Liverpool John Moores University Annual Report 2024

For the year ended 31 July 2024

AN INTRODUCTION FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR

I’m delighted to present this overview of a successful year for Liverpool John Moores University, our students and staff.

Our focus over the last 12 months has been on building our momentum in delivering transformational, impactful activity to benefit our students, communities and wider society.

Across the university we are delivering the objectives set out in the LJMU Strategy 2030 to create opportunities, provide excellence in teaching and research, transform lives and play a leading role in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

Our commitment to providing an outstanding student experience is reflected in the positive findings of the National Student Survey, Teaching Excellence Framework and Ofsted reports, along with an endorsement from Universities UK. Placing our students at the heart of everything we do at the university remains absolutely central to the delivery of our strategy.

Over the last year, we have continued to carry out world-leading research across all faculties at LJMU. We encourage innovation and new ways of thinking and cultivate an environment in which outstanding research can take place and deliver solutions to the challenges faced by our society.

We can’t achieve everything alone, of course, and this overview illustrates how closely we work with partners at local, national and international level. We take seriously our responsibilities as a good neighbour and anchor institution within our own city and also as a key partner across the globe.

It has been a successful and inspiring year for the university, building upon our achievements and driving forward our ambitions across all aspects of our operations to ensure sustained institutional success.

I would like to thank the Board of Governors for their support and oversight, our Executive Leadership Team for the management and direction they provide, and to all members of staff for their unwavering commitment to the university and our students.

Professor Mark Power Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

Liverpool John Moores University is an inclusive civic university transforming lives and futures, placing our students at the heart of everything we do.

This university is anchored within the city of Liverpool, defined by the communities we serve and committed to making an impact through our work and the opportunities we provide for social cohesion and inclusion.

Our authentic and ethical leadership in the city has facilitated a shared history of aspiration and endeavour through the generations. We couldn’t exist anywhere else and have shaped this place to which we belong.

Our values underpin our commitment to providing opportunities for people of all backgrounds and supporting them to flourish.

We can’t do this alone; together, with our partners, students and alumni, we transform lives and deliver real, impactful change to the people and world around us.

...we transform lives and deliver real, impactful change to the people and world around us.

LJMU STRATEGY 2030

The LJMU Strategy 2030 sets out a vision for an excellent education that unlocks the potential of students and meets the needs of employers; for driving positive change and economic growth through outstanding research and knowledge exchange; and for building skills, society, and community through authentic engagement with the city to which its purpose and prospects are tied, our Strategy 2030 speaks both to the university’s roots and to the road ahead.

Refracting its founding spirit and purpose through a 21st Century lens, it expresses its core identity and its enduring purpose.

PRINCIPLES, AIMS AND ENABLERS

Two key PRINCIPLES are woven through the whole strategy and are touchstones for all our decisions:

Priority of people. Our strategy is for and through our people, both the staff and students who form our core community and the broader set of stakeholders, networks and communities of which we are privileged to be part. We will put people first in every part of our life as a university and strive to be a community to which they belong, of which they are proud, and in which they are supported and empowered.

Sustainability. We will seek to operate sustainably in every aspect of our activity, from the management of our finances and broader resources to our care for the environment. We have declared a climate emergency and are aligning our activities both with our target of becoming net zero for carbon emissions by 2035, and with the broader call to a way of living and being that advances the advent of a sustainable, prosperous future for people and planet.

Our AIMS are our core strategic goals:

1. Education and Student Experience: transforming lives and futures through an excellent education that equips our students with the knowledge, skills and mindset valued by employers.

‘Transforming lives and futures’

Students sit at the core of our vision. We have a proud history of attracting talented students from a wide range of backgrounds and are committed to providing an outstanding education that expands their horizons, unlocks their potential, and transforms their future lives.

Through an excellent programme of study, comprehensive support, and a wide range of student opportunities, we will develop graduates who are confident, critical, digitallyskilled and globally-engaged, sought after by employers and equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed in achieving their professional goals and personal aspirations.

We will develop a broad, flexible portfolio that welcomes students at all stages of learning and life to engage flexibly with

education offered in diverse modes and models. And we will inspire, advise, encourage and challenge our students both through the staff who stand alongside them in every dimension of their journey, and through the alumni and employers who help to raise their aspirations and to bring their learning to life

PRIORITIES:

I To deliver outstanding teaching and learning.

I To enhance graduate employment prospects, cultivating graduates who are innovative in approach and confident, collaborative leaders and change-makers.

I To diversify our portfolio and student community.

I To embed effective, responsive support at every stage of the student journey.

I To provide an excellent student experience beyond the academic programme, with a rich menu of activities to help students build networks, skills and confidence and to broaden their horizons.

2. Research and Knowledge Exchange: delivering curricula inspired by current thought and high-impact knowledge exchange through our curiosity and creativity.

‘Curiosity, creativity and impact’

Research and knowledge exchange are fundamental to our identity and ambition. The Research Excellence Framework 2021 verified the quality and depth of our activity, placing us in the top 50 in the UK for ‘Research Power’ and identifying world-leading scholarship in every corner of the university. This outcome signals our success in significantly increasing engagement with research and knowledge exchange, while continuing to deliver exceptional activity in our strongest research areas.

Building from our current platform, we will continue to embed a culture that supports the growth of our research community and promotes our areas of excellence. We will draw upon our high-quality scholarship to deliver inspiring curricula shaped by current thought, engage in transformational knowledge exchange with a wide range of partners and sectors, and support a growing postgraduate research community following diverse programmes of study.

PRIORITIES:

I To grow our research community, support research excellence and embed an inclusive research culture.

I To deliver teaching inspired by our research and knowledge exchange work and the staff and students who undertake it.

I To engage with our partners in impactful, connected knowledge exchange that delivers transformative benefit.

I To develop a vibrant, diverse and intellectually curious postgraduate research community.

are STUDENT FOCUSED

3. Place and Partnership: building skills, the economy, society and community through local and global collaboration.

‘Building skills, economy, community’

The university is deeply embedded in its place. It educates the nurses, police, teachers and pharmacists of tomorrow, works with business and industry to support the local and regional economy, and is written into the fabric of the city and local communities through a wide range of collaborations and connections. We are committed to contributing our knowledge to partnerships and projects that will accelerate economic recovery, positively impact the climate emergency, enhance the prospects of places and communities, and build the skills required for the region and its people to look to the future with confidence.

Given its history as a major port, Liverpool’s sense of place also has a global inflection, and the university has a growing international dimension across its activity base. We are committed to augmenting our visibility as a student destination and education partner, to supporting the interests of the city and region through our global connections and influence, and to forging research collaborations across the world that help to build economies, reduce poverty and enhance health and education outcomes.

PRIORITIES:

I To strengthen the regional skills base through flexible, responsive, workforce-facing education.

I To collaborate with business and industry to drive local economic growth.

I To catalyse social inclusion and change in collaboration with a range of agencies and partners.

I To grow our community of international students and partners.

Enablers

Supporting these key aims, our ENABLERS express the culture and environment required to deliver our goals.

Realisation of our ambitions will require a supportive, empowering environment. Our culture must enable our people to thrive, by promoting our collective purpose, reflecting our values and ensuring that all of our staff and students feel accepted and represented. Our organisational approach will be efficient and effective, releasing innovators and change agents and increasing our headroom for strategic activity.

The physical and digital estate also have powerful roles to play in building a sense of community and enabling innovation across our activity base. Our Student Life Building places students at the heart of the university and the university at the heart of the city; we will continue to develop spaces and facilities that support interaction with Liverpool and its Knowledge Quarter, and deploy technologies that encourage collaboration, public engagement and creativity in teaching and research.

Our strategy will be underpinned by a sustainable financial plan. We are committed to optimising the strategic and reputational return from our resources in a challenging financial climate, through the generation of income across a balanced portfolio of revenue streams and the careful management of costs.

PRIORITIES:

I To build a positive, inclusive, culture and community.

I To embed an organisational approach marked by agility, efficiency and innovation.

I To build an enabling digital and physical estate, shaped by academic goals.

I To secure financial sustainability.

Type of Employment:

Number

Stats recorded 30th September 2024

OPERATING OVERVIEW

EDUCATION AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE

LJMU aims to transform lives and futures through an excellent education that equips our students with the knowledge, skills and mindset valued by employers.

Our students are at the heart of everything we do at LJMU. We are committed to providing them with an outstanding university experience, expanding their horizons, unlocking their potential and enabling them to succeed.

ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

The quality of student experience at Liverpool John Moores University continues to increase across all measures, according to the findings of the National Student Survey (NSS) 2024.

The highly positive report from the Office for Students (OfS) is based on its independent survey of all final year undergraduates.

The responses from LJMU students demonstrate that the university’s scores have improved in all seven of the survey themes, with 26 of the 27 questions scoring higher than last year.

LJMU also scored above the sector benchmark in 23 of the 27 questions and six of the seven themes.

