critic Magazine
Selling universities to private companies risks destroying their charitable purpose
https://thecritic.co.uk/asset-stripping-on-campus/
6 days ago
1
1
0
Our biggest concern must be for genuine students caught in this problem. But, as Jim notes, have DfE/SLC made an assumption that many arenât genuine? They have the numbers from cases such as ABA, Brit & OBC - is that why? And then, what happens when the college goes bust?
wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...
add a skeleton here at some point
7 days ago
0
1
1
Sites of former HEIs: Wesley College, Bristol. An example of planned consolidation, the Methodist Church bought a new site in 1946, selling other colleges and amalgamating them. But costs were too high and the college was closed (see archived website) now a retirement home.
7 days ago
1
0
0
There's a lot of very sound advice in this
@lseheblog.bsky.social
podcast - doing HE mergers for strategically sound reasons is the best option - they are not a way of saving money in the short term.
blogs.lse.ac.uk/highereducat...
loading . . .
University mergers: head, heart, and hidden costs - LSE Higher Education
With UK universities facing severe financial pressure, merger talk is everywhere. In this podcast, Elisabeth Hill, Chris Husbands, and Huw Morris warn that purely financially driven mergers without st...
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/highereducation/2026/03/31/university-mergers-head-heart-and-hidden-costs/
8 days ago
0
0
1
Outcomes-based regulation has failed to maintain what Sir David Watson called the âcontrolled reputational rangeâ. Here
@jimdickinson.bsky.social
joins the dots - the picture is a group of for-profit providers (mostly franchising) making a lot of money.
wonkhe.com/blogs/regula...
loading . . .
https://wonkhe.com/blogs/regulatory-failure-is-letting-ways-to-widen-access-get-a-bad-name/
9 days ago
1
0
1
Another reminder of the wide world of higher education - at Euston yesterday saw people with these distinctive bright green scarves. Awards from CNM in herbal medicine, homeopathy and nutrition at ceremony in Friends House.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=HZtv...
loading . . .
đ CNM Graduation Ceremony 2026 â Live Stream
YouTube video by College of Naturopathic Medicine
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HZtvsqKpCb4
10 days ago
0
0
0
Former sites of HEIs: a series. The shared home of the LCC Central School and the London Day Training College. Opened by Lord Rosebery in 1907, the LDTC had moved from sharing with Northampton Institute. It later moved to Senate House then Bedford Way.
#UCL200
#Histed
11 days ago
2
2
1
Hereâs another problem arising from franchising - students who were promised they could study just at the weekend only shouldnât have been eligible for FT maintenance loans.
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
loading . . .
Over A Dozen Universities Wrongly Spent ÂŁ190m Of Taxpayers' Money On Student Loans
Exclusive: A student loans mistake by universities has seen up to ÂŁ190m of taxpayersâ money wrongly given to unaware students, PoliticsHome can rev...
https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/universities-wrongly-spent-nearly-two-hundred-million-taxypayers-money-student-loans
12 days ago
0
0
0
Nice to see
@ukri.org
explaining its role at Swindon railway station. Posters may be old school advertising, but this campaign explains the difference that research makes to lives.
www.ukri.org/news-and-eve...
14 days ago
0
2
0
Another FE merger brings the number of registered providers down to 425. Exeter College has merged with North Devon College and so Petroc has come off the register. The college uses the name 'University Centre for Northern Devon' but it's not listed as trading name by OfS.
14 days ago
0
0
0
We now have measures from OfS and DfE to protect public money by strengthening oversight of partnership delivery. But, if some partnerships with non-genuine students close, where will the money go? A blog on precedents:
moremeansbetter.wordpress.com/2026/03/24/w...
loading . . .
Where will the money to pay for delivering courses to people who arenât genuine students go?
Thereâs a concern that there are ânon-genuineâ students in the system. Should delivery partners be allowed to keep the profits from âteachingâ them?
https://moremeansbetter.wordpress.com/2026/03/24/where-will-the-money-to-pay-for-delivering-courses-to-people-who-arent-genuine-students-go/
15 days ago
0
0
1
Shotover House grounds open for âDaffodil Dayâ. Once part of a royal forest, lots of developments in the 18th century including William Kent designed Octagonal Temple.
