SLC Gender Pay Gap Report 2025
Published 30 March 2026
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1. What is the legislation?
In 2017, the government introduced legislation that made it statutory for organisations with 250 or more employees to report annually on their Gender Pay Gap. Government departments are bound by the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017 which came into force on 31 March 2017. These regulations underpin the Public Sector Equality Duty and require relevant organisations to publish their Gender Pay Gap by 30 March annually. This includes the:
- proportions of male and female employees in each pay quartile.
- mean and median Gender Pay Gaps.
- proportion of males and females who received bonuses.
- mean and median Gender Bonus Gaps.
2. What does the Gender Pay Gap mean?
The Gender Pay Gap is a high-level overview of pay and bonuses within an organisation and shows the difference in the average pay between females and males in the workplace (within the snapshot date of 31 March 2025). This report is crucial for SLC to understand how our organisation is performing in relation to gender equality. We also want to effectively utilise the information in the report to show our commitment to achieving gender equality and reducing our Gender Pay Gap.
Please note, a Gender Pay Gap is different to any issues of equal pay (the legal requirement to pay men and women the same for equal work).
We will provide information on the following areas in this report:
- percentage of females and males in the organisation.
- percentage of females and males in each hourly pay by quarter.
- mean (average) Gender Pay Gap for hourly pay by quarter.
- median (mid-point) Gender Pay Gap for hourly pay by quarter.
- percentage of females and males receiving bonus pay.
- mean (average) Gender Pay Gap for bonus pay.
- median (mid-point) Gender Pay Gap for bonus pay.
3. Staff included in the Gender Pay Gap data
This report sets out Student Loans Company’s (SLC) Gender Pay Gap based on the snapshot of data taken of 31 March 2025. The data does not include agency workers, contractors, board members, or joiners after 20 March 2025 as they are not included in the payroll. There is also a set range of exclusions, as per the government guidelines, which we have adhered to.
4. Gender profile of SLC
SLC’s gender profile as of 31 March 2025 was 53.3% of the workforce were female and 46.7% of the workforce were male. This is a similar split from 2024.
| % Female | % Male | |
|---|---|---|
| SLC March 2025 | 53.3% | 46.7% |
| SLC March 2024 | 53.2% | 46.8% |
This is consistent when compared with other similar public sector organisations, based on the civil service employment by department which was an average of 54.5% female and 45.5% male as of 31 March 2025.
5. Hourly Pay by Quarter
The methodology for sections 5 and 6 (Hourly Pay by Quarter and Gender Pay Gap) uses annual salaries in March 2025 to calculate hourly pay.
The following details the proportion of females and males in each of the four hourly pay quarters. Pay is represented by salary plus allowances and reducing any salary sacrifice deductions.
The four quarter pay bands are created by dividing the total number of full-pay, relevant employees into four equal parts from highest paid (upper hourly pay quarter) to lowest paid (lower hourly pay quarter).
From highest paid to lowest paid, the following table details the percentage of females in each pay quarter over the last two years and the percentage change:
| Female 2025 | Male 2025 | Female 2024 | Male 2024 | % Change (Female) 2024-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper hourly pay quarter (highest paid) | 43.9% | 56.1% | 43.6% | 56.4% | +0.3% |
| Upper middle hourly pay quarter | 52.5% | 47.5% | 52.5% | 47.5% | 0% |
| Lower middle hourly pay quarter | 61.5% | 38.5% | 54.4% | 45.6% | +7.1% |
| Lower hourly pay quarter (lowest paid) | 51.7% | 48.3% | 56.3% | 43.7% | -4.6% |
As of 31 March 2025, for full-pay relevant colleagues, females occupy 43.9% of the highest paid jobs, a slight increase to the previous year.
We see a change in the highest female population sitting in the lower middle pay quarter of 61.5%, which is an increase of 7.1% on last year.
Given the overall organization split of 53.3% female and 46.7% male, there is a higher percentage female in the lower middle pay quarter and higher percentage spilt of males in the upper pay quarter. These splits impact the overall outcome of the mean Gender Pay Gap.
6. Gender Pay Gap
The mean female hourly rate is 9.8% lower than the mean male hourly rate. A decrease of 0.7 percentage points from 10.5% in 2024.
The median female hourly rate is 7.1% lower than the median male hourly rate. This decreases 0.8 percentage points from 7.9% in 2024.