Highlights of the NSS 2024 for LJMU are:

I Student scores for ‘Teaching on my course’ have gone up by 1.05% from last year

I ‘Learning opportunities’ has improved by 1.98% compared to last year, above the sector benchmark by 1.39%

I LJMU students scored ‘Assessment and feedback’ 3.05% higher than last year, which means it is 3.34% above the HE benchmark

I ‘Academic support’ scored 4.53% higher than 2023 and is above the sector benchmark by 2.19%

I ‘Organisation and management’ is up by 6.01% and is now above the sector benchmark by 5.19%

I The ‘Learning resources’ theme scored 1.86% higher than last year, bringing LJMU above the sector benchmark by 4.47%

I ‘Student voice’ is improved by 4.24% and is now 2.48% above the sector benchmark

TEACHING EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK

LJMU has been awarded a gold rating for student outcomes and silver overall in the national Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

The scheme, run by the OfS, assesses universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum standards in teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes for students.

The TEF outcomes are based on evidence submitted by the university, a submission from students and national data. They are judged by a national panel of academics and each provider receives an overall rating and two underpinning ratings.

LJMU WAS AWARDED:

Overall rating – SILVER Student outcomes – GOLD Student experience – SILVER

The exceptional outcome reflects our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our students’ experience at LJMU, from the quality of teaching and the curriculum to our provision of support around health, wellbeing and careers.

UNIVERSITIES UK PRAISE FOR “INSPIRING” LJMU

The Chief Executive of Universities UK (UUK) has described LJMU’s work to deliver an outstanding student experience as “inspiring”.

Vivienne Stern MBE met with Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power, staff and students to learn how LJMU is creating a thriving environment for students and the impact we are having on the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

UUK represents 142 member universities across the country to foster collaboration, exchange insight and to influence policy.

Vivienne Stern MBE, said: “It’s been a massive pleasure seeing what LJMU is doing. We have had an opportunity to go right from the strategic through to the really detailed conversations with some of the university’s great students about their experience of studying here.

“Hearing how LJMU is making sure that students get involved in the life of the university and contribute to making sure it is providing the best possible education through their involvement, I think that’s been really inspiring.”

STUDENT SUPPORT ACROSS THE YEAR

Throughout the year, we have delivered a wide range of support services to our students to ensure they have access to the help, advice and resources they need to flourish at LJMU.

I 2536 students accessed our Student Support Fund, with payments averaging £716 per application

I 4,995 discounted gym memberships for students for the whole year

I A 20% discount offer in our Core cafés was redeemed 559,593 times

I We arranged 150,950 hours of paid work for students worth £1,961,032 through Unitemps

OFSTED PRAISE FOR DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS

LJMU earned a glowing report from Ofsted following the first inspection of our degree apprenticeship programmes.

Inspectors visited the university to assess the apprenticeships delivered across seven schools, which enable students to achieve a full degree while developing practical skills in the workplace.

We have been running degree apprenticeships since 2016 and currently have more than 1,200 students working across a range of sectors, including policing, healthcare, civil engineering, chartered surveying and business management.

In a highly positive report, Ofsted rated LJMU as:

Overall effectiveness: GOOD

Quality of education: GOOD

Behaviour and attitudes: OUTSTANDING

Personal development: GOOD

Leadership and management: GOOD Apprenticeships: GOOD

Ofsted found that lecturers and support staff provide “highly skilful support” to students within a “culture of support, mutual respect and trust” at the university. They found that our apprentices are “ambitious and proud of their achievements” and “consistently demonstrate very professional and positive behaviours and attitudes to their learning”.

The inspectors praised LJMU for ensuring its degree apprenticeship programmes reflect the needs of local and regional employers and enable learners to develop the key skills to progress in their careers.

EXPANSION OF DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP PROVISION

Meanwhile, the university is expanding its degree apprenticeship programmes after being awarded significant new funding this year.

LJMU received £1m from the OfS national fund to support level 6 degree apprenticeships.

The successful bid is supporting programmes to work with new and existing partners and stakeholders to develop five new standards to meet the local skills need (youth worker, transport planner, serious and complex crime investigator, digital and technology solutions professional and creative digital design professional).

The university will also deliver a comprehensive programme of activities relating to employer engagement and outreach work to increase applications from ethnic minority backgrounds and those from areas with low participation in higher education.

GRADUATION

More than 7,000 students officially graduated from LJMU at our ceremonies at Liverpool Cathedral this year.

We celebrated their achievements across 23 ceremonies in spring and summer. For the first time, we utilised our Sports Building to host gowning, official photography and livestreaming.

Professor Mark Power told our graduating students: “Be open to different cultures and experiences; follow a path that makes you happy and follow that path with purpose; take time to always understand and respect those around you and act with courage and integrity.

“The university crest which is on your certificate and adorns your formal academic robes today carries with it an inscription in Latin; transcribed it reads fortune favours the brave – and you have been brave in realising the dreams and ambitions that brought you here today. I would urge you to carry on with the same sense of purpose in whatever path you now choose to follow.”

NATIONAL AWARDS FOR LJMU STUDENTS

Three students from the School of Nursing and Allied Health were successful at the Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA) 2023.

The PEN awards saw eight LJMU students nominated across several different categories, with three winners:

Ava Milligan, Adult Student Nurse: Student Patient Experience Advocate and Educator of Tomorrow Award

John Wells, Adult Student Nurse: Educational activities to support healthcare staff and enhance patient care: Student Experience Educator of Tomorrow Award

Emma Davey, MSc Advanced Healthcare Practice student, supporting a young cancer patient home during the covid pandemic and lockdown: Fiona Littledale Award

CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY

Throughout the year, our Student Futures team has provided a wide range of careers, employability and start-up support, information and resources for current and former LJMU students.

We offered 182 Discovery Internships - fully-funded 105 to 140-hour extracurricular projects for students. The internships were undertaken in local businesses and organisations, which benefitted from investment in-kind worth approximately £2,000 each.

Careers and employability advisers held more than 2,600 advice and guidance meetings with students through the year, with 46,000 logins to the Careers Zone 24/7 platform and 140,000 activities completed online.

Student Futures hosted a series of successful extracurricular webinars and in-person events attended by thousands of students across 2023/24, including the Graduate and Placement Recruitment Fair, Part-time Jobs Fair, Final Year Support and Jobs Fair and the Sustainable Business and Green Careers Insights Fair.

Grad Academy was a series which delivered a series of comprehensive employability sessions, networking and employer site visits, designed to support students successful transition into post-study employment or self-employment.

TWENTY YEARS OF THE START-UP HUB

This year marks the 20th anniversary of LJMU’s Start-up Hub, which encourages and supports entrepreneurship.

Formerly known as Student Enterprise, the Start-up Hub was launched in 2004 and has since helped more than 1,000 businesses and is estimated to have contributed over £20 million in income to the Liverpool City Region economy each year.

To mark the anniversary, we invited students and graduates to a celebration event which provided LJMU entrepreneurs with an opportunity to reflect on their start-up journeys, catch up with old colleagues and make new business connections.

The Start-up Hub is part of LJMU Student Futures, which offers current students and LJMU graduates advice on careers, employability and start-ups.

AWARD FOR STUDENT JOB CREATION PROJECT

A ground-breaking LJMU project which created scores of jobs in the Liverpool City Region won a prestigious Liverpool Chamber of Commerce award.

Graduate Futures was named the Skills Provider of the Year at the Innovation in Business Awards after being described as a “new blueprint” for graduate employment.

Over almost three years, Graduate Futures created more than 200 graduate-level posts in growth sectors - creative and cultural, digital, biomedical, professional services and othersand engaged around 2,000 students in the job market.

ATHENA SWAN SILVER

LJMU this year became one of only 30 universities in the UK to achieve the Athena Swan Silver Award for commitment to promoting gender equality.

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used worldwide to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research.

LJMU was awarded the Athena Swan: Bronze in both 2014 and 2017 and since then has been working towards institutional silver.

As part of the submission, LJMU shared a five-year action plan which reflects our unwavering commitment and ambition to continually progress in gender equality.

GRADUATE TUTOR TRAINEES JOIN POSITIVE ACTION PROGRAMME

Six graduate tutor trainees have begun a fouryear programme at LJMU to gain invaluable teaching experience and strengthen the university’s representation of ethnically diverse staff.

The trainees were appointed from 136 applicants from ethnically diverse backgrounds who applied for the Positive Action: Graduate Trainee Tutor programme.

The trainees will spend the next four years completing their PhDs and undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) while gaining invaluable teaching experience, with the full support of their respective departmental teams.

OPERATING OVERVIEW

ON CAMPUS

The university manages a connected, accessible estate that provides outstanding facilities for teaching, learning, research and social activity. Throughout the year, we have continued to enhance our campuses for the benefit of students and staff and to support the delivery of the LJMU Strategy 2030.

NEW FACILITIES MARK 175 YEARS OF PHARMACY EDUCATION

This year marked 175 years of pharmacy education in Liverpool and the university officially launched its innovative new specialist facilities on campus.

