51st meeting of the OfS board, 15 July 2026

Hello, I am Professor Edward Peck, chair of the Office for Students. This is my update on the discussions at our latest board planning and development event and our full meeting held on 14 and 15 of July. The papers which we are able to publish are available on our website now.

These were the first full board events attended by the OfS's new chief executives Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne who joined in May. Ruth and Polly shared their early reflections on the opportunities and challenges facing the OfS, including the significant programme of work planned for the coming months. What really stood out was their genuine and longstanding enthusiasm for the importance of the role of the OfS in the higher education sector and the positive impact we can have on students. We can all look forward to this next phase of the OfS's development as we benefit from their leadership.

First of all, a few words about the board planning and development sessions. These give us a chance to reflect on how we work together, drawing on the vast expertise and experience that each member brings and where we pinpoint how we can improve.

In my last video, I said that the board would be discussing lessons we had learned from the University of Sussex judicial review. This was a long session where we explored not just what that judgment meant for our regulation but also considered a wider range of feedback both internal and external. It was a thorough and constructive debate with the executive reflecting openly on where we are and members engaging seriously with the issues. I cannot do the conversation justice in just a few words. We spoke about the importance of trust between ourselves and providers and how we must understand more how regulation feels from their perspective and how essential it is for providers to feel they are all being treated fairly. At the same time, we recommitted to acting in a confident and robust manner where we see issues that have to be addressed. We will share much more about the outcomes of this conversation for you and for us as we head into the early autumn.

At the board meeting itself, we discussed several papers across a range of topics.

A major part of our formal meeting focused on the next stage of development of a revised integrated quality system including proposals for the Teaching Excellence Framework. We considered preparations for a second stage consultation building on the work already undertaken and the comments we have received to date. The Student Interest Board and the Provider Panel had examined these proposals shortly before the board, providing valuable perspectives that influence the board's deliberations in particular concerning the implications for providers of receiving a bronze rating. We are aiming to publish the stage two consultation in September and the board will continue to be involved through the different stages of consultation.

Also on the agenda were potential changes to our approach to the regulation of funding of access and participation. As we've been sharing already, one focus of our reforms will be on our plans to support regional collaboration, recognising the central role local and regional partnerships can play in delivering positive outcomes. We want to build on the work done by providers independently and through their work driven by Uni Connect, the 29 partnerships of universities, colleges and other local organisations which offer activities, advice and information to prospective students. 

At the same time, the board talked about how we can ensure that our approach in this area aligns with our work on quality, with providers being held more accountable for delivering on their own commitments. As this work develops, we will continue to engage with students, providers, and other stakeholders to ensure that our approach is both effective and proportionate. We aim to publish more details on plans for regional access partnerships in the autumn.

We received operational proposals relating to the delivery of the free speech complaints scheme which will open on September 1st, discussing arrangements to ensure that the scheme operates effectively and in line with the requirements set out in legislation. Guidance on the scheme will be published in August.

Alongside these matters, the board received reports on a range of topics relating to the management and performance of the OfS, including people and finance, as well as reports from our various committees, including the newly established Public Affairs Committee and the Financial Sustainability Advisory Panel.

Across all our discussions, we remain focused on the outcomes that matter most. Ensuring that we have a diverse and sustainable higher education sector so that students with the ability to benefit from higher education can do so whatever and wherever their background. That focus continues to underpin the board's work and our responsibilities as England's higher education regulator.

Thank you for listening and I hope you can take some time to refresh and recharge over the summer. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me direct at [email protected].