Policy area: Education

Reports

Being indispensable: Capabilities for a human-AI world, the ‘FUTURES’ framework

This report from UK think tank HEPI advises universities to act now on GenAI - and to put human competency at the centre. A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), Being indispensable: Capabilities for a human-AI world, the ‘FUTURES’ framework, argues that universities should take more robust approaches to GenAI integration, as...

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Student loan reform: weighing the trade-offs

This report from UK think tank IPPR outlines the pros and cons of various policy options for student loan reform. Millions of graduates are paying more for longer as frozen thresholds and high interest rates bite, leaving ministers with tough choices on how to deliver meaningful, targeted relief. This report outlines the pros and cons...

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Assessing potential manifesto commitments on higher education funding in Wales

This report from UK think tank HEPI publishes modelling on proposed higher education funding reforms in the run up to the Senedd elections. The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and London Economics have published modelling on proposed reforms for higher education funding in Wales in the run up to the Senedd elections on 7 May...

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Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker – February 2026

This report from UK think tank The David Hume Institute looks at the economic outlook for Scots. Scots feel marginally less pessimistic about the country's economy, but pressure on spending remains. Nearly half of Scottish voters say healthcare is one of the most important issues facing Scotland, followed closely by the cost of living, according...

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Private tutoring 2026

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust looks at the gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in the use of private tutoring. Paying for private tuition alongside mainstream schooling has become ever more common. But its expansion risks entrenching a two-tier system, where better-off families can buy extra advantages that remain out...

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From investment to outcomes: Capabilities to deliver purposeful public investment in research

This report from UK think tank HEPI considers how to maximise the potential of public spending on research. A new paper by research impact specialists at UCL, From investment to outcomes: Capabilities to deliver purposeful public investment in research (HEPI Policy Note 69), considers how to maximise the potential of public spending on research. The...

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‘We believe this is the way to do it’: Exploring the City St George’s merger

This report from UK think tank HEPI offers rare real-world guidance from an unusually large and high-stakes merger. City St George’s: HEPI report sets out practical insights and recommendations from a landmark university merger. A new HEPI report, ‘We believe this is the way to do it’: Exploring the City St George’s Merger (HEPI Report...

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Making metrics matter: A more ambitious approach to tackling racial inequity in higher education

This report from UK think tank HEPI calls for structural changes to accelerate improvements towards racial equity in English higher education. A new paper by Dr Katharine Hubbard, Making Metrics Matter: Tackling Racial Inequity in Higher Education (HEPI Debate Paper 43), argues progress towards racial equity in English higher education has been ‘notoriously slow’ and...

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Fixing the SEND system

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the current policy landscape to assess which reforms are likely to work in practice. England’s SEND system is widely recognised to be in crisis. Government is considering reform but must choose between politically risky structural change and limited tweaks that leave core problems unresolved....

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Exploring multi-academy trust approaches to artificial intelligence

This report from UK think tank the Education Policy Institute examines how MATs are navigating the adoption and development of new technologies. Artificial intelligence is already embedded across many of the tools used by educators and pupils, supporting lesson planning, resource creation, and the tailoring of learning materials to individual needs. It is also increasingly...

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Are students still ‘woke’?

This report from UK think tank HEPI explores students' views on free speech issues. In a new poll on a range of free speech issues, 35% of full-time undergraduate students say they think Reform UK ‘should be banned from speaking at events held at higher education institutions’. The new opinion poll, which was conducted by...

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Using artificial intelligence (AI) to advance translational research

This report from UK think tank HEPI explores the potential of AI to advance translational research.   A new report by HEPI and Taylor & Francis explores the potential of AI to advance translational research and accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to real-world application. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Advance Translational Research (HEPI Policy Note...

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Care to negotiate?

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation discusses how to make a success of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body. This briefing note sets out recommendations to ensure the new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body can get off the ground quickly, while leaving scope to iterate and refine over time, so that it...

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Rethinking student voice: how can higher education design effective student governance?

This report from UK think tank HEPI argues that many governing boards still fail to make space for student voices in higher education. A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute examines how student governors frequently feel marginalised in institutional oversight, and offers actionable reforms to ensure legitimacy, inclusion and real influence. The report...

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The value of a knowledge-rich curriculum

This report from UK think tank Civitas offers an insight into the merits and realities of a knowledge-rich curriculum. This essay collection is a multi-author anthology bringing together a wide range of professionals from teaching, education leadership, policy and academia to discuss the aims, impact and potential of a knowledge-rich curriculum approach in schools. With...

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