We unveiled a state-of-the-art simulation suite which is transforming the way students are taught in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences.

The new suite includes a six-bed ward with AI-driven mannequin patients, consultation room, dispensary and the latest prescribing software, providing a realistic clinical setting for students to develop their skills and experience.

The new facilities not only enhance the student experience

but also puts the school in a strong position among pharmacy education providers in the UK.

The new suite was formally opened by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power, at an event attended by faculty staff and Pippa Roberts, Chief Pharmacist of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

CITY CAMPUS ENHANCEMENTS

A series of projects were delivered to enhance student and staff facilities at our City Campus ready for the 2024/25 academic year.

We have created a new, high quality student zone on the ground floor of the James Parsons Building. Designed in collaboration with the faculties, Student Futures and Student Advice and Wellbeing, it brings together a range of key student-facing services in one space, as well as space for students to undertake collaborative learning.

The works have also delivered a new design makers space for the School of Engineering, a second phase of enhancements for the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and a brand new staff lounge.

AWARD FOR FLAGSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The university’s flagship development at Copperas Hill was this year recognised with a prestigious award from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The home of our Student Life Building and Sports Building was hailed for its design and connectivity as it earned the RIBA North West award. Industry professionals praised the site as a great place to study and work, as well as its impact on the city.

RIBA judges said: “The Student Life Building feels welcoming, but also mature and aspirational. The architectural approach of the whole project elegantly combines a highly glazed teaching block with the large and unwieldy form of the sports hall, to create an overall ensemble that feels well-proportioned and appropriately civic.

“This impressive building is a new gateway for Liverpool John Moores University and a focal point for the further regeneration of Copperas Hill.”

SUPPORTING NEURODIVERSITY ON CAMPUS

This year has seen the eye-catching installation of more than 80 umbrellas in the Student Life Building.

We partnered with the ADHD Foundation to bring the Neurodiversity Umbrella Project onto our campus.

The strings of coloured umbrellas are a visual representation of all the different minds we have here in the UK and celebrate the umbrella term of neurodiversity.

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES ON CAMPUS

LJMU has been recognised for its environmental initiatives on campus following an external inspection.

EcoCampus, an environmental management scheme for higher and further education, has awarded the university silver status.

Auditors visited LJMU for a tour of our facilities, to interview members of staff and review environmental and sustainability policies and procedures.

The award demonstrates that LJMU meets the required standards for silver and is well placed to work towards gold status.

It reflects the commitment to embedding sustainability and responsible environmental management in every element of the university, from the curriculum to operational activity on campus.

The university has successfully reduced the energy consumption of our operational estate by 20% since 2021/22 and in the last year has set out plans to reduce further to deliver our Climate Action Plan. We completed a comprehensive decarbonisation plan to identify the technologies and pathway to achieving net zero carbon, while a new carbon management plan sets out hard and soft measures to reduce emissions over the next five years, including, for the first time, scope 3 targets and activity.

During the year, we undertook a campus-wide photovoltaic feasibility study to enable us to target installation and maximise our clean generation of electricity.

Meanwhile, an environmental study has revealed dozens of species of wildflowers and grass are thriving across our estate. The findings come from the university’s participation in Plantlife’s No Mow May initiative, in which three areas of lawn across the campuses were left to grow throughout the month. The findings will help to inform a future Biodiversity Plan for LJMU, which will deliver on the university’s commitment to increase biodiversity across the estate.

RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

NEW FORENSIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE LAUNCHED

LJMU held a launch event this year for the new Forensic Research Institute (FORRI) to support and enhance the criminal justice system.

Bringing together a wide range of world-leading expertise, the institute aims to advance the impact and practice of forensic science and foster a more diverse, inclusive and fair criminal justice system.

Working with leading partners across the globe, the institute aspires to be the most influential of its kind in the UK, serving the criminal justice system, the public and the professional community.

FORRI runs six research networks covering a wide range of specialisms:

I Search and discovery

I Scenes of crime or accident

I Digital data examination

I Human identification

I Chemical biological and trace analysis

I Psychology and criminology

The Forensic Research Institute has been set up in order to impact the criminal justice system at all levels and enhance our collaboration and innovation within the forensic field.

HUMANITARIAN MIGRANT MISSION WINS TOP THE AWARD

An LJMU-led mission to help identify migrants who die crossing the seas to Europe won the Times Higher Education Research Project of the Year.

Judges praised the project’s humanity, imagination and ingenuity when awarding LJMU this year’s prize for research in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

More than 26,000 people have died attempting to reach Europe since 2014, most never to have their bodies returned to their families. According to the International Organisation for Migration, just 22% of deceased migrants will ever be positively identified, with legal, socio-economic and situational obstacles preventing the use of accepted methods of identification such as DNA, fingerprints or dental records.

Face Lab, an interdisciplinary research group at LJMU led by Professor Caroline Wilkinson, began studying this social injustice in 2020. Starting their work in the Canary Islands, the researchers organised an online symposium on migrant disaster victim identification and collaborated with the University of Milan and Texas State University to evaluate craniofacial techniques for the post-mortem identification of faces.

Later, Face Lab researchers applied these techniques to the identification of deceased migrants in Greece, working with the University of Thrace and the Platform for Transnational Forensic Assistance.

Comparing post-mortem craniofacial data with images from social media and missing persons sites, they helped identify a number of disaster victims.

CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

A new LJMU research institute is bringing together and accelerating world-leading research around climate and sustainability.

The Liverpool Research Institute for Climate and Sustainability (LiRICS) is taking a pan-university approach to research and knowledge exchange in order to deliver impactful solutions to the challenges faced by society.

The development of the institute was one of the key objectives in LJMU’s Climate Action Plan, which sets out the university’s commitment to work towards a net carbon zero future.

LiRICS has developed a five-year strategy with four objectives around sustainability and climate action research and knowledge exchange:

I To increase external income

I To increase the volume of internationally excellent and worldleading outputs

I To create educational opportunities for behaviour change

I To enable collaborative engagement and impact initiatives for internal and external stakeholders

The institute brings together staff and research activity from all faculties across LJMU.

NEW INSTITUTE DRIVING EDUCATION RESEARCH

A new institute established by LJMU will drive forward worldleading, impactful research in education locally, nationally and internationally.

The Liverpool Institute for Research in Education (LIFE Institute) has been set up to build upon the success and research impact of the Centre for Educational Research (CERES) over the last 20 years.

It is a university-wide institute bringing together researchers from a wide range of disciplines to strengthen and extend educational and pedagogical research development at LJMU. The LIFE Institute will also provide a new platform for the university’s national and international partnerships.

The LIFE Institute’s vision is to be an inclusive, innovative and radical space for research and knowledge exchange based on

social justice. It has a set of guiding aims and objectives:

I Excellence in research outputs

I Securing external research funding

I Fostering an inclusive research community

I Opportunities for postgraduate research students

I Impactful, connected research and knowledge exchange

I Embedding research-informed approaches to teaching and learning

An immediate target for the institute is to enhance research development activities and outputs ahead of REF 2029.

Initial membership of the institute consists of more than 100 academic staff and PGR members, representing all faculties and 14 different schools across LJMU. A number of partner organisations – the Portobello Institute in Dublin, the University Centre at Blackpool College and Mersey Forest – have signed the Memoranda of Understanding to become affiliated members.

LIVERPOOL CENTRE FOR OLYMPIC RESEARCH ON INCLUSION

Ahead of the Paris 2024 Games, LJMU held a launch event for the new Liverpool Centre for Olympic Research on Inclusion (LCORI).

The centre is the first to focus exclusively on inclusion and joins a network of Olympic Study Centres across the globe.

The centre’s vision is to create a global community in which everyone is included and able to participate in society, regardless of their ability, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic background, and where change is encouraged and celebrated to deliver this inclusive global community.

Its purpose will be to advance knowledge and practice related to inclusion and participation for all in events and the impact this may have on society.

Following the launch, academic members from across LJMU’s Liverpool Business School, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences and Public Health Institute will work with global partners to deliver real-life impact on projects that focus on The Olympic Games, sport and inclusion.

EUROPEAN AWARD FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

LJMU has been confirmed as an attractive destination for global researchers, according to an international research standards body.

Vitae, which works with the European Commission, has approved LJMU for its HR Excellence in Research Award, for our commitment to developing and supporting academics through their careers.

LJMU has previously held the ‘Excellence’ status which incorporates the QAA Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.

Holding the award can add value to funding applications to demonstrate a commitment to good working conditions and career development for researchers. It can also be used to promote this commitment to researchers who might be considering moving to LJMU.

LJMU strives to provide the best possible environment and culture to enhance career development of its research community and the award is a public declaration of that commitment.

SHOWCASING NEW ROBOTIC TELESCOPE

LJMU has been showcasing its project to build the world’s largest robotic telescope in a series of industry briefings.

The 12.5m tall New Robotic Telescope is being built on La Palma in the Canary Islands, close to the existing Liverpool Telescope. It will be the largest telescope of its kind which is fully autonomous and doesn’t rely on humans to be on site.

