Are tuition fees set to rise?

Anna Whyte on 25 October 2024

University fees in England could reach as high as £10,500 a year as the government considers plans to raise them by 13.5%, in line with inflation

This comes as a group of 141 UK universities say higher tuition fees and government funding are both needed to prevent the sector from sliding into decline. The Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, has claimed that the current value of fees has been “eroded” after being frozen at £9,250 since 2017.

Sir Keir Starmer had previously pledged to scrap university fees, but announced in his May plans earlier this year that he would have to abandon this pledge, in favour of tackling issues within the NHS.

Calls for changes to the higher education system comes as a record number of home students started university last month. Yet the number of international students, from which universities receive a large part of their income, is down. 

Newcastle University vice chancellor Professor Christopher Day, who also chairs the Russell Group, has stated that \”the harsh reality is that unless the student and/or the taxpayer pay some more, the sector will shrink, or the quality will go down.”

There is of course, a worry about the effect that this rise will have on students in England, who, in the wake of Covid-19 and significant strike action, are becoming more disillusioned with the prospect of higher education. Teaching being moved online or cancelled in recent years has pushed students at University College London, who feel they have not received the education they paid for, to bring claims against the school, and students from other universities may soon also seek compensation.

In a report by the BBC, Manchester University student Libby Callaghan said a rise in tuition fees “would definitely put [her] off”, mentioning how living costs such as commuting, and accommodation is already a struggle for most students.

Labour ministers will, however, reportedly introduce maintenance grants of £3,500, which were previously abolished under the conservative government, to help those who can least afford it.

Former First Secretary of State, Peter Mandelson, has said that a rise to only £9,480 a year would provide financial stability before the government embarks on reforms to the higher education system. He claims, however, that universities will need to make tough choices, pointing out that Italian state universities have one teaching staff for every 21 students, whilst UK universities have one for every 13.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education has said “We believe that every young person, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to attend university… The government is committed to reviewing the higher education funding system to deliver for our economy, for universities, and for students and we will be announcing further details in due course.”

Words by Anna Whyte

Early breast screening could save 350 more women each month NHS report reveals

Lana Conway on 25 October 2024

Expert radiographers say 350 more women each month could benefit from lifesaving early breast screening.

They are calling for all those invited to attend a breast screening appointment to get checked this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Leeds and Wakefield Breast Screening service screens around 60,000 women each year, but plans to expand its reach, offering early detection and potentially lifesaving scans to hundreds more.

Breast cancer affects 1 in 7 women in their lifetime, and the NHS urges all those with breasts to regularly check for signs such as: lumps or swelling in the breast, chest, or armpit; changes in breast skin, like dimpling or redness; changes in the size or shape of one or both breasts; nipple discharge; alterations in the shape or appearance of the nipple; or sores and ulcers on the chest. For more information on how to check your breasts, visit:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/how-to-check-your-breasts-or-chest

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we asked students at the University of Leeds how often they check their breasts for abnormalities. 

Out of the 11 people asked, only 3 of these students are regularly checking, raising concerns about awareness and early detection among young adults. Head over to our Instagram account @thegryphon to see these student responses!

Dr Nisha Sharma, Director of Breast Screening at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says; “This October and beyond, we’re asking the women of Leeds and surroundings to prioritise their screening appointment as it could make all the difference for them. Breast screening does save lives, and we would encourage you all to attend.”

Words By: Lana Conway

The Gryphon interviews Professor Loveridge: what is on-campus geothermal drilling?

Zara Lake on 29 March 2024

Walking around campus the last few weeks, you may have seen what seems like a very elaborate science experiment more suited to the laybrinth-like halls of the Engineering Building than the pavements of the university campus.

However, this drilling is part of the university’s new geothermal energy drilling project. Confused? Us too.

Seeing as for many of us, it’s been more years since science GCSEs than we’d like to think about, The Gryphon’s Zara Lake caught up with Professor Fleur Loveridge from the School of Civil Engineering for a back-to-basics guide to what all of this means…

Zara: “When did all of this begin and how long is it expected to continue for?”

Professor Loveridge: “We have been planning this for quite a while, but work started here on site just after the exam period in January and is due to run through till probably May this year.”

Zara: “Could you summarise what the geothermal project is?”