17 days ago
1
0
0
I like how the OfS make keeping up with their regulatory activity more fun. On Tuesday they put up a link to a DAP report and then took it down again. The London School of Innovation has had DAPs for a week now. The link is still there but no report
add a skeleton here at some point
17 days ago
0
0
0
A future aspiration for the LLE might include L7, but itâs hard to see how it could operate across the two loan current schemes for UG and Masters. Good look at the issue from Michelle Morgan.
www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/03/22/w...
loading . . .
WEEKEND READING: Why including only a âhandfulâ of  Level 7 modules from the LLE is a huge, missed opportunity - HEPI
This blog was kindly authored by Dr Michelle Morgan, Dean of Students, University of East London. So, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement will come into effect in September 2026. It will replace: From S...
https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/03/22/weekend-reading-why-including-only-a-handful-of-level-7-modules-from-the-lle-is-a-huge-missed-opportunity/
17 days ago
0
0
0
Excellent myth busting from
@hbsj.bsky.social
on how the Russell Group got its name (the hotel is now the Kimpton Fitzroy) Plus a chance to remember the wisdom (and mischief) of Sir David Watson on gap between the âBottom Russellersâ and the rest.
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/sir-dav...
add a skeleton here at some point
19 days ago
0
4
2
Todayâs wfh distraction is the assembly of the crane on the B2 plot of the Old Rd Campus. Hopefully signifying the end of Saturday morning pile-driving, this will put up a new Vaccinology Centre linked with a Pandemic Sciences Centre. We can put up with the distraction for this end.
20 days ago
1
1
0
The choice of statues to adorn the purpose built University of London building in Burlington Gardens was said to reflect its difference from older English universities. Hence Bentham & Hume plus foreign scientists such as Leibniz, Cuvier & Linnaeus.
add a skeleton here at some point
20 days ago
0
1
1
One of the nice things about commuting weekly is noticing the change in sunlight in sudden bounds. Tonight it was still light when arriving back in Oxford for the first time in months.
20 days ago
0
2
0
OfS has published a regulatory case report and an assessment report for a provider that withdrew its application to join the register. This is a good piece of openness: recently itâs been impossible to know if a provider has applied & not got through.
www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications...
loading . . .
Regulatory case report for King Stage Limited - Office for Students
This regulatory case report summarises concerns we identified about King Stage Limited as we were assessing its application to register with us.
https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/regulatory-case-report-for-king-stage-limited/?utm_source=OfS+alerts&utm_campaign=8adfc1f1a9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_03_18_10_29&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-8adfc1f1a9-358661080
21 days ago
1
1
0
Itâs clear that a proportion of students accepted onto some franchise courses were not genuine. That is being curtsiled, but it coild have been done quicker. There is a genuine question about getting the money back - in some cases the profits have been very high.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
loading . . .
Romanians 'claim record number of student loans in a suspected fraud'
Romanians reportedly claim more than four times as many ÂŁ13,000 loans as any other nationality and come in second to the 1.1million Brits who have taken on student debt to go to university.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15653489/Romanians-student-loans-suspected-fraud.html
21 days ago
1
1
0
OfS degree awarding powers news. In an email comes confirmation of the news that Point Blank has DAPs, now that both the report and the link to the order are on the website. The powers come into force on 1 April 2026 - the register confirms that the provider does not have DAP (yet).
add a skeleton here at some point
22 days ago
1
2
0
Sites of former HEIs - a series. Dorset House, Clifton Down was the first occupational therapy school, offering a two year course. Opened in 1930 it later moved to Headington where it merged with Oxford Polytechnic in 1992. There's an excellent online archive:
www.brookes.ac.uk/library/coll...
22 days ago
0
0
0
Peter Scott discusses whether mergers are silver bullets? Useful to recall that the government sponsored mergers in the 1960s to create new institutions with sufficient critical mass to maintain high standards (called Polytechnics).
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
loading . . .
Mergers as silver bullets?
Most mergers in higher education have really been acquisitions of smaller and more vulnerable institutions by larger and stronger ones. The aim has been to produce more financially robust and acade...
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23322969.2026.2640866#abstract
22 days ago
0
0
1
OfS degree awarding powers news: the London School of Innovation Ltd has time-limited DAPs up to masters level in four subject areas. The order was made on 10 March and came into force on 13 March.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/27...
loading . . .
The Power to Award Degrees etc. (London School of Innovation Ltd) Order 2026
This Order authorises London School of Innovation Ltd (UKPRN: 10091282) to grant the taught awards mentioned in article 2 of this Order for a fixed term beginning on 13th March 2026 and expiring at th...