Our Research and Innovation Services and Astrophysics Research Institute have been holding sessions with key industry stakeholders in the Liverpool City Region.

The telescope will provide data for astronomers across the world and, as with the Liverpool Telescope, offer engagement opportunities for schools across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

MARITIME EXPERTISE SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE SHIPPING

LJMU’s expertise in marine engineering and technology is central to a project to develop new battery-powered ships.

The university’s School of Engineering is a research partner in a consortium working on sustainable solutions for electric vessels.

The project, which is led by Bibby Marine, received a £20million investment from Innovate UK. LJMU will work alongside other consortium members including the Port of Aberdeen, Shell, ORE Catapult, DNV and Kongsberg

The home of the country’s first nautical college, LJMU is committed to leading research and innovation in the regional and global maritime industries.

INNOVATION SUPPORT FOR CITY REGION BUSINESSES

Working in partnership LJMU secured over £2 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver two projects that are driving economic growth and innovation across the region and working with SMEs to support decarbonisation.

The Horizons project is a new flagship innovation support programme in the Liverpool City Region and is dedicated to helping businesses wanting to improve their competitiveness and productivity while fostering their economic growth.

Horizons supports SMEs in all sectors and industries, offering innovative solutions, technical support and access to equipment.

The programme is delivered through a partnership with the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and with the support of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Horizons builds on the success of the LCR 4.0 suite of projects, which delivered digital innovation to local industries across all sectors since 2016.

With support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority the Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI) project, led by LJMU and delivered in partnership with the University of Liverpool, works to offer businesses in the Liverpool City Region access to university technologies, academic expertise and financial assistance, to help them put their low carbon plans into action and support their journey to net zero.

This new phase of the project, where businesses will be offered match-funded grants for low carbon installations and equipment, builds on the success of the LCEI which launched in 2015. The LCEI has brought millions of pounds of benefit to the city region economy and reduced carbon emissions by thousands of tonnes.

RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE INCOME AND NEW AWARDS

Research and Knowledge Exchange income for 2023/2024 totalled £17.4 million. £14.1m of this total relates to research and is a 5% increase on the £13.2 million in 2022/2023.

Looking ahead to 2024/2025 and beyond, 291 new research and knowledge exchange awards were secured in year, with a total value of £24.9 million to the university.

Over £20 million of the awards secured will fund research and innovation through grant schemes and direct funding from

Industry and the public sector to investigate and tackle key challenges from health to climate change and develop novel technologies.

A total of £9.6 million in new awards has been received from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding councils, including £4.2 million in successful bids to Horizon Europe - the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation. These were awarded via the UK Guarantee scheme which was in place to allow successful researchers to receive their funds while the UK was in the process of associating to Horizon Europe.

I These awards included the LJMU lead of the €10 million TARGET project that will use cutting edge AI tools to create ‘digital twins’ of the human brain and heart, designed to enhance the personalised management and prevention of stroke related to atrial fibrillation. TARGET will realise £1 million in funding to LJMU with researchers alongside academic, charity and commercial partners across Europe.

I £476,000 was secured from the National Institute for Health Research with LJMU as lead partner in a regional pilot study of an integrated response to suicide risk among secondary school pupils. The Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) project will see six schools engaged in the project over two years.

I LJMU continue to grow directly funded industry research contracts during the year, which will see researchers working across a number of sectors including consumer goods, sports nutrition and life sciences.

I The university secured £480,000 via a competitive tender with NHS England to deliver the Professional Nurse Advocate programme which aims to improve staff wellbeing and retention, alongside improving patient care and outcomes. This award adds to the existing portfolio of professional development delivered within healthcare, including specialist training around endoscopy and bowel cancer screening.

I LJMU secured two classic Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in year and an Accelerated Knowledge Transfer award. The projects include working with Lancashire Wildlife Trust to equip them with skills for long term peatland management.

I Over £200k was secured via competitive tender from the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs by the Natural Capital Hub team to support the development of the evidence base for the Nature for Climate Fund Tree Planting Programme.

PLACE AND PARTNERSHIP

Through our place within local communities, the Liverpool City Region and beyond, LJMU is committed to working in partnership with people and organisations to make a difference. During 2023/24, we have

CITY REGION INNOVATION SUMMIT

LJMU welcomed hundreds of investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers to a summit to conclude the Liverpool City Region’s first ever Innovation Investment Week.

A series of events took place over four days across the city region to showcase innovation and investment opportunities.

Experts from a range of sectors across the UK and globally visited LJMU’s Student Life Building for a day-long Innovation Investment Summit, with discussions about stimulating growth, encouraging innovation and building global life sciences.

The event was attended by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) Professor Keith George, who took part in a panel discussion around adding value from university spinouts.

FREE LEGAL SUPPORT FOR WINDRUSH COMMUNITY

An LJMU initiative is providing access to free legal advice to Windrush communities in the North West of England.

The Legal Advice Centre is working with the charitable grassroots organisation, Liverpool Advocates for Windrush, to offer specialist help to the Windrush generation and their descendants, many of whom have found their legal status in Britain in doubt.

The Windrush generation are people who migrated to the UK from Commonwealth countries between 1948 and 1973 and take their name from the ship HMT Empire Windrush which brought the first immigrants.

Its thought there are thousands of people across Merseyside who are entitled to justice and compensation.

LJMU’s School of Law runs the Legal Advice Centre, which offers initial advice and guidance on family, disputes, commercial matters and other legal matters.

RECIPROCAL MENTORING FOR CITY LEADERS

Senior Black and ethnic minority leaders from across the city and LJMU’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT) came together to share their learnings from our reciprocal mentoring project.

The initiative, which began 14 months ago, paired leaders from ELT with Black and ethnic minority Liverpool city leaders to share

their lived experiences and inform policy and decision making at the university and beyond.

At the final event, pairings shared their learnings from over the past year, with guest speaker, historian and broadcaster, Professor David Olusoga OBE, also speaking at the event.

The Reciprocal Mentoring Programme began in 2019 as a pilot between LJMU students and senior leaders, with the aim of transforming the way the university understands and responds to the perspective of Black students within our community.

After the success of the internal reciprocal mentoring programme, the external programme was developed with leaders in the city to take the conversation outside of the university and into the wider community.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO TACKLE HEALTH INEQUALITIES

LJMU’s role in a new innovative local government partnership is boosting research capacity and capability to tackle health inequalities and improve outcomes across the city.

Public health partners in Liverpool have secured £5m of national funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to create a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) between LJMU, Liverpool City Council and the University of Liverpool.

It will help to stimulate economic growth and regeneration and contribute to reducing pressure on NHS services by improving public health.

The initiative will engage with local communities and focus on a range of key factors in public health, including employment, housing, education and the physical environment.

It aligns with LJMU’s commitment to both research and knowledge exchange and working closely with partners across our communities.

GLOBAL AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

A Liverpool Business School partnership earned a prestigious global award for leadership development.

The school has been recognised for its collaboration with Circle, the largest private provider of hospital services in the UK.

The partnership began during the pandemic and the business school has created a programme for 250 Circle leaders using a blended learning approach, which created a learning culture for everyone.

Together they were presented with the Gold Award at the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) in Switzerland for the company’s senior management training which improved retention, motivation and the organisation’s learning culture.

CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE SOCIAL VALUE AWARD

LJMU is the first university to be recognised with a Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award in acknowledgement of our dedication to creating social value across the region.

The award celebrates LJMU as an anchor institution with a university-wide effort contributing to impactful social value through projects and initiatives such as tackling period poverty by providing free menstrual products for students, staff and visitors on campus; supporting local communities through pro bono business, accounting and legal advice clinics; and partnerships with industry to find sustainable solutions to challenges such as climate change and supporting the adoption of innovative new technologies.

The award application was driven by the Centre for Management Development and Innovation at LJMU, a partnership with Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust (LUHFT), which combines academic rigour and realworld application to support the improvement of culture, processes, innovation and practice through the enhancement of management and leadership.

LIVERPOOL ARENA AND CONVENTION CENTRE PARTNERS LJMU ON EMPLOYMENT

Liverpool’s visitor economy is set to benefit from a new alliance between LJMU and the city’s world-leading Arena and Convention Centre.

The ACC Liverpool Group runs the multi-purpose event complex on Liverpool’s waterfront, which includes M&S Bank Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and the convention centre and hosts pop concerts, conferences and even LJMU’s annual Freshers Fair.

The partners formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding this year and expect to create opportunities for students graduating from LJMU’s successful events and marketing courses as well as sharing research in tourism, marketing, management and operations from Liverpool Business School.

WELCOMING NEW HONORARY FELLOWS

LJMU honoured 10 new fellows at a memorable event at St George’s Hall.

