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Dr Lynton Lees @lyntonlees.bsky.social · 1d

In case you missed it — our cold spots research was covered in a panel discussion on Radio 4’s Front Row programme yesterday! Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

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Reposted by Dr Lynton Lees

Political Studies Association @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social · 6d

*NEW PSA BLOG* A hard-hitting report by @britishacademy.bsky.social illuminates UK cold spots for #HE degrees in #SocialSciences & #humanities. PSA CEO Michelle Doyle Wildman @seasonedcomms.bsky.social highlights the issues and impact.

New British Academy report shows degree course cold spots across the UK | The Political Studies Association (PSA)

Our friends at the British Academy (BA) have produced a hard-hitting new report which shows that financial difficulties or strategic choices in our universities have led to large swathes of the UK…

buff.ly

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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 2d

In case you missed it: our latest report explores a growing crisis in universities.

In many regions, students risk losing access to vital humanities, social science and arts subjects. Swipe to see our key findings and recommendations.

Key finding 1:
Cold spots have emerged in the North, South West and East of England, as well as parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Key finding 1:
Cold spots have emerged in the North, South West and East of England, as well as parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Key finding 2:
The biggest loss of provision is at lower-tariff levels. This is concerning given strong links between attainment and socioeconomic disadvantage.

Key finding 3:
Languages, Linguistics, Anthropology, Classics and Theology are among the hardest hit. If trends continue, English, History, Drama and Celtic studies – including Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh – could follow.

As we await the post-16 White Paper, we’re calling for:
- An urgent review of higher education funding
- Regulators to monitor provision with an ‘at-risk’ regional register and subject premium
- Government to help universities collaborate effectively with clearer guidance about competition law

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Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · 5d

REALLY appreciating Lucy Noakes's clear connecting of the dots between the announcement of maintenance grants for 'priority courses' and the Cold Spots mapping by the @britishacademy.bsky.social.

You can't ensure access in a system that ties disciplinary coverage to competition.

On the ground, this fall in total enrolments is sharply exacerbated by changing recruitment practices, as previous high-tariff institutions revise their offers to secure larger undergraduate intakes. Those bearing the brunt are, of course, the institutions which currently serve the most disadvantaged and least mobile students. The risk is now of a worsening spiral of decline—driven by a failed policy of institutional competition and marketisation—which results in options for the most in-need aspirant history students being, quite literally, closed down. Without this core provision, any lingering question over which subjects might qualify for maintenance grants becomes obsolete.

If, as the Education Secretary claimed this week, the government is serious about choice, social mobility and access to education it needs to appreciate that the provision of local universities and courses is now at considerable risk given the financial turmoil affecting UK higher education. What’s clear is that our current situation and trajectory is not a route to greater choice and accessibility. Rather, it is a potential channelling of resources and students into an ever narrowing range of options deemed by policy makers as being in the country’s best interests for the future.

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 8d

No, it never existed, and then the imaginary target was scrapped by the Conservatives years ago anyway.

The rise in numbers going to uni was entirely down to higher demand from students.

a rare photo of sean connery signed by roger moore @steamedhamms.bsky.social · 8d

did that 50% uni target thing actually still exist in any meaningful sense?

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Holly Gramazio @hollygramazio.bsky.social · 16d

There's a WEEK left to sign up to mentor for @artsemergency.bsky.social - potentially get paired with a young person (16-18) who wants to work in the arts/creative industries, but who might not have the contacts or context to help them understand how to do that www.arts-emergency.org/get-involved...

Become a mentor

Registration to be a mentor in 2026 is now open! Arts Emergency mentors support young people in Greater Manchester, London and Merseyside who are interested in the creative and cultural industries and...

www.arts-emergency.org

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Gordon McKelvie @gordonmckelvie.bsky.social · 16d

Modern language education is probably the best educational crisis in Britain but gets very little coverage because we assume the rest of the world just speaks English as a second language

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 17d

The government managed to recruit only 43 per cent of its target number of modern foreign language teachers for initial teacher training in 2024-25.
www.thetimes.com/article/df90...

Shortfall
Teachers training compared with target in selected subjects (2024-25)
Physical Education
209%
Biology
119%
English
101%
Mathematics
72%
Modern Foreign
Languages
43%
Computing
37%

Chart: The Times and The Sunday Times • Source: Department for Education

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Reposted by Dr Lynton Lees

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 17d

The government managed to recruit only 43 per cent of its target number of modern foreign language teachers for initial teacher training in 2024-25.
www.thetimes.com/article/df90...

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Jeremy Noel-Tod @jntod.bsky.social · 24d

After making a dumb joke on here about the creative side of academic writing as "unfunded hobbit research", I then wrote a serious post about it

Unfunded Hobbit Research

In defence of academic inspiration

someflowerssoon.substack.com

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Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 28d

Eye-watering shifts in access to core subjects - disciplines vital for the fabric and future of human life. Losing capacity/capability in the humanities, arts and social is not just a shame; it’s a risk…

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 28d

Hot off the press, the British Academy's Cold Spots: Mapping Inequality in SHAPE Provision in UK Higher Education report. Read it if you care about universities or access to the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for the rising generation. 1/5

Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education

This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Royal Society of Chemistry @rsc.org · 28d

We welcome @britishacademy.bsky.social's new report on "cold spots" in the humanities, social sciences and the arts (SHAPE subjects). It’s an important reminder that access and opportunities in HE aren’t spread evenly across the UK. Our own research has found similar “cold spots” in chemistry [1/2]

The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 28d

📢 Today the Academy launches a major new report urging action to tackle a growing crisis in our universities. Cuts to courses mean more regions than ever are ‘cold spots’ for access to many SHAPE subjects - with even more at risk. 🧵

📍Read the full report: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...

Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education

This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Dr Lynton Lees @lyntonlees.bsky.social · 27d

Wonderful to see ITV Wales covering growing cold spots for humanities, social science and arts courses in Wales in their morning roundup - and welcome news that a Welsh gov report on subject provision is in the works: www.itv.com/watch/news/y...

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wendya-b.bsky.social @wendya-b.bsky.social · 28d

BA report shows that worst cold spots in SHAPE are in Modern Foreign Languages: French & German single honours degrees are declining sharply, with cold spots in all 4 UK nations. Progress in expanding provision of non-European languages is being reversed.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...

Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education

This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Dr Lynton Lees @lyntonlees.bsky.social · 28d

Did I in the course of this research go back through my emails to find your WIP draft from the 2018 NYCTC workshop at the Heyman Center that I commented on... yes yes I did

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Sam Rutherford (he/him) @echomikeromeo.bsky.social · 28d

Can't resist the temptation to offer some historical context on this, also! (Rutherford, Teaching Gender, p. 84)

'In the late nineteenth century, of the thousands of students enrolled at universities in cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, and London, half lived at home; of the rest, although women were more likely to live in halls of residence, most men lived in private lodgings. Typical experiences of student life involved a lengthy public transit commute to campus and continuing ties to one’s home community and childhood friends, but also new kinds of independent access to urban leisure spaces.'

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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 28d

As we await the post-16 White Paper, the Academy is calling for:

✅ An urgent review of HE funding

✅ Regulators to monitor provision with an ‘at-risk’ regional register + subject premium

✅ Government to help universities collaborate effectively with clearer guidance about competition law

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Dr Lynton Lees @lyntonlees.bsky.social · 28d

Or for my Lancastrian compatriots - less than the distance between Lancaster and Preston… 🌹

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Dr Lynton Lees @lyntonlees.bsky.social · 28d

We still think of going to university as moving out, loading up the car and trekking halfway across the country. But more than half of UK students <21 stay within 90km. Almost a third stay within 30km. (For context - that’s less than the distance between Leeds and Sheffield!)

The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 28d

🗺️ With 56% of UK students studying within 90km of their home address - and 31% studying within 30km - what students can study and where matters.

Over the past year, we have analysed changes to regional SHAPE provision - now updated with new data.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/interac...

New interactive map reveals ‘cold spots’ in social sciences, humanities and arts in UK higher education

A new project from the British Academy is mapping where in the UK students can access SHAPE subjects in higher education.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 28d

We've got a chunky @britishacademy.bsky.social report out looking at the emergence of 'cold spots' where you can't study arts, humanities or social science subjects close to home. We call for an urgent review of HE funding & monitoring of at risk subjects
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/univers...

University course closures leave students unable to study many SHAPE subjects close to home - report

A new report shows that students are shut out of SHAPE education in their home regions, as large swathes of the UK are ‘cold spots’ for humanities, social sciences and arts degrees.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 28d

Humanities, arts and social sciences degrees are disappearing in many UK regions.

With more young people than ever studying close to home, course cuts are narrowing their choices at university.

@timeshighered.bsky.social covers our 'Cold Spots' report today. Read more at https://bit.ly/46e3wOy

Humanities and arts degrees disappearing in parts of UK

Students from rural and disadvantaged areas disproportionally affected by subject cuts, British Academy warns

bit.ly

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Dr Lynton Lees @lyntonlees.bsky.social · 28d

Proud to see this report out in the world today. After 10+ years of market experiments in UK HE, the data is clear: leaving what is taught in our universities solely up to the market has left students with less choice, fewer opportunities and more regional inequality. Read the deep dive below 👇

The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 28d

📢 Today the Academy launches a major new report urging action to tackle a growing crisis in our universities. Cuts to courses mean more regions than ever are ‘cold spots’ for access to many SHAPE subjects - with even more at risk. 🧵

📍Read the full report: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...

Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education

This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Reposted by Dr Lynton Lees

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 28d

Arts and humanities cold spots ‘depriving whole areas of courses’.

Shape subjects are a “bellwether” for financial pressures on higher education, British Academy warns.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 28d

Hot off the press, the British Academy's Cold Spots: Mapping Inequality in SHAPE Provision in UK Higher Education report. Read it if you care about universities or access to the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for the rising generation. 1/5

Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education

This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 29d

'The Centre for Cities’ work is valuable because it reminds us that universities are not ivory towers. As well as being home to libraries and laboratories, they are civic hubs with myriad ties to the towns and cities in (or near) which they are based.' 2/2

Town and gown: The role of universities in city economies - Centre for Cities

This briefing sets out how local universities contribute to cities’ economic development as high-skilled employers, international exporters, catalysts for city-centre regeneration and innovators.

www.centreforcities.org

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Rob Johnson @rjson.bsky.social · Sep 3

Why? Unis are big international exporters in their cities - they bring in overseas student fees and spending.

9 of top 10 English cities where universities are most important for exports are outside the Greater South East. Leicester will feel this far more than Oxford.

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