Labour’s post-16 agency is often tasked by ministers with detailed analysis. But nearly two years on from the fanfare around its announcement, universities remain unclear why they should engage with a body that has no clear role in forming or implementing policy. Helen Packer reports  

Last year’s 1 per cent decline in overall sector income may look insignificant, but it is the tip of an iceberg that could ultimately sink significant swathes of a structurally unbalanced and precarious sector. Fadime Sahin runs through the numbers