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/273/contents/made
23 days ago
0
1
0
OfS Register News: the count is now down to 426 providers. The College of Osteopaths has âvoluntarily deregistered as it no longer intends to deliver higher education in Englandâ.
www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-provider...
add a skeleton here at some point
23 days ago
0
2
0
Lord Willetts on the opportunity for mass higher education to pick up the ethos of Bildung, arising from his review of Lord Biggarâs book. Biggar does note that you might be able to spot a political bias in the book; which is a considerable understatement.
www.ft.com/content/19b2...
24 days ago
1
1
0
The launch by OfS of the E10 condition is a big shift. The target is clearly for-profit higher education in city centre branches. Presumably someone has a plan to make sure the genuine students at these places are protected as things become tricky for their providers?
25 days ago
0
1
1
The UK HE sector can do collaboration really well - today members of
@acregcouncil.bsky.social
came together to talk about mergers, shared services and the timeline for the lifelong learning entitlement. Lots of sharing between very different âprovidersâ.
26 days ago
0
0
0
A new OfS condition (e10) on subcontracting requires that âproviders must ensure that any risks to the interests of students and/or taxpayers posed by its ⊠subcontractual arrangements are effectively identified and addressedâ. Thereâs a good summary here:
wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...
loading . . .
OfS unveils registration condition on subcontracting
DK and Jim get stuck in to new condition E10
https://wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/ofs-unveils-registration-condition-on-subcontracting/
27 days ago
1
0
0
Although not perfect, universities are vast engines for social cohesion - full of initiatives within and without campus. Jim is right to point out that none of the good stuff (plus the opportunity to do more) gets into the governmentâs action plan.
wonkhe.com/blogs/what-t...
loading . . .
What the government's Social Cohesion Action Plan means for universities and students
Jim Dickinson explores how the governmentâs latest social cohesion plans revive longstanding tensions on campus between Prevent compliance and free speech duties Jim Dickinson explores how the governm...
https://wonkhe.com/blogs/what-the-governments-social-cohesion-action-plan-means-for-universities-and-students/
29 days ago
0
2
0
Regulation of the English HE sector is too much like a black box - itâs hard to tell whatâs going on. That may not help providers understand requirements, or students to know where there are issues.
@dkernohan.bsky.social
has a look at what we know.
wonkhe.com/blogs/decisi...
loading . . .
Decision-making, for regulators
The Office for Students makes many regulatory decisions, but the evidence for these decisions is often hard to come by. David Kernohan asks whether more transparency would make for better regulation
https://wonkhe.com/blogs/decision-making-for-regulators/
30 days ago
0
0
0
Hereâs a curious thing. Nine weeks ago the Telegraph published a detailed piece on some Tax Payers Alliance âresearchâ - with numbers and âanalysisâ on âwokeâ university courses. Except the report never came - even in another period of scrutiny of HE.
moremeansbetter.wordpress.com/2026/01/17/t...
loading . . .
Too woke to publish
The Telegraph ran an article about a report on Mickey Mouse degrees, but the TPA hasnât actually published the report.
https://moremeansbetter.wordpress.com/2026/01/17/too-woke-to-publish/
about 1 month ago
0
3
0
Student appears on GB News with more means worse talking points: fewer people should go to university (â50% target makes it meaninglessâ), LEO isnât published, university doesnât equip you for the world of work.
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
Imagine running a campaign where the premise is the government is suppressing data deliberately, while in reality the government pays money to maintain a website to publish that data. How much chutzpah must it take to keep lying about this day after day? More detail from Jim on
@wonkhe.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
0
1
0
Commuting is fraught with many variables that can hold you up. This eveningâs trip disrupted by canal boat crash.
www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2590880...
loading . . .
Boat crash at Oxford bridge as emergency services rush to scene
A boat has crashed into Folly Bridge in Oxford and emergency services have rushed to the scene, closing the road to traffic and pedestrians.
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/25908805.boat-crash-oxford-bridge-major-emergency-response/
about 1 month ago
0
1
0
OfS may not have been the principal regulator in these cases, but the public interest governance principles apply to FECs offering HE. Some of these providers have various levels of degree awarding powers.
feweek.co.uk/the-fe-secto...
loading . . .