The following table outlines the female Gender Pay Gap figures for 2024 and 2025:
| 2025 Pay Gap | 2024 Pay Gap | % Change 2024-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | 9.8% | 10.5% | -0.7% |
| Median | 7.1% | 7.9% | -0.8% |
As the mean pay gap is calculated incorporating all the lowest and highest rates of pay, it therefore reflects the higher proportion of females working in lower paid roles and males working in higher paid roles as highlighted in section 5 of this report.
As we can see the median pay gap is lower, it has reduced slightly from last year. It is calculated by finding the mid-point of all colleagues’ rates of hourly pay and discarding any outliers in relation to lowest and highest rates of pay.
We have seen progress in the reduction of our mean pay gap by another 0.7 percentage points and will continue to take action to reduce the gap further. The closing of the difference in the mean and median gap is also a good indicator of progress.
The analysis for March 2025 has given us a better indication of the outcome of the 2-year pay case that has been implemented. While there are reductions in the mean and median gap, it shows that work is still to be done to further reduce them.
7. Bonus Pay Gap
Bonus data includes all performance-related and non-consolidated payments made in the financial year 2024-25. They are a culmination of end-of-year performance-related pay, recognition, incentivization payment and long service awards.
| 2025 Bonus Pay Gap | 2024 Bonus Pay Gap | 2023 Bonus Pay Gap | 2022 Bonus Pay Gap | % Change 2024-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | 6.2% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 12.6% | 1.7% |
| Median | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
The proportion of females receiving a bonus is 89.3% versus 90% of males with more females this year receiving a bonus payment.
It is acknowledged that the mean bonus gap has increased again this year. In 2023-24 the bonuses paid also included a flat-rate non-consolidated payment, which was not paid in 2024-25, which lowered the overall averages and therefore the gap.
We will look at additional analysis to identify specific areas which will support our action plans.
8. What are we doing to close the Gender Pay Gap?
While we report a continued reduction in the mean gender pay gap, we recognise that there is still work to do to achieve sustained gender equity in pay. The increase seen in the median gender pay gap in March 2024 was influenced by the impact of backdated pay and exclusion effects within the snapshot data. This was reflected in an interim review conducted in September 2024, which showed the median gap reducing to around 4%.
As of 31 March 2025, both the mean and median gender pay gaps reduced, indicating a positive direction of travel. These improvements reflect a more balanced distribution of women and men across pay quartiles and provide assurance that actions taken to date are beginning to have an impact.
We will continue to monitor our gender pay gap over the coming year, alongside delivery of the actions outlined in this report and our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2023 to 2026, which underpins SLC’s commitment to gender equality. A key focus remains improving gender balance at Grades 15 and above, where men continue to represent the majority of roles.
We recognise that reduced attrition and fewer external recruitment opportunities mean that progress cannot rely on recruitment alone. As a result, our approach continues to evolve, with increased focus on retention, internal progression, leadership accountability and targeted development, alongside fair and inclusive recruitment practices.
Our key activity over the last 12 months has focused on the following areas.
8.1 Recruitment
To support our ambition to build a more diverse workforce, we continue to use a wide range of recruitment platforms and targeted attraction methods. These campaigns aim to increase the diversity of applicant pools, with a particular focus on senior roles where women are under-represented.
All job adverts continue to promote flexible and hybrid working options and are reviewed to ensure inclusive language is used. Updates to our external careers website reflect the aims of our EDI Strategy and associated accreditations.
The introduction of the Workday Equality Recruitment Dashboard has strengthened transparency and insight across recruitment and progression, allowing improved monitoring of gender representation at each stage of the recruitment process. This supports more targeted action where barriers are identified.
Recruitment and Selection policies have been reviewed to strengthen fairness and consistency. Diverse interview panels are now embedded practice, and post-recruitment audits continue to be undertaken to inform ongoing improvement. All internal candidates receive feedback to support future development and progression.
Alongside this, Talent Acquisition continues to work closely with colleague networks to improve the accessibility of internal recruitment processes. By listening to lived experience – particularly from colleagues with neurodivergent conditions – we are identifying and addressing barriers within internal recruitment, assessment and selection processes. This insight is helping to shape more inclusive approaches and improve confidence in applying for internal opportunities.
The introduction of the Workplace Adjustments Policy and supporting process has further strengthened accessibility within internal recruitment. Colleagues report increased confidence in requesting appropriate adjustments for internal applications, interviews and assessments, helping to remove barriers and support fair participation.
