Former OfS chief executive receives payouts of more than £100k

The former chief executive of the Office for Students (OfS) departed the organisation with payouts worth more than £100,000, according to the regulator’s latest accounts.

Susan Lapworth, who left her post in April after four years in charge, received a compensation payment of between £90,000 and £95,000, documents published on 14 July show.

She was also paid a bonus “for exceptional performance” of between £15,000 and £20,000 as well as payments in lieu of annual leave of between £15,000 and £20,000 and legal costs of £2,500.

It means Lapworth received up to £137,500 on top of her annual salary which the accounts list as between £180,000 and £185,000 – a £5,000 increase on her wage the previous year.

The payout was made “under voluntary exit terms…in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme”, the accounts say. The OfS was asked for further comment.

Lapworth has been replaced at the regulator by joint chief executives Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne, who began their new roles earlier this summer.

Previously a director of regulation, she had served at the watchdog since its inception in 2018.

Another departing senior leader at the regulator, John Blake, also received a substantial compensation package after leaving the organisation, the accounts further show.

The former director of fair access and participation who left at the end of 2025 received a payout of between £45,000 and £50,000 as well as payment for untaken annual leave of between £5,000 and £10,000 and legal costs worth £1,000.

This pushed his overall pay package up to between £165,000 and £170,000, an increase of £30,000 on what he received the previous year.  

The payments meant the total amount the OfS spent on exit packages in 2025-26 was £330,651, a large increase on the £21,655 it spent in 2024-25.

Overall, the accounts show the regulator’s total income for the year was £1,440 million, down from £1,621 million in 2025-26. Its total expenditure was also reduced from £1,623 million to £1,442 million.

The documents say a £1.2 million cost saving target for the year was achieved “mainly through IT driven efficiencies, reduced dependence on external firms to conduct detailed provider financial sustainability reviews, and organisational rationalisation”. Savings were reinvested “in our core regulatory activities”.

A provision for a loss of £660,000 was made “for legal costs incurred by the University of Sussex”.

The regulator fought a high profile court battle with the institution after imposing a record fine in relation to an alleged breach of its free speech duties.

Judges in the High Court overturned the ruling in April, finding the regulator acted beyond its powers in the dispute.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com