The distinguished group were awarded their fellowships in front of their friends and family, LJMU staff and students at a special ceremony celebrating their inspirational achievements and their contributions to improving lives across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

THE NEW FELLOWS ARE:

I Nikita Parris, professional footballer, UEFA Euro 2022 winner and LJMU alum

I Ngunan Adamu, BBC Radio Merseyside journalist, producer, presenter and LJMU alum

I Bryan Biggs, Director of Cultural Legacies at the Bluecoat and LJMU alum

I Andy Cooke, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services

I Professor Joe Rafferty CBE, Chief Executive of Mersey Care

I Trish Bennett, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Nurse, Mersey Care

I Louise Shepherd, Chief Executive of Alder Hey Children’s NHSFT

I Louisa Flitter, Civil Engineering Senior Project Manager, Environment Agency and LJMU alum

I HH Judge Sarah Wright, Circuit Judge, Sheffield Combined Court and LJMU alum

I Jamie Christon DL, Chief Executive of Chester Zoo

Each of the new fellows was introduced by officers from our students’ union, JMSU, before being presented with a commemorative cap and scroll by Chancellor Nisha Katona and Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power.

The special occasion also featured musical accompaniment by Mercury Strings and LJMU organist, Professor Ian Tracey, as well as a spoken word performance by LJMU student Joseph Roberts, entitled Recognition.

ROSCOE LECTURES

Full houses and standing ovations greeted LJMU’s Roscoe Lectures in venues across the city during the year.

Launched in 1997, the lecture series is one of the largest in the UK and provides a platform for debate on a broad range of topics of public interest.

This year, the university was delighted to welcome back to St George’s Hall the founder of the series, Professor the Lord David Alton, to reflect on 25 years of Roscoe Lectures.

In Roscoe Reflections, he looked back at why the lectures were launched, their legacy and future, plus recollections of some of the most memorable speakers, including His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, and the Dalai Lama.

Author, poet and academic Malik Al Nasir delivered his lecture The Truth That Lies Behind Roscoe to a packed audience at St George’s Hall in November.

He shared his research into Liverpool’s history in the slave trade and links to the MP, writer and scholar William Roscoe, after whom these lectures are named. Roscoe was an abolitionist committed to ending slavery but Malik explored how financiers behind his institutions were themselves slave traders.

The Museum of Liverpool played host to the third lecture of the year as LJMU’s Programme Leader for Film Studies, Dr Ruth Doughty, spoke about the legacy of Littlewoods.

She looked back on the world-famous retailer and football-pools business which employed 30,000 people at its peak, 95% of whom were women. Ruth’s lecture dovetailed with a display she curated at the museum, exploring stories of sisterhood and camaraderie and Littlewoods’ legacy in the city.

BIG IDEAS

LJMU opened its doors to engage with the local community, students and key partners in the city region through the Big Ideas event.

Hosted by the Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies, it provided an opportunity to share insights into an array of research topics making a difference to people’s lives.

Academics gave six quick-fire presentations on a range of topics and invited questions and discussions from the audience. The event enables us to look at the impact of our research together with the local community and pursue new endeavours that benefit growth, tackle injustices and innovate new practices.

Meanwhile, the Reverse Big Ideas event gave community groups and guest speakers the opportunity to take the lead and share how their interaction with LJMU’s teaching and research is enhancing community partnerships.

Forty speakers and guests attended event to discuss the themes of policing, community and criminal justice.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

This year, LJMU submitted to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for the first time and placed in the top 60 universities in the UK for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The rankings are global performances tables providing comprehensive and balanced comparison across the areas of research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.

LJMU made submissions for seven of the 17 SDGs, ranking in the top 25% internationally for six of the goals and above the median in the seventh.

The university’s partnerships for the goals came out as the strongest performing category with supporting evidence including LJMU’s orangutan conservation monitoring, the UK Malaysia University Consortium and the ‘Dignity Without Danger’ project, which works with NGOs to destigmatise period shame in Nepal.

SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE AWARDED ROYAL CHARTER

The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the professional body of sport set up by pioneers of sport science at LJMU, has been awarded a Royal Charter. BASES’ origins in the 1980s owed much to Professor Tom Reilly, while its current chair is Professor Zoe Knowles.

Today its members span academia, practitioners and professional sport, while BASES accredits sport and exercise science degrees at 58 universities.

The issue of a Royal Charter recognises sport and exercise science as distinct, important and of significant public value.

RECORD-BREAKING LIVERPOOL PRIDE MARCH

The LJMU community joined a record breaking 25,000+ people who turned out to march from St George’s Plateau to the waterfront as part of Liverpool Pride.

Members of the LJMU community met at the Student Life Building to collect LJMU branded pride t-shirts before heading out on the march alongside friends, family and pets.

HELP FOR HEROES COMMUNITY SPORT

We were proud to welcome members of the Armed Forces community to LJMU to host a regional multi-sports event organised by military veterans’ charity Help for Heroes.

Under its Armed Forces Covenant pledge, the university has been working closely with the charity to support its inclusive Community Sport Series, offering up our state-of-the-art facilities and assistance from the Sport and Physical Activity department and the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

LJMU staff assisted Help for Heroes sport coaches and local sports teams to facilitate a range of inclusive and fully accessible sport sessions to a group being supported by the charity.

INTERNATIONAL

GLOBAL GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS

As well as hosting graduation ceremonies in Liverpool, we have been delighted to celebrate the achievements of our students at partner institutions around the world.

This year, we have seen graduates awarded their LJMU qualifications in association with partner institutions in Dubai, Malaysia, Qatar, Shanghai and Sri Lanka.

The university’s global delivery partner, Unicaf, also marked the inaugural graduation ceremony for scholars who have studied LJMU degrees online. More than 1,990 students from 95 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East, graduated in a range of disciplines including business, computing, education, health, psychology and law.

Meanwhile, we were delighted to welcome international students to Liverpool to explore research projects and celebrate their academic achievements.

Students from India, Iran, Jordan, Norway, Singapore and Vietnam are studying with LJMU’s international online education partner upGrad, undertaking online programmes accredited by LJMU’s Liverpool Business School and School of Computer Science and Mathematics.

During their visit to Liverpool, they met with their respective faculties, toured our campuses, heard from researchers and careers advisers, and took part in mini-research projects that were then presented at the end of the three-day visit. All students were awarded certificates in specially arranged celebration ceremonies on campus.

LIVERPOOL IN SHANGHAI: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS AS SISTER CITIES

Forty-seven members of staff and students visited China to mark the 25th anniversary of the twinning of Liverpool and Shanghai.

LJMU was part of a delegation taking part in the Liverpool Outbound Education Mission to Shanghai.

We took part in education workshops, culture days and meetings with government leaders from the region to discuss the education sector, reflect on 25 years of partnership and explore future opportunities for both cities.

Staff from LJMU also attended the launch of the John Moores Painting Prize: China, an art competition where the winning paintings will be exhibited as part of the Liverpool Biennial.

As well as the city-led delegation, LJMU also co-ran a student led delegation with 36 students from a range of courses travelling to Shanghai to meet students from partner universities in the city.

They worked on joint projects, culminating in a Liverpool in Shanghai Culture Day which saw a fashion show, documentary screening and a UK versus China student football match take place.

NEW SPANISH POLICING PARTNERSHIP

The university entered into a formal partnership with Spain’s Guardia Civil.

In the last year, several forensic psychologists from LJMU have collaborated on research projects with the Spanish police force, which is one of the largest and oldest in Europe, with 80,000 members.

Now both parties have decided to consolidate this relationship through a teaching and research agreement between the School of Psychology and the University Center of the Guardia Civil, which offers higher education to the commanders of the force up to doctoral level.

With a duration initially set for four years, the agreement opens up possibilities for student, joint training activities and cooperation on research projects.

OUTREACH AND ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES

Across the year, LJMU teams have engaged with a broad range of partners and community groups as part of our commitment to widening access to higher education.

Equality of opportunity is a key feature of LJMU’s outreach strategy. Specific target learners include lower quintile groups, low participation neighbourhoods, pupils on free school meals, first generation into HE and mature students (age 21 plus).

The university seeks to widen participation for disabled students, care experienced young people and specific ethnicity groups under-represented in HE. We also run activity to encourage women to consider STEM subjects and have delivered aspirational talks and mentoring as part of the Girls Network during 2022/23.

Additionally, the university has made a commitment to providing access support for people with experience in the Armed Forces, children of service men and women, and those with experience of the criminal justice system.

POST-16 PROMOTION AND INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE

LJMU provided wide-reaching information and guidance on higher education to schools and colleges in the Liverpool City Region and across the UK and Ireland.

During the year, we reached more than 63,401 prospective students across 718 schools and colleges through presentations, workshops, school careers fairs and bespoke visits to campus. We also hosted events specifically about university finance, managing money as a student and how to apply for bursaries and scholarships.

LJMU delivered a series of activities in Northern Ireland – where we are established as the most popular university destination outside the province for Northern Ireland domiciled students –engaging with 170 schools and colleges to reach almost 20,667 prospective students.