Early-career pipelines also form an important part of our longer-term approach to improving workforce diversity and progression. SLC continues to invest in its Graduate Programme, which provides a structured entry route into the organisation across a range of roles and disciplines. The programme is designed as a 24-month rotational scheme, combining on-the-job experience with tailored learning and development modules, mentoring and exposure to critical business projects.
The Graduate Programme supports the development of future talent by building capability, confidence and career pathways from the outset. Flexible and hybrid working arrangements are embedded within the programme, supporting accessibility and work-life balance. By providing structured development, mentoring and progression opportunities, the programme helps to create a sustainable pipeline of talent and supports our longer-term ambition to improve representation and progression across the organisation.
We continue to work with employability partners and maintain our return-to-work activity as part of our wider talent approach. The Women’s Development Network (RISE) continues to play a key role in promoting opportunities and identifying potential barriers within recruitment processes.
These actions reflect delivery against the Recruitment commitments set out in the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, including:
• improving transparency through enhanced recruitment data;
• embedding inclusive recruitment practices;
• promoting flexible working; and
• using insight from colleague networks to identify and remove barriers.
Together, these actions support fair access to opportunities, strengthen internal progression, and contribute to our longer-term aim of reducing the gender pay gap.
8.2 Performance Development
Over the last year, we have continued to strengthen quality assurance within the Workday performance development process. This has included reviewing the quality and consistency of objectives, the application of SMART measures, and the standard of developmental feedback provided by managers.
These improvements are designed to support greater fairness, transparency and consistency in how performance is assessed and how development conversations are recorded. This is particularly important in ensuring that performance-related decisions, including progression and reward outcomes, are evidence-based and applied consistently across the organisation.
To further support this, SLC has introduced the HEART values and behaviours framework, which provides a clear and consistent basis for how performance is demonstrated and assessed across all roles and grades. The HEART behaviours set out shared expectations for Honesty, Empowerment, Accountability, Respect and Trust, helping to reduce subjectivity by anchoring performance discussions in observable behaviours rather than personal style or preference.
The framework supports more objective assessment by clarifying what good performance looks like in practice. For example, it emphasises:
- openness, clarity and constructive challenge rather than avoidance of difficult conversations;
- accountability through delivery on commitments and learning from outcomes;
- respect through inclusive behaviours, active listening and valuing different perspectives; and
- trust through ethical behaviour, collaboration and consistency between words and actions.
By clearly defining both expected behaviours and behaviours that are not acceptable, the HEART framework supports more consistent performance assessment and moderation, helping managers to distinguish between impact and intent and to challenge bias more effectively.
Alongside this, we have strengthened development pathways that support confidence and progression. In collaboration with the Women’s Development Network (RISE), a mentoring pilot programme has been launched to support women’s career development. The pilot focuses on building confidence, increasing access to insight and informal networks, and supporting colleagues to navigate performance, development and progression opportunities. Learning from this pilot will be used to inform future mentoring and development activity across the organisation.
These actions directly align with commitments set out in the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, particularly the focus on:
- improving transparency and consistency in performance development processes; and
- ensuring managers are supported to make fair, objective and evidence-based decisions.
Further enhancements to the performance development framework are underway, including continued focus on moderation, manager capability and consistent application across directorates.
8.3 Pay and Recognition
During 2023 and 2024, SLC implemented a two-year pay case aimed at improving pay fairness and sustainability, particularly at lower grades. Equality Impact Assessments confirmed that women were positively impacted by these changes, supporting progress towards greater gender equity in pay outcomes.
We continue to monitor how the refreshed pay and grading framework influences gender pay outcomes, including starting salary, progression and promotion decisions. This monitoring is supported by enhanced workforce data and reporting, enabling targeted analysis and intervention where required. This approach aligns with SLC’s ongoing oversight of reward fairness and equality impacts.
Alongside structural pay changes, SLC has continued to strengthen how recognition and feedback are used to reinforce fair, transparent and consistent reward practice. Recognition plays an important role in supporting inclusive culture by reinforcing what good performance looks like in practice and ensuring that contributions aligned to organisational values are visible and acknowledged.
To support this, SLC has introduced new tools to make recognition and feedback easier and more meaningful across the organisation. These tools are aligned to the HEART values and behaviours, helping to ensure that recognition is linked to observable behaviours rather than subjective judgement or informal visibility. This supports greater consistency and fairness in how contribution and impact are recognised.
