Competition is everywhere in higher education, but Nic Beech and Jackie Njoroge see the value in – messy, complex, but ultimately rewarding – collaboration. To access the Blog click here

Record progression for UK 18-year-olds The headline figure for day 28 is that record numbers of UK 18-year-olds have secured a place at university or college this year, with 277,790 acceptances compared to 270,350 (+2.8 per cent) in 2023 and 239,460 (+16.0 per cent) in 2019. To access the article click here

It’s a story that sounds familiar to anyone who’s been following the fate of franchising in higher education in England ever since then universities minister Jo Johnson said that the state of HE subcontracting was “akin to Byron Burger having to ask permission of McDonald’s to open up a new restaurant” back in 2015. Now, following a National Audit Office investigation and action from the Office for Students (OfS), we learn of “widespread academic misconduct”, inadequate contracts, TikTok ads that say “the government will pay the student to study”, and universities “prioritising the financial benefits of these arrangements over the quality of courses”. With universities increasingly cash-strapped, these arrangements are proliferating along with the risks. click here to access the link

BTECs are an important entry route to higher education, and one that has been under threat. During a welcome pause to plans, Alice Wilby asks how universities can better support students who hold them. Rightly, many institutions and mission groups have been vocal in their support of the campaign to save BTEC qualifications. However, even though the immediate changes are paused, with a commitment from Bridget Phillipson to “review the diversity of options at level 3”, there is more that the sector needs to do. To access the article click here