The Open University

Fix broken part-time market in England with flexible learning incentive

3 May 2018

The Open University (OU) is calling on the Government to introduce a new “flexible learning incentive” in its submission to the Post-18 Review into education and funding in England. The OU argues that the main cause of the dramatic decline in the number of HE students aged 21 and over in England – especially among […]

Apprenticeship accounts have £1.28 billion stockpiled, OU analysis reveals

6 April 2018

More than £1.28 billion of the funding that has been paid into the apprenticeship levy is still sitting in National Apprenticeship Service accounts, new data analysis commissioned by The Open University has found. The analysis revealed organisations in England have withdrawn just £108m of the massive £1.39 billion they have paid into the apprenticeship levy. Meanwhile, […]

Reports renew the campaign to shine light on part-time learning

16 March 2018

New reports from MillionPlus and the Sutton Trust put the spotlight firmly on the decline in part-time student numbers. Both reports follow on from OU Vice-Chancellor, Peter Horrocks’ recent interventions in the campaign, which helped lead to part-time and distance learning teaching being part of the Post-18 Review in England. Commenting at the publication of […]

Open University calls for Apprenticeship shake up

14 March 2018

Vice-Chancellor calls for ‘modular apprenticeships’ to develop bespoke programmes, custom-made for business needs One in three (32%) business leaders want apprenticeships with greater flexibility New approach would put employers in control, as well as addressing existing concerns about content and adaptability Today Peter Horrocks, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, will call for a relaxation of […]

It’s time to work together to make apprenticeships work

8 March 2018

With new statistics showing a lack of faith in the UK government’s apprenticeship target, the OU presses for joined up working to enable the scheme to succeed in this National Apprenticeship Week. A survey by the Chartered Management Institute found that nearly half of managers surveyed believed the UK government is unlikely to reach its […]

How to study with mental health issues – advice to students from students

1 March 2018

The OU has more students who tell us about their mental health issues than any other university in the UK. From talking to your tutor to binge studying on the good days, from planning your day to embracing even the smallest achievement, here’s some sage advice from those who’ve been there… 1) It’s good to […]

The Open University's Berrill Building in Milton Keynes

“A University of Radicals”: Vice-Chancellor says it’s time for the OU to stop looking over its shoulders

21 February 2018

The Open University is in the perfect position to pick up its founding mission – as education radicals. Speaking to an academic audience at the OU’s Milton Keynes campus on Tuesday 20 February, Vice-Chancellor Peter Horrocks outlined the university’s academic excellence vision. He said there is a golden opportunity to reinvent connections between academics, students and […]

Part-time and distance learning central to UK Government review on post-18 education

19 February 2018

Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed that improving support for part-time and distance learning will be at the heart of the UK Government’s review of university and FE funding in England. The review, which will be supported by an independent panel, will report early in 2019 and will cover all aspects of the funding for […]

Social mobility thread must run through new Office for Students, says OU

5 February 2018

The Open University is calling on the new Office for Students (OfS) to lead the way in improving the chances of people from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university. In a policy pamphlet: Social Mobility and the Office for Students – The Five Essentials it sets out five steps to reverse the decline in numbers of students […]

OU calls for action after figures show disadvantaged students “let down”

1 February 2018

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are being let down by the university system in England, new figures show. A Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) assessment showed a further annual decrease of two per cent in the overall number of disadvantaged students. Although the number of people from disadvantaged backgrounds starting full-time courses went up by three […]

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Category: The OU speaks out