Office for Students (OfS)

New chair and ministers have scope to reshape regulator, as leadership and board roles potentially open up at politically fraught time

Ex-chair discusses his time at regulator, next project reviewing delivery for the Westminster government and new book Accomplishment

Regulator goes ahead with new guidance despite opposition from sector, citing impact of Covid-19 on sector finances

But first phase of review ordered by ministers finds preference to continue with ‘existing annual census’

Graduate employment outcomes are obviously crucial. Yet we must be wary of judging courses and institutions on the basis of a few useful but misleading metrics

Given the year we've just had, we might expect some acknowledgment of the need to address student welfare online, say Andy Phippen and Emma Bond

Appointment of former Conservative MP as chair of English higher education regulator ‘adds to catalogue of cronyism’

Gavin Williamson tells English regulator it ‘should not hesitate’ to issue fines if planned absolute baselines are not met

Education Select Committee endorses appointment of Lord Wharton as Office for Students chair

Lord Wharton says ‘top universities’ should have lighter-touch regulation in pre-appointment hearing

Outgoing Office for Students chair defends university expansion before taking up government role

Office for Students proposal to measure student progress to ‘professional’ jobs without benchmarking could deter universities from recruiting disadvantaged learners, sector warns

Lord Wharton of Yarm urged to get up to speed with challenges as ‘quickly as possible’ if appointment confirmed

Lord Wharton set to succeed Sir Michael Barber at helm of English sector regulator

Chair of English regulator criticises universities for talking up independence and then seeking support during pandemic

English regulator to work with students and their unions to increase awareness of its powers

Office for Students sets out plans for tougher minimum standards related to student outcomes, including degree completion rates and graduate employment

Bloomsbury Institute added to English register after Court of Appeal quashed Office for Students’ original refusal

As DfE prioritises drive against ‘low-value’ courses, TEF said to be viewed as inadequate while OfS may be reset under new chair

Former Theresa May adviser Nick Timothy to interview hopefuls to head regulator, alongside Tory peer, former Tory MP and ex-Tory candidate

English regulator ordered to pay substantial costs to Bloomsbury Institute after blocking loan access

English regulator also says it wants to reduce overall burden on providers

Long-awaited publication of Pearce review expected in autumn, but lack of time and changes in government priorities make 2021 awards unlikely

English regulator consults on proposals to force institutions to ‘teach out’ existing students before closing

New rule represents scaling back of ‘alarmingly broad’ original proposal from regulator

Head of English regulator will not seek a second term and will leave in spring 2021

The approach to monetary penalties proposed by the UK’s Office for Students risks penalising well-run universities disproportionately, argues Martin Vincent 

Commentators say the English regulator’s ‘sensible’ change in policy and tone should become the norm after the coronavirus crisis ends

New objective to support university finances during Covid-19 crisis suggests a new path for England’s higher education regulator

Ed Byrne warns Office for Students could be creating a model where university leaders have less freedom

Tory manifesto pledge brings questions over Office for Students’ future approach on quality - and whether it is right organisation to judge

Office for Students registration process alone cost sector combined £2 million, according to unpublished UUK report

English regulator’s chief executive sets out priorities for year ahead, including admissions and recruitment review

Being transparent about the existence of poor-quality provision is essential if we are to tackle it effectively, says Nicola Dandridge

Paper warns that Office for Students must work to build ‘constructive dialogue’ and ‘assure itself’ that it meets legal requirements

English regulator promises to make Student Welfare and Safeguarding Expert Advisory panel more representative

England’s Office for Students also says 13 providers are in ‘representations process’ after being provisionally refused loans access

For-profit college says it has been granted permission for judicial review against ‘unlawful’ refusal, which blocks loan access

Statistical limitations of results likely to be exacerbated by widening of questionnaire beyond final-year undergraduates, warns researcher

OfS plan comes as v-c warns government focus on graduate earnings value will ‘downgrade’ excellent universities beyond London

Barking and Dagenham College loses injunction bid on publication but has also filed judicial review over refusal

Institutions without place on Office for Students’ list unable to confirm loan eligibility for new recruits

But overall students are split on the policy of making lower grade offers to applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds

OfS rules that Bloomsbury Institute Limited cannot be included on register of providers because of quality and governance concerns

England’s new Disabled Students Commission will help eliminate the institutional missteps that can still blight disabled students’ experiences, says Chris Skidmore

Office for Students has sent ‘minded to refuse’ letters to 20 providers

Private equity-owned BIMM to receive £2.4m in teaching grant as OfS funds new providers for first time

But Nicola Dandridge says that ‘to pile limited public resource into failing institution’ would be mistake

David Green says exposing pay disparities within universities may encourage removing lower-paid staff from direct payroll

Angela Rayner pledges to order regulator to ‘avoid university bankruptcies’ in bid to end Tories’ ‘failed free market experiment’

England’s fledgling university regulator is in too much of a hurry to make an impact and curry favour with ministers, says Gill Evans

V-c suggests English regulator, created a year ago, is ‘probably not long for this world’

Essex institution becomes second institution to be hit by Office for Students access penalty

Universities told to reduce gap in entry rates between most and least disadvantaged applicants by almost half by 2024-25 and eliminate it altogether by the end of the subsequent decade

Office for Students says it will require some institutions to revise their contingency plans for closure

‘Seriously negligent’ university overcharged students on franchised course ‘persistently’

Office for Students chair says institutions must be ‘better at managing their affairs’ after reports that some are in financial trouble

Office for Students starts work on master’s version of National Student Survey

Office for Students fails to meet schedule for latest tranche of register of providers amid concerns about approach

Office for Students makes nearly two-third of board papers ‘exempt from publication’ at latest board meeting