UNDERGRADUATE HIGHER EDUCATION EXHIBITIONS ACROSS THE UK AND IRELAND

The outreach team provided advice to young people on their higher education choices and information about studying at LJMU at 44 events across the UK and Ireland, attended by 4,050 schools and colleges, and approximately 155,000 prospective students.

PRE-16 WIDENING ACCESS PROGRAMMES

The university delivered a series of programmes through the year to under-16s to help with their knowledge, confidence and ability to progress to higher education.

Activity included; the Step-Up programme, focussed on career choices; Access All Areas, a multi-intervention programme aimed at motivating boys from the most socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds; and the Law Factor programme, which gives an insight into the legal profession.

Meanwhile, the local consortium of Uni-Connect was established to raise learner higher education aspirations and progression rates within targeted electoral wards in the Liverpool City Region, where progression to higher education is lower than expected. Shaping Futures provides impartial higher education related activities and progression advice to target learners in 43 priority secondary schools and across partner further education and sixth form colleges.

Activity this year included campus visits from 500 young people from diverse backgrounds, a programme to improve maths GCSE outcomes at five local schools, and Absolute Chemistry - a multi-intervention project designed to inspire interest in STEM subjects.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

LJMU in the community is an element of the outreach strategy designed to increase access to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds. Based on the principles of visibility beyond school and college engagement, LJMU is involved in a range of activities which promote inclusivity in accessing higher education.

The university has worked closely with community groups including the Arabic Centre, the Al-Ghazali Centre, a local Mosque, the Girls Network, and Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater communities.

NATIONAL SCHOOLS OBSERVATORY

The National Schools Observatory is an initiative aimed at supporting teachers and inspiring pupils to continue their journey in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths with free online access to the Liverpool Telescope and other resources which support skill development important to accessing university.

This year, 429 new teachers and almost 2,500 new students registered to use the platform, with more than 8,800 observations requested and 4.45 million web hits. We also held events to inspire female pupils in STEM and helped 60 Year 7 pupils to learn about Artificial Intelligence in wildlife conservation.

DONATION BOOSTS CARE LEAVERS FUND

LJMU’s fund for care leavers received a major boost thanks to a generous donation from one of our honorary fellows and alumni.

Gary Millar made the donation in memory of his brother Leslie, via the Cornerstones Foundation, which aims to improve the skills, career and employment outcomes for children and young people looked after in Liverpool.

The support for LJMU students who have been in care is named the Imagine Programme, initially established in 2009 with a gift from Yoko Ono in her late husband’s name. John Lennon was a student at the LJMU art school in the late-1950s and was brought up in the care of his aunt.

The Imagine Programme has become a beacon of good practice in higher education and has received national recognition.

Gary Millar said: “I am so pleased to be able to provide some additional financial backing to the Imagine Programme so that the university can continue to deliver such a bespoke and thoughtful package of support.

“The university changed my life for the better so I am pleased to do what I can to help others by paying it forward in my dearly departed brother’s name.”

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

KEY FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

2023/ 2024

2022/ 2023

SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR

Surplus for the year on a statutory basis was £9.3m (2022/23 £21.8m)

OPERATING SURPLUS

In considering the financial performance, management uses the measure of operating surplus.

The items excluded from the statutory surplus to arrive at operating surplus are pension provision movements, the share of operating surplus/(deficit) in associates and joint ventures and the profit/(loss) on disposal of fixed assets. Pension provision movements relate to the Merseyside Pension Fund (MPF), Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), and the unfunded pension scheme (for a specific group of employees who took early retirement in the 1990s). These are excluded because while significant they cannot be controlled by management in the short term. Pension provision credits were £3.7m (2022/23 £4.2m cost).

In 2023/24 The University made an operating surplus of £5.7m (2022/23 £26.4m).

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

The total Comprehensive Income was £5.4m (2022/23 £91.6m). This includes an adverse actuarial movement on the MPF pension of £3.9m (2022/23 favourable £91.6m).

INCOME

Total income reduced by £6.3m (2%) to £270.9m.

INCOME ANALYSIS £m

n Tuition Fees and education contracts

n Funding council grants

n Research grants and contracts

n Other Income

n Investment Income

n Donations and endowments (0.1m)

Total tuition fees and educational contracts reduced by £8.8m to £217.4m (4%). The majority of this reduction was in reduced fees from Home and EU students.

Funding body grants income remained at £25.4m, a combination of previously increased UKRI funding following a positive REF result and increased Office for Students funding.

Research grants and contracts income increased by £0.6m (4%) to £14.1m due to phasing of activity.

Investment income benefited from continued increased interest rate rises and cash reserves, up £2.8m to £7.5m.

EXPENDITURE

Expenditure on a statutory basis was £261.5m (2022/23 £255.5m).

Pension provision credits were £3.7m (2022/23 £4.2m cost) and are excluded by management from operating expenditure when considering financial performance.

Operating expenditure increased by £14.0m (6%) to £265.2m .

EXPENDITURE ANALYSIS £m

n Staff costs

n Other operating expenses

n Depreciation

n Interest and other finance costs (0.3m)

The majority of expenditure relates to staff costs. Staff costs on a statutory basis were £159.5m (2023/23 £154.2m) and include pension provision credit of £3.7m (2022/23 £4.2m cost). On a statutory basis staff costs are 59% of income (2022/23 56%). Excluding pension provision credit, staff costs were £163.2m (2022/23 £150m excluding costs) and are 60.2% of income (2022/23 54%)

Other operating expenses rose £3.6m (4%) to £86.0m. Key drivers were continued investment in estates and IT expenditure alongside reinvestment of increased funding body grant income.

OTHER ITEMS

The share of operating deficit in the joint venture (Sensor City Liverpool Limited) was £0.05m (2022/23 £0.02m surplus). The share of surplus in the associate (Sciontec Developments Limited) was £nil (2022/23 £0.02m).

BALANCE SHEET

On 31st July 2024 our net assets had increased by £5.4m to £358.2m

Net current assets have reduced by £17.7m to £103.9m with cash and short-term net investments of £143.3m.

We anticipate that we will utilise cash holdings for future estates projects as we continue to focus on the student experience.

Total secured loans on 31st July 2024 were nil (£25.9m at 31st July 2023) following the decision to pay down the loan balance in year due to a favourable break option.

We have pensions provisions of £6.1m (£7.2m at 31st July 2023) which is an obligation to the unfunded pension scheme of £6.1m ((22/23 £4.5m, plus an obligation to fund the USS

pension scheme of £2.7m). The unfunded pension provision is in respect of pension enhancements payable to staff who took early retirement in the 1990s. Affordability of pensions is a key financial risk which we continue to monitor closely.

CASHFLOW

Cashflow from operating activities was £8.5m (2022/23 £41.3m) which is 3% of income.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Capital expenditure was £12.0m (2022/23 £16.1m). We continue to invest in our existing infrastructure but had no expenditure on new buildings in 2023/24.

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

The prospects of the University are considered over a 5-year period and regularly reviewed by the Board of Governors. The financial plan includes annual Income and Expenditure statements, capital expenditure, cashflow and balance sheet statements and an assessment of loan covenant

compliance. Part of the financial planning process includes scenario planning which stress test key assumptions in respect of student recruitment, pay awards and pensions.

Overall recruitment in the August 2024/25 cycle was marginally below expectations but with international recruitment exceeding target and a strong improvement in student continuation the overall financial position was in line with forecasts.

The external environment continues to be challenging with inflationary pressure in both staff costs and other expenditure driving up costs while tuition fees remain flat. Pensions also remain a risk in a volatile market. The University continues to focus on the needs of our students and invest in the student experience.

Despite these pressures the University’s underlying financial position is sound.

Based on these accounts and the financial strength of the institution the University is confident that it has sufficient funds to continue to meet all liabilities as they fall due and the accounts continue to be prepared on a going concern basis.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT – 2023/24

SUMMARY OF THE LJMU STRUCTURE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The following statement is provided to enable readers of the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts to obtain a better understanding of the governance and legal structure of the university.

The university is committed to adopting good practice in all aspects of corporate governance. It aims to conduct its business in accordance with the principles identified in the Committee on Standards in Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership), the requirements of the HE regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), its Instrument and Articles of Government and the Committee of University Chairs’ (CUC’s) Higher Education Code of Governance. It is the opinion of the Board of Governors that the governance practices of the university are consistent with and satisfy the seven primary elements contained in the Higher Education Code of Governance.

Liverpool John Moores University is a Higher Education Corporation as defined under the Education Reform Act 1988 and the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

The university has exempt charitable status as defined in the Charities Act 2011, with the OfS acting as its principal regulator. The charitable purpose of the university, as defined in the Charities Act 2011, is the advancement of education for the public benefit. The members of the university’s Board of Governors are the charity trustees and are responsible for ensuring compliance with charity law.

The Instrument of Government states that the Board of Governors shall consist of not less than fifteen and not more than twenty-two appointed members, made up of up to fifteen Independent members, two nominees from the Academic Board, two students and two elected staff members. The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive (ex officio) is a member of the Board of Governors.

