Articles
- Articles
Further Education Estate Management Standards: raising standards for a decade of opportunity – but can funding and buildings keep pace?
08 Oct 2026Further education (FE) is entering a period of profound change. Devolution, industrial strategy, demographic growth and renewed government investment could align colleges more closely with local economic priorities, positioning them as vital infrastructure for growth, skills and opportunity.
Yet demand for places and specialist facilities is rising just as colleges have less freedom to borrow and much of the estate still needs significant investment.
- Articles
Developments in the regulation of FE colleges delivering higher education
08 Oct 2026For many further education (FE) colleges delivering higher education (HE), regulation has involved oversight from both the Department for Education (DfE) and the Office for Students (OfS). Colleges have therefore had to operate within two regulatory frameworks, sometimes addressing similar issues through different requirements.
- Articles
Equality action plans meet the new union equality representative role: what Universities need to know
06 Oct 2026The Employment Rights Act 2025 creates two interconnected equality mechanisms that University HR teams and executive and governance boards will need to understand and engage with.
- Articles
The OfS free speech complaints scheme is now live: what providers need to know
06 Oct 2026In May 2026, we reported on the Government’s plans for an Office for Students (OfS) free speech complaints scheme (Scheme) under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 (HEFSA), expected to launch in September.
The Scheme went live on 1 September 2026. This update summarises the main rules, exclusions and some practical implications, particularly where an employment tribunal claim may also arise.
- Articles
OfS streamlines requirements for further education colleges offering higher education
06 Oct 2026The Office for Students (OfS) has confirmed changes to the conditions of registration applying to further education colleges offering higher education in England. The changes remove certain OfS requirements where colleges are already subject to Department for Education oversight, including requirements relating to access and participation, financial viability and sustainability and governance. They have applied since 9 July 2026.
- Articles
Not just residential - why landlords of mixed-use premises need to know about the right of first refusal
06 Oct 2026If you are the landlord of a building that includes both residential and commercial premises, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 (LTA 1987) may apply to you, even if you regard the property primarily as a commercial premises.
The Right of First Refusal (ROFR) under the LTA 1987 is often thought of as applying only to residential properties, but it also affects mixed use premises across a wide range of sectors. Landlords of buildings such as GP surgeries, offices, retail premises, educational facilities, or hospitality venues that contain residential flats should be aware of their obligations, as failure to comply can carry significant legal and financial consequences.