A new instant recognition tool has been launched on SLC’s intranet – Connect, allowing colleagues at all levels to recognise one another for demonstrating the HEART values of Honesty, Empowerment, Accountability, Respect and Trust. The tool is simple, accessible and does not require budget approval, enabling timely and inclusive recognition of everyday contributions.
In addition, a new Recognition at SLC resource brings together all available recognition and feedback routes, including informal recognition, Workday feedback tools, directorate-level schemes and formal awards. This clarity supports more consistent use of recognition across the organisation and helps colleagues and managers choose the most appropriate method for recognising contribution.
These developments support delivery of the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, particularly the commitment to ensure transparency and consistency in pay and recognition decisions. By reinforcing values-based behaviours and encouraging meaningful feedback, SLC is strengthening the link between performance, contribution and reward in a way that supports fairness and reduces the risk of bias.
We will continue to monitor how pay, reward and recognition practices interact with gender pay outcomes, and will use insight from workforce data, colleague feedback and governance forums to inform future improvements.
8.4 Performance Related Pay
The use and design of Performance Related Pay (PRP) within SLC remains under review. This work is being undertaken in collaboration with senior leaders and PCS, with a clear focus on ensuring that PRP operates in a fair, transparent and equitable way.
Analysis of recent bonus data shows that the proportion of women and men receiving a bonus remains broadly equal, indicating consistency in access to bonus schemes. However, we recognise that differences in average bonus values can arise, particularly due to pro-rating linked to working patterns, including part-time working. As women are more likely to work reduced hours, this can impact mean bonus outcomes.
As part of the ongoing review, we will continue to monitor PRP outcomes by gender, using enhanced data and governance oversight to understand where differences exist and whether further action is required. This includes assessing how PRP interacts with performance assessment, working patterns and reward structures, and ensuring that any changes are equality impact assessed prior to implementation.
This activity reflects delivery against the Performance Related Pay commitments set out in the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, which include completing a review of the PRP process, engaging with stakeholders, and ensuring that fairness, transparency and equality impacts are fully considered. Findings from the review will inform future decisions and ongoing monitoring, supporting SLC’s longer-term ambition to reduce gender-related disparities in reward outcomes.
8.5 Flexible Working
Flexible and hybrid working continue to be important enablers of gender equality, particularly in supporting retention, progression and work–life balance. SLC’s Flexible Working Policy supports flexibility from day one, allows multiple requests within a 12-month period, and includes the use of trial periods to explore arrangements in practice. Approval rates for flexible working requests remain high, demonstrating a positive and enabling approach.
Flexible and hybrid working options are promoted in all vacancies and are increasingly role-modelled at senior levels, helping to normalise flexible working across grades and roles. Equality Impact Assessments undertaken as part of recent policy reviews confirm that changes to flexible and hybrid working arrangements have had a positive impact on women.
The Workplace Adjustments Policy further strengthens this approach by supporting colleagues to request adjustments that remove barriers and enable them to perform at their best. Managers are supported to consider requests on an individual basis and have discretion to agree appropriate adjustments where they are effective and reasonable. Where working from home is identified as the most appropriate adjustment to support a colleague’s needs, this can be considered in line with the policy and the requirements of the role.
Together, these policies support a consistent, inclusive and practical approach to flexibility, recognising that needs may change over time and that tailored solutions can play an important role in supporting equality of opportunity.
We will continue to collect and analyse flexible working data by gender, grade and directorate to better understand the relationship between flexible working, retention and progression. This activity reflects delivery against the Flexible Working commitments set out in the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, including promoting flexible working opportunities, ensuring vacancies are advertised as flexible where possible, and strengthening leadership role-modelling.
8.6 Engagement
The establishment and continued development of the Women’s Development Network (RISE) has strengthened SLC’s understanding of women’s lived experience and the barriers that can impact progression, confidence and retention. Engagement with the network has informed a number of priority areas, including confidence-building, mentoring, career development and work–life balance.
RISE works closely with the EDI team, People teams and leadership to provide insight into both structural and cultural barriers affecting women across the organisation. This includes contributing lived-experience perspectives to policy development, recruitment and progression processes, and the design of targeted development activity.
