We’re obsessed with trying to get students to feel a sense of belonging at uni. It’s often something that we are trying to make happen, and we measure whether it has with a survey.

What if belonging isn’t an outcome at all? What if belonging is a ‘change mechanism’.

I grew up in Shropshire, where there are rolling hills and places to buy homemade jam. It also has some of the lowest rates of access and participation to higher education in the country.

And it’s going to get worse.

The 2026 local elections happened last Thursday, and throughout the weekend, every pundit under the sun has been crafting their stories… but a lot of these are completely conflicting.

They all have access to the same objective data in the form of votes. But they are coming to different conclusions. So what’s happening?

The HE sector is in trouble.

But, when universities are fighting for survival, can you really trust what their evaluations say?

A two-year study. Three universities. Randomised controlled trials. And the result?

The intervention didn't work. But that isn’t the end of the story.

It’s obviously common sense that Parkrun is good for your health. Spending money evaluating it is a waste of taxpayers money, right? ….what a load of nonsense.

Billy Wong’s recent article about how Theory of Change is being used, is excellent.

However, there is one area where I take a slightly different view.