The role of Chair of the Board of Governors is separate from the role of the university’s Vice- Chancellor and Chief Executive. The Vice-Chancellor is the designated Accountable Officer for the purposes of the OfS terms and conditions of funding and is supported by an Executive Leadership Team (ELT). The Chair is supported by the Deputy Chair of the Board. The matters reserved specifically to the Board of Governors for decision are set out in the Articles of Government of the university, the Scheme of Delegation and in guidance from the OfS.

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Professor Mark Power Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT MEMBERS

Mike Parker Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Board Chair of Nominations Committee Chair of Chairs’ Group

Chris Airey Member of Audit and Risk Committee

Shirley Anderson Chair of Employment Committee (since July 2024)

Paula Basnett Member of Audit and Risk Committee (until October 2023)

Debbie Francis Member of Finance Committee

Lee Gilmore Chair of the Remuneration Committee Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors

Liam Kelly Member of Employment Committee

Gareth McIntegart Member of Audit and Risk Committee (until May 2024)

Charles Oddy Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Jane Tomkinson Chair of Finance Committee

Damian Waters Member of Finance Committee

Eliot Ward Deputy Chair of the Board Chair of Remuneration Committee Member of Finance Committee (until June 2024)

Wendy Williams Chair of Employment Committee (until June 2024)

EXTERNAL CO-OPTED MEMBERS

Graeme Robinson Co-opted member of Audit and Risk Committee

NOMINEE MEMBERS

Jasmine Howard Student Governor (JMSU President) (until June 2024)

Shaquita Corry Student Governor (JMSU Vice President, Education) (until June 2024)

Daniel Brenin Firsht Student Governor (JMSU President) (until June 2024)

Seren Hutchinson Student Governor (JMSU Vice President Education) in attendance since July 2024

STAFF MEMBERS

Professor Caroline Wilkinson Staff Governor (Academic)

Emily Walker Staff Governor (Professional Services)

ACADEMIC BOARD NOMINEES

Dr Elaine Hemers (until June 2024)

Yog Upadhyay

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The Board of Governors holds to itself the responsibilities for the educational character, the financial solvency of the university and its strategic direction in accordance with its Strategic Plan 2030.

The Board of Governors meets a minimum of four times a year and maintains a committee structure comprising:

Audit and Risk Committee

Employment Committee

Finance Committee

Nominations Committee

Remuneration Committee

Academic Board

All of the above committees are formally constituted with terms of reference and are comprised of Independent members of the Board of Governors. The Finance and Employment Committee membership also includes staff and student governors.

The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive is an attendee at meetings of the Employment, Finance and Nominations Committees and by invitation attends meetings of the Audit and Risk and Remuneration Committees. The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board are not members of the Audit and Risk Committee and there is no overlap in membership of the Audit and Risk and Finance Committees. On the Audit and Risk Committee, there is a Co-opted member with the relevant audit qualifications, experience and expertise. An Independent Governor observes at the Academic Board.

The Board of Governors and its Committees review their terms of reference on an annual basis to ensure that they are embedding risk management effectively into their work and that the terms of reference align with the Higher Education Code of Governance and OfS requirements.

The Audit and Risk Committee advises the Board of Governors on the adequacy and effectiveness of the University’s arrangements for risk management control, governance and value for money (economy, efficiency and effectiveness). It oversees internal and external audit and agrees the audit approach and schedule with the auditors. The Audit and Risk Committee also receives and reviews the Risk Register. The committee is comprised of four independent members (three Independent Governors and one Co-opted member). Both the external and independent internal auditors attend the Committee’s meetings. The Committee meets the external and internal auditors at least annually without management, for independent discussions in line with best practice. The Committee also regularly meets with the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive to discuss emerging issues. The Committee’s minutes are

presented to the full Board meetings. In the last academic year, the Audit and Risk Committee met four times.

The Employment Committee advises the Board of Governors on issues related to staffing and employment. The responsibilities of the Committee also encompass Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) monitoring and the oversight and review of Human Resources (HR) policies. The Committee’s minutes are presented to the full Board meetings. In the last academic year, the Employment Committee met three times.

The Finance Committee oversees the financial solvency and sustainability of the university. It also keeps under review all significant income and expenditure and at each meeting it receives reports on the university’s performance in relation to approved budgets, estate related capital investment plans and treasury management, and financial reports from the John Moores Students’ Union (JMSU). The Committee’s minutes are presented to the full Board meetings. The Finance Committee met three times in the last academic year.

The Nominations Committee considers membership issues and appointments to vacancies on the Board for non-executive members, based on a skills and diversity analysis. The Committee’s minutes are presented to the full Board meetings. In the last academic year, the Nominations Committee met three times.

The Remuneration Committee considers the performance and annual remuneration of the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, the Executive Leadership Team and the annual remuneration of the Directorate and Professoriate. The Committee also has oversight of the university’s policy framework on severance payments for senior staff. The Committee’s minutes are presented to the full Board meetings. The Chair of the Remuneration Committee, in line with best practice, is the Deputy Chair of the Board. The Committee met on one occasion during the last academic year.

The Academic Board has twenty six members comprising the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive as Chair, the Pro Vice Chancellors, the Registrar and Chief Operating Officer, academic and professional services staff and students. (The Vice Chair is the Pro Vice Chancellor, Health). The Academic Board is established as the principal academic body of the university, overseeing the overall planning, co-ordination,

development and supervision of the academic work of the university and providing assurance to the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive and the Board of Governors for the quality and standards of its awards.. The Academic Board, in the last academic year, met four times.

The Board of Governors is committed to continuous monitoring of its performance and regularly reviews its terms of reference, programme of business, and the effectiveness of all its committees. In support of such commitment, independent Governance Effectiveness reviews regularly take place – the last one having been undertaken during 2020/21.

New Governors are required to participate in an induction programme. Each year all Governors are given the opportunity to attend training and development activities, which are provided internally and externally commissioned services. Regular bulletins are received regarding the activities across the university and the Higher Education sector along with regular governance briefings on relevant topics.

Upon commencing appointment, Governors are required to declare any pecuniary, family or other personal interest, direct or indirect, and this is noted in the publicly available Register of Members’ Interests. Governors are advised and expected to update their declaration as and when their circumstances change. The university also conducts an annual update in accordance with recommendations from the CUC. There is an item on each and every agenda where governors are also given the opportunity to declare any conflict of interest.

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

The strategic overview on pages 8-29 – see operating review describes how the university has carried out its charitable purposes for the public benefit through its educational research and engagement activities. It also refers to the university’s Access and Participation plan approved by the Office for Students which shows progress to date and future plans for improving equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in and progress from higher education.

STATEMENT OF INTERNAL CONTROL

The Board of Governors is responsible for ensuring that the university has a sound system of internal control and for reviewing the effectiveness of the university’s system of internal control on an annual basis, whilst safeguarding the public and other funds and assets for which it is

responsible. This is in accordance with OfS requirements and consistent with the Higher Education Code of Governance by the Committee of University Chairs (CUC), published in September 2020.

Detailed review and monitoring of the system of internal control is carried out on behalf of the Board of Governors by the Audit and Risk Committee, from which it receives periodic reports concerning internal control, and regular reports from members of the Executive Leadership Team on the steps taken to manage risk within their areas of responsibility.

Such a system is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure to achieve business objectives and it can only provide reasonable and not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss. It is based on a framework of regular management information, administrative procedures, and a system of managed delegation and accountability.

Key elements of the University’s system of internal control include:

The University’s Scheme of Delegation which records the reserved powers of the Board of Governors and the delegation of the Board’s powers to its sub-committees, to the Vice Chancellor and beyond.

There is a medium and short-term planning process supplemented by detailed annual income, expenditure, capital and cash flow budgets. The Executive Leadership Team, the Finance Committee, the Audit and Risk Committee and the Board of Governors, receive regular financial reports and updates including budgets, monitoring, half year and outturn forecasts in addition to the end of year financial statements.

The university has Financial Regulations, together with supporting financial policies and procedures, a robust AntiMoney Laundering Policy and Bribery Act Compliance and Criminal Finances Act Statements.

The university has an agreed Risk Management Policy and a Risk Appetite Statement. Responsibility for identifying and evaluating the major risks faced by the university and for ensuring that appropriate mitigating measures are in place, sits with the Executive Leadership Team, which has considered the institutional register regularly throughout the year. The institutional risk register is also reviewed by the Audit and Risk Committee at regular intervals throughout the year and the Finance Committee reviews the high-level financial risks annually. The Board of Governors’ agenda includes a standard item for consideration of relevant or emerging risks and the Board and ELT remain committed to the review and refinement of risk management procedures.