The FE sector needs accountability, not NDAs
Too much in further education is hidden behind legal letters and non-disclosure agreements
https://feweek.co.uk/the-fe-sector-has-an-ethics-problem-it-needs-accountability-not-ndas/
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
History of education tells us a lot about the past and present, but we were all keen to hear
@joshpatel.bsky.social
on what this period of HE history tells us about the future. Very helpful to be able to join book launch online today (discount here:
www.routledge.com/Universities...
)
#histed
about 1 month ago
0
3
0
The OfS key performance measure on registration of new providers is an average of 175 days. There was a pause in considering registrations until 28 August 2025 (which was also when the last new provider was announced) which was 182 days ago.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
1
0
0
OfS Provider Closure News: The College of Osteopaths has announced that it will be closing on 28 February 2026. Students can continue with the validating university or transfer.
www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students...
loading . . .
Closure of the College of Osteopaths â information for students - Office for Students
Information for students on the closure of the College of Osteopaths, including options for continuing your studies or receiving credit for your academic attainment to date.
https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students/student-rights/closure-of-the-college-of-osteopaths-information-for-students/
about 1 month ago
1
0
1
New HESES data from OfS shows the HE system may have changed. The provider with the second most UG students is now Arden. They have 36,535 UG students (plus 6,395 PG) Arden has a specific B3 condition linked to substantial growth - in the report they were projected to have 22,000 in October 2025.
about 1 month ago
1
0
0
MPs now have 90 seconds to read in concerns about student loan repayment plans in Westminster Hall debate. Support for the transformative power of HE and the importance of institutions in MPâs constituencies. But few supporters of plan 2 repayments.
about 1 month ago
1
1
0
This, by Debbie McVitty, gives a good idea of the complexity of assessment & its administration. While there might be talk of efficiency, this is high stakes. No one wants to muck up studentsâ assessments, least of all the practitioners
@acregcouncil.bsky.social
wonkhe.com/blogs/wires-...
loading . . .
Wires within wires â the hidden complexity of managing higher education assessment
Debbie McVitty finds out why the people who administer university assessment are navigating an ever more tangled landscape â and why that complexity is not a sign of failure
https://wonkhe.com/blogs/wires-within-wires-the-hidden-complexity-of-managing-higher-education-assessment/
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
Happy staring at the OfS TEF dashboard day for all those who âcelebrateâ it. Now joins up B3 data (as in the proposed integrated scheme) - sector data shows a not very subtle issue in continuation⊠(salmon pink is not good news)
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
Itâs correct that no inferences should be made about the causes of late publication, but when OfS issues a new accounts direction it should add a requirement for an explanation for all publications a month late. Several of the late reports were signed on time - OfS should enforce 2 week publication.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
1
0
0
Education Secretary attacks the notion of reducing university places by 100,000. Reducing access tomorrow is not the answer to graduates loans from yesterday.
about 1 month ago
1
9
2
Excellent to see two politicians with close involvement with higher education were addressing graduates at Regent College London last week. They praised the studentsâ achievement of a British degree - a world recognised standard of educational achievement.
www.rcl.ac.uk/news/rcl-win...
about 2 months ago
1
1
0
Academic freedom & freedom of speech are not âin the DNAâ of universities as some claim. They are hard-won privileges that need protection and we need to be alive to the possibility they are not equally distributed. Some myth busting here:
www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/02/19/c...
loading . . .
âCancel cultureâ is older than we think - HEPI
This blog was kindly authored by Helen Mountfield, KC, Principal of Mansfield College, University of Oxford (@helenmountfield.bsky.social). You could say that cancel culture has been an issue at the U...
https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/02/19/cancel-culture-is-older-than-we-think/
about 2 months ago
0
0
1
It is simply *not* the case that the âoriginal purposeâ of universities was âas expensive finishing schools for the upper classesâ. It may be that two of them drifted into that, but that highlights how unrepresentative they are of UK higher education.
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
loading . . .
The appeal of university is fading year by year
Student debt, grade inflation and the rise of AI have all eroded the status of higher education: is the golden age ending?
https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/appeal-university-is-fading-9d8hlxqjb?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcf-SfErJLIthl6RSx83JOOtvP4sqy6mmfAEQrWPIF1KNQhAhGkMjCv8JEV1AU%3D&gaa_ts=69955d40&gaa_sig=eNb1NNp8gOVyEpaJkiukp6CjVKjDllo9t8r3pxIBA_5VGMvfJVuMmeALD6V7yvuRmuAtjDPnvcp1oLB4D8pHvQ%3D%3D
about 2 months ago
0
3
0
Load more
feeds!
log in