Professor Loveridge: “We are investigating the thermal and hydrogeological properties of the ground, beneath the campus, with the hope that they will be able to design a shallow geothermal energy or ground source heating system to decarbonize different parts of the campus”.

Loveridge then explained what some of these scientific terms mean for the non-STEM literate amongst us...

“Geothermal energy is a wide term to describe heat obtained for the ground, when working
at a shallow depth, as we are here, at 100-200m, when the heat is taken out the ground we
pass it through a heat pump in order to increase the temperature that is available to make it
more useful”


“Through the small amount of electrical energy and the ground heat we are able to step up
the temperature to something usable for heating as well as being very efficient. For the
amount of electricity put in you can obtain four times as much energy to heat the buildings.”

The geothermal project is a cornerstone of the University of Leeds’ Net Zero by 2030 pledge.

Zara: “And how exactly does geothermal energy benefit the environment?”

Professor Loveridge: “At the moment, most of the buildings on campus are heated through direct burning of fossil fuels, which is obviously not a good solution going forward. As part of the climate plan, the university is hoping to decarbonize it’s estate by 2030. These new systems will allow us to
take buildings off the central heating system and allow them to be supplied with heat from
the ground via electricity supplied to the heat pumps”.

“The thing about the electricity grid in this country is that it has substantially reduced its
carbon intensity over the last 10 years and it’s only going to become more and more green.
Therefore the efficiency factor of getting 4x as much heat compared to the electricity you put
in and the fact the grid is ‘greening’ fast means that this will be a really low carbon solution.”

Zara: “Is this just the first stage of the geothermal project, will we be seeing more projects
like this on campus in the future?

Professor Loveridge: “Yes, absolutely. The investigation that is happening now will support other ground source heat systems for parts of the campus. In the future other decisions will be made on other buildings on the campus but ultimately they will all need to be decarbonized.”

Zara: “People often confuse drilling and fracking, could you explain the difference
and why we shouldn’t confuse them?”

Professor Loveridge: “Fracking is traditionally used for oil and gas exploration which is one of the reasons it gets a very bad rep, understandably. However, what we are doing here is totally different. We are just drilling holes in the ground and we are using the fact that the ground is naturally
fractured and naturally contains groundwater to allow us to extract water for use in the
energy system.“

“It is also important to note that water we extract is reinjected into the ground. Therefore, It is
a very sustainable system with no environmental impacts.”

Zara: “Is the project common across the country, including at other universities?”

Professor Loveridge: “Yes, there are a few other university campuses that are starting to take on schemes like this such as at Oxford Brookes and Sheffield University. All over the world we are seeing universities in particular starting to investigate these options more. Essentially, as we look to
decarbonize and meet our net zero target by 2030 we will see these schemes becoming
more common.”


“We are definitely at the leading edge here, and it is hoped that we can learn from our
experiences here on campus to decarbonize our estate as well as roll this technology out
across the city and region, and potentially wider.”

Zara: “Finally, how can students get involved and what opportunities are available?”

Professor Loveridge: “As part of the investigations we are going to be gathering an awful lot of data so there will be opportunities for student research projects at all levels, undergraduate and master and also PhD projects. If you are interested you can get in touch with the geothermal solutions
team to talk about that.”

“There is also the ambition that once we decarbonize the buildings we will have a living lab
that will allow us to monitor the building and gain operational data from the energy systems
and the temperatures in the ground to check on the sustainability of the system”.

The geothermal energy drilling plan has not been without some controversy. It commanded attention in November 2023 when Student Rebellion staged a 24 hour occupation of Esther Simpson following the university’s talk on the Net Zero Delivery Plan.

Whilst acknowledging it was a step in the right direction, the group said the university’s strategy overemphasised technical solutions and fell short of their demand to completely cut fossil fuel usage on campus.

More information on the geothermal drilling project can be found on the university website under the following link: https://estates.leeds.ac.uk/portfolio-item/geothermal-drilling/

Calls for increased glass attack prevention after former Leeds Rhinos star blinded on Call Lane

Zara Lake on 28 March 2024

Former Leeds Rhinos player, Matthew Syron, has been leading a campaign to ban glass in bars and nightclubs after 9pm. This comes after he was brutally attacked in Leeds city centre on Boxing day by a glass bottle, leaving him blind. 