The university uses externally appointed Internal Auditors to inform the Board of Governor’s review of the effectiveness of the system of internal control. The internal auditors operate to defined professional standards. The internal audit plan is approved by the Audit and Risk Committee and takes into consideration emerging sector issues and required assurances, with clear linkage to the university’s risk register. The Audit and Risk Committee receives regular reports from the independent internal auditors, on specific areas of internal control together with agreed management actions for improvement. A tracking record is presented to the Audit and Risk Committee at each of its meetings to monitor the implementation of audit recommendations. Assessment grading for audits were in the main, either substantial or reasonable and all recommendations made by the Internal Auditors during the year were accepted by management. The internal auditors advised that they

were satisfied that the University was implementing the appropriate policies and meeting the management actions and recommendations from the internal audit fieldwork.

The review of the effectiveness of the system of internal control is also informed by the work of the Executive Leadership Team, who have responsibility for the development and maintenance of the internal control framework and by comments made by the external auditors in their management letter and other reports. Based on a review of the processes established to ensure effectiveness of internal controls and the range of indicators demonstrating effectiveness, there is an ongoing process for identifying, evaluating and managing the university’s significant risks that has been in place for the year ended 31 July 2024 and up to the date of approval of the financial statements.

LJMU’S MODERN SLAVERY AND HUMAN

TRAFFICKING STATEMENT is available in full at https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/legal/modern-slavery-acttransparency-statement

STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Board of Governors is responsible for preparing the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Office for Students’ Terms and Conditions of Funding for Higher Education Institutions and Research England’s Terms and Conditions of Research England Grant and applicable law and regulations.

It is required to prepare the group and parent university financial statements in accordance with UK accounting standards and applicable law (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The Terms and Conditions of Funding further require the financial statements to be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Accounts Direction dated 25 October 2019 issued by the Office for Students (‘the Accounts Direction’) and the 2019 Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting for Further and Higher Education.

The Board of Governors is required to prepare financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and of the parent university and of their income and expenditure, gains and losses and changes in reserves, and of the group’s cash flows for that period. In preparing each of the group and parent university financial statements, the Board of Governors is required to:

I Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.

I Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.

I State whether applicable UK accounting standards and the 2019 Statement of Recommended Practice –Accounting for Further and Higher Education have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;.

I Assess the group and parent university’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern

I Use the going concern basis of accounting unless it either intends to liquidate the group or the parent university or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

The Board of Governors is responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the parent university’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the parent university. It is responsible for such internal control as it determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and has general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to it to safeguard the assets of the group and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

The Board of Governors is also responsible for ensuring that: Funds from whatever source administered by the group or the university for specific purposes have been properly applied to those purposes and managed in accordance with relevant legislation.

Income has been applied in accordance with the university’s Statutes funds provided by the Office for Students, UK Research and Innovation (including Research England) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Department for Education have been applied in accordance with the terms and conditions attached to them.

Ensuring that there are appropriate financial and management controls in place to safeguard public funds and funds from other sources.

Securing the economical, efficient and effective management of the university’s resources and expenditure.

The Board of Governors is responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the university’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Mike Parker, CBE Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Board

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY

REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Liverpool John Moores University (“the University”) for the year ended 31 July 2024 which comprise the Consolidated and University Statement of Comprehensive Income, the Consolidated and University Statement of Changes in Reserves, the Consolidated and University Statement of Financial Position, the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and related notes, including the accounting policies in the Statement of Accounting Policies.

In our opinion the financial statements:

I give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and of the University’s affairs as at 31 July 2024, and of the Group’s and of the University’s income and expenditure, gains and losses and changes in reserves, and of the Group’s cash flows, for the year then ended; and

I have been properly prepared in accordance with UK accounting standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. Our responsibilities are described below. We have fulfilled our ethical responsibilities under, and are independent of the Group in accordance with, UK ethical requirements including the FRC Ethical Standard. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is a sufficient and appropriate basis for our opinion.

Going concern

The Board of Governors has prepared the financial statements on the going concern basis as it does not intend to liquidate the Group or the University or to cease their operations, and as it has concluded that the Group and the University’s financial position means that this is realistic. It has also concluded that there are no material uncertainties that could have cast significant doubt over their ability to continue as a going concern for at least a year from the date of approval of the financial statements (“the going concern period”).

In our evaluation of the Board of Governors’ conclusions, we considered the inherent risks to the Group’s business model and analysed how those risks might affect the Group and the University’s financial resources or ability to continue operations over the going concern period.

Our conclusions based on this work:

I we consider that the Board of Governors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate; and

I we have not identified, and concur with the Board of Governors’ assessment that there is not, a material uncertainty related to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group or the University’s ability to continue as a going concern for the going concern period.

However, as we cannot predict all future events or conditions and as subsequent events may result in outcomes that are inconsistent with judgements that were reasonable at the time they were made, the above conclusions are not a guarantee that the Group or the University will continue in operation.

FRAUD AND BREACHES OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS – ABILITY TO DETECT

Identifying and responding to risks of material misstatement due to fraud

To identify risks of material misstatement due to fraud (“fraud risks”) we assessed events or conditions that could indicate an incentive or pressure to commit fraud or provide an opportunity to commit fraud.

Our risk assessment procedures included:

I Enquiring of directors, the Audit and Risk Committee and internal audit as to the Group’s high-level policies and procedures to prevent and detect fraud, including the internal audit function, and the Group and University’s channel for “whistleblowing”, as well as whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud.

I Reading Board, Audit and Risk Committee and Finance Committee minutes.

I Using analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships.

We communicated identified fraud risks throughout the audit team and remained alert to any indications of fraud throughout the audit.

As required by auditing standards, we perform procedures to address the risk of management override of controls, in particular the risk that the Group and University’s management may be in a position to make inappropriate

accounting entries. On this audit we do not believe there is a fraud risk related to revenue recognition because there is limited opportunity or incentive for management to fraudulently recognise revenue due to the nature of the Group and University’s revenue.

We did not identify any additional fraud risks.

We performed procedures including:

I Identifying journal entries to test based on risk criteria and comparing the identified entries to supporting documentation. These included those posted by irregular users, those posted to seldom used accounts and those posted to unusual accounts.

Identifying and responding to risks of material misstatement related to compliance with laws and regulations

We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience and through discussion with the directors and other management (as required by auditing standards) and discussed with the directors and other management the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations.

We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit.

The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably.

Firstly, the Group and University are subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation (including related higher education legislation), taxation legislation and pensions legislation and we assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.

Secondly, the Group and University are subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines or litigation or the need to include significant provisions. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect: health and safety, anti-bribery and employment law, recognising the nature of the Group and University’s activities. Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. Therefore if a breach of operational regulations is not disclosed to us

or evident from relevant correspondence, an audit will not detect that breach.

We have reported separately on the University’s use of funds in the section of our audit report dealing with other legal and regulatory requirements.

Context of the ability of the audit to detect fraud or breaches of law or regulation

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed noncompliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it.

In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of fraud, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. Our audit procedures are designed to detect material misstatement. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance or fraud and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

Other information

The Board of Governors is responsible for the other information, which comprises the Strategic Review, the Operating Review, the Financial Review and the Corporate Governance Statement. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether, based on our financial statements audit work, the information therein is materially misstated or inconsistent with the financial statements or our audit knowledge. Based solely on that work, we have not identified material misstatements in the other information.

Board of Governors’ responsibilities

As explained more fully in its statement set out on page 39, the Board of Governors is responsible for: the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view; such internal control as it determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to

fraud or error; assessing the Group and University’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern; and using the going concern basis of accounting unless it either intends to liquidate the Group or the University or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue our opinion in an auditor’s report. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but does not guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial statements.

A fuller description of our responsibilities is provided on the FRC’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities

REPORT ON OTHER LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

We are required to report on the following matters by the Accounts Direction dated 25 October 2019 issued by the Office for Students (“the Accounts Direction”).

In our opinion, in all material respects:

I funds from whatever source administered by the Group or the University for specific purposes have been properly applied to those purposes and managed in accordance with relevant legislation;

I income has been applied in accordance with the University’s Articles of Government;

I funds provided by the Office for Students, UK Research and Innovation (including Research England), the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Department for Education have been applied in accordance with the relevant terms and conditions; and

I the financial statements meet the requirements of the Accounts Direction.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We are required by the Accounts Direction to report to you where the University has an access and participation plan

that has been approved by the Office for Students’ director of fair access and participation and the results of our audit work indicate that the Group’s and the University’s expenditure on access and participation activities for the financial year disclosed in note 10B has been materially misstated.

We are also required by the Accounts Direction to report to you where the results of our audit work indicate that the Group’s and the University’s grant and fee income, as disclosed in note 4 to the financial statements has been materially misstated.

We have nothing to report in these respects.

THE PURPOSE OF OUR AUDIT WORK AND TO WHOM WE OWE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

This report is made solely to the Board of Governors in accordance with paragraph 13(2) of the University’s Articles of Government and section 124B of the Education Reform Act 1988. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Board of Governors those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the University and the Board of Governors for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

James Boyle for and on behalf of KPMG LLP, Statutory Auditor Chartered Accountants

1 St Peter’s Square Manchester M2 3AE

5 December 2024

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)