Response to OfS 2025-2030 strategy consultation

21 February 2025

The Russell Group has voiced support for the OfS’s central priorities of quality, student interest and resilience – including the integration of equality of opportunity across all strands of work – but also warns about the impact of regulatory expansion.

In a consultation response published today, the group has encouraged the OfS to review and rationalise current and future activity to demonstrate clear benefit to students, institutions and the taxpayer, and efficient use of resources. The Russell Group has once again highlighted the importance of consistent, risk-based regulation to reduce burden on highly compliant institutions and focus resource on pockets of higher risk.

In an increasingly challenging financial environment, the group of research-intensive universities has welcomed the prominence of sector resilience in the five-year strategy. It will be important for the OfS to demonstrate support for at-risk providers and build trust with the sector to encourage openness about financial challenges and collaboration on mitigating action.

Jamie Roberts, Policy Manager for the Russell Group, said:

“As providers across the country take tough decisions in the face of significant financial challenges, it is encouraging to see the OfS putting the resilience of the sector as a high priority for the next five years. The OfS will play a vital role in working cross-sector and with government to put UK higher education back on a firm footing for a sustainable long-term future.

Prioritisation will be key to the OfS’s new strategy. Any increase in the scope of its regulatory activity is likely to put additional burden on university resources. We will be looking to the OfS to demonstrate the purpose and effectiveness of any increased activity, and transparency around these decisions, to avoid regulatory creep that could hamper universities when they need to maximise resources”.

Read the full consultation response.