Gareth Dean, aged 37, smashed a bottle into his face at Revolucion de Cuba on Call Lane and is in jail for the offence.

Following this devastating attack on 27th December, 2023 Matthew is campaigning for a change of law around glass, as it has potential as a weapon that is readily available and easily can cause life changing injuries. He began a petition for the ban, which as of the 28th March 2024 has 10,000 signatures out of a 15,000 target.

Shockingly it has been revealed that over 87,000 people a year in the UK are victims of glassing attacks. This figure amounts to over 10,000 attacks per week. 

After the attack, Syron underwent emergency surgery on both eyes at St James Hospital in which he needed 40 stitches. Three months later, his left eye is awaiting a cornea transplant but cannot be operated on for at least 9-12 months due to the severity of the injury. His right eye is only beginning to see some colour and sight. 

Syron was visiting family and friends for Christmas here in the UK when the incident occurred. He was due to be in the UK for two weeks before returning back to his family in Australia. However, due to the attack he has gone through multiple operations and required constant medical scrutiny so was unable to return back to his family. 

In Matthew’s interview with Leeds Rhinos he describes that he is “taking things day by day” and still trying to adjust to everyday life. He goes on to say that the rehabilitation process has no guarantees for his vision and that he is only hoping for the best. 

In his interview he speaks about how he hopes that no one should have to live through the traumatic mental and physical effects of the event. 

Matthew also talks about the laws and restrictions put in place in his home country. In Australia, glass is banned after 9pm and strict ID measures are conducted in all pubs, bars, and clubs. He says that glass attacks have never been a problem in Australia and people feel safe. 

He says that stricter laws will prevent trouble and keep people safe, meaning this won’t happen to anyone else.

Some Leeds venues already use plastics- especially businesses with outside areas. However, other venues may feel that a switch from glass to plastic or reusables impacts how they operate as a business and could change the drinking experience. The Gryphon reached out to multiple bars and pubs in Leeds to discuss this but as of publication has not received a response.

The link to Syron’s petition can be accessed from the following link: https://www.change.org/p/ban-glass-from-nightclubs-and-bars-in-the-uk-after-9pm-to-prevent-violent-glass-attacks

Leeds celebrated as “best place to live in the north” by The Sunday Times

Mina Jigau on 19 March 2024


From Victorian style buildings and modern apartments overlooking river Aire to high-end luxury shopping and vibrant nightlife, Leeds has been named the best city to live in the north of England. 

The Sunday Times released its annual guide for the best cities in the UK a few days ago, where Leeds is at the top of the list. Not only the city is home to the largest financial and legal centres outside London – such as the likes of Deloitte, KPMG, and HSBC – but it’s also the only one to have its own theatre, ballet, and opera houses. 

Culturally and economically, Leeds seems to be thriving, being in the top 10 cities with the highest UK salaries, and a lot more development schemes on the horizon. The Leeds Council has disclosed plans to begin the construction of the long-awaited tram network linking the city centre to Bradford and St James’s Hospital as well as the Leeds Stadium in 2028. With a budget of £7.79 million, the Leeds Council is aiming to develop the walking and cycling routes around the city, building on its already impressive reputation. 

The survey report that crowned Leeds as the best place to live in the north, assesses the job prospects, work-life balance, income, and transport. Leeds was ranked 12th overall out of 42 cities, but scored above average in all the categories, even outranking Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle. This comes as no surprise, considering that after the pandemic, Leeds City Council was given £85 million as part of the ‘Thinking Forward Scheme’ to boost the city’s economy, and they’ve clearly taken their mission seriously. The Sunday Times also reported that the best paying jobs out of London, ahead of Cambridge, Bristol, and Manchester, are right here. 

With 5 universities scattered around the city, the vibrant and youthful energy comes off as very strong. Whether it’s disco night at Spoons, or a sold-out event at the O2 Academy, this city comes to life. It’s a flawless blend of city-life and the suburban dream, with people considering life in Leeds ‘the perfect pace’. 

There’s never a dull moment on the streets of Leeds, with waves of students rushing to lectures and hurried strangers on their way to work, you’ll feel the life within the city.