Policy and Insights

Read all of our latest policy updates and insights about the UK independent higher education sector from the IHE staff team, our members, and supporting organisations.

Digital resilience: turning growing dependency into institutional confidence

Strategy, projects and partnerships

29 Sep 2026
Stop resetting the skills system

Regulation and funding

20 Aug 2026

From principle to practice: Applying UJS guidance in small and specialist institutions

This blog draws on insights from IHE Member Leo Baeck College and is intended to help institutions think practically about how to engage with the…

IHE members

29 Jul 2026
Supporting students’ wellbeing in the face of today’s financial pressures

In 2026, our Student Advisory Board (SAB) led a project to better understand student financial wellbeing across independent higher education…

IHE Student Advisory Board

Research and innovation

16 Jun 2026
A smaller provider’s guide to the new HE sector resource on governing and leading merger and strategic transformation

Governance, management and operations

23 Apr 2026
Connected data: unlocking efficiency to enhance student success

Cheryl Watson, Vice President of Education UK at TechnologyOne, makes the case for integrated systems as the catalyst for innovation, sustainable…

Cheryl Watson, Vice President of Education UK, TechnologyOne

Student experience, access and participation

30 Jan 2026
Transforming teaching practice in independent providers

Falmouth University's online PGCHE offers an established route to enhance teaching quality and deliver lasting institutional value. Andy Peisley…

Andy Peisley, Falmouth University

Teaching, learning and quality

10 Sep 2025
Independent academic advice: A strategic partnership for student success

As higher education increasingly embraces holistic, student-centered support models, institutions are recognising the value of collaborative…

Ollie Kasper-Hope, Alkhemy

Student experience, access and participation

26 Aug 2025
Belonging, mattering, and the redesign of student support

Small, specialist, and independent higher education providers face unique challenges in fostering student belonging and empowerment. Juliette Morgan…

Juliette Morgan, Advance HE

Student experience, access and participation

4 Jun 2025
Future-proofing the student experience: Compassionate communication in higher education

In a rapidly changing higher education environment, compassionate communication is no longer optional – it is central to student success, regulatory…

Tom Ritchie, Coole Insight

Student experience, access and participation

15 May 2025
Regulating partnership provision can help everyone

Alex Proudfoot, Chief Executive, IHE

Regulation and funding

9 Apr 2025
Rethinking higher education: a call for intentional design

Tony Reeves, Managing Director at Ding Learning and Co-founder of the Centre for Learning Design, urges the sector to harness the spirit of…

Tony Reeves, Ding Learning

Teaching, learning and quality

12 Mar 2025
Collaboration is key when it comes to addressing harassment and sexual misconduct

Ellen Engstrom, Senior Policy & Engagement Officer, IHE

Regulation and funding

13 Dec 2024
Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith's speech at the IHE Annual Conference 2024

In a pre-recorded speech, The Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, outlined the Government’s vision for a diverse and inclusive higher…

Article

11 Dec 2024