To ensure initiatives are inclusive and do not unintentionally disadvantage colleagues with intersecting characteristics, RISE works in collaboration with other colleague networks, including:
• ATOM, the menopause support network;
• Enable, the disability support network;
• the Care Network, supporting colleagues with caring responsibilities;
• the Wellbeing Network; and
• Include, SLC’s neurodiversity network.
This collaborative approach supports an intersectional lens, recognising that women’s experiences are not homogeneous and that factors such as menopause, neurodivergence, disability, caring responsibilities and wellbeing can intersect to create additional barriers. Cross-network collaboration helps ensure that initiatives are informed by a broader range of lived experiences and that actions taken to reduce the gender pay gap are inclusive by design.
Alongside qualitative insight from colleague networks, SLC also uses staff survey data to understand levels of engagement, trust and confidence in the organisation’s commitment to equality and inclusion. Results from the most recent employee engagement survey show a positive increase in engagement, including improved responses to questions relating to SLC’s commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. This provides reassurance that actions being taken are having a positive impact on colleague experience and perceptions of fairness.
Through structured engagement, RISE has supported initiatives such as the mentoring pilot, provided insight into confidence and imposter syndrome, and informed action to improve accessibility and inclusion across the employee lifecycle. These insights help ensure that actions are informed by evidence and experience, rather than assumption.
The network continues to act as a trusted mechanism for listening, sense-checking and feedback, enabling SLC to identify emerging issues early and respond appropriately. RISE also plays an important role in supporting communication, awareness and take-up of initiatives aimed at improving equality of opportunity.
This activity reflects delivery against the Engagement commitments set out in the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, particularly the use of colleague networks, engagement data and lived-experience insight to inform action, monitor progress and reduce barriers to progression. RISE, working in collaboration with other networks, will continue to support action to reduce the gender pay gap by providing ongoing insight into both colleague feedback and the effectiveness of interventions.
8.7 Career Progression and Development
Career Coaching and the Leap of Faith programme continue to support internal mobility and career development across the organisation. These initiatives enable colleagues to explore career aspirations, build confidence and gain insight into roles, skills and pathways across SLC. Participation data shows strong female engagement, and ongoing analysis will continue to focus on progression outcomes to identify any barriers, particularly at senior grades.
These programmes support delivery against the Career Development commitments in the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, including improving transparency of progression routes and ensuring fair access to development opportunities. Insight from participation and progression data is being used to inform where further targeted support may be required.
Inclusive Leadership development has been delivered to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Senior Management Team (SMT), strengthening accountability for gender equality and inclusive decision-making. This includes a focus on fair assessment, inclusive sponsorship and active challenge of bias within recruitment, performance and progression processes. Leadership action plans are in place to support continued progress, particularly at senior grades where gender imbalance remains.
Looking ahead, SLC is planning to introduce specialist training in menopause and neurodivergence during 2026, as part of its wider organisational development and EDI training programme. These programmes will be designed to build manager confidence, improve understanding of lived experience, and support the effective use of workplace adjustments. By strengthening capability in these areas, SLC aims to reduce barriers that can disproportionately affect women’s wellbeing, retention and progression.
As SLC moves into the next phase of its EDI Strategy, learning from career development activity, workforce data and colleague engagement will inform the development of targeted positive action initiatives. These will focus on supporting progression for underrepresented groups, including women at senior levels, and will be set out in detail within the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan for the coming year, ensuring transparency, governance oversight and compliance with legislative requirements.
8.8 Diversity in STEM Roles
We continue to focus on increasing female representation within the Technology Group through a combination of targeted outreach, inclusive recruitment methods and early-pipeline activity. Partnerships with schools, universities and external programmes remain a key part of this approach, supporting awareness of technology careers and helping to build a longer-term pipeline of future talent.
Inclusive recruitment practices within Technology are supported by structured assessment methods, diverse interview panels and a focus on skills and potential rather than narrow career pathways. Emerging talent and early-career routes, including graduate and apprenticeship programmes, play an important role in creating accessible entry points into Technology roles and supporting future progression.
Flexible working practices within Technology continue to support retention and progression, particularly for colleagues with caring responsibilities and those who benefit from greater flexibility in how and where they work. Flexible and hybrid working options are actively supported and aligned with the wider Flexible Working and Workplace Adjustments policies, enabling managers to agree tailored arrangements where these support effective performance and inclusion.
In addition, collaboration with colleague networks, including the Women’s Development Network (RISE), Include (neurodiversity), Enable (disability) and the Care Network, supports an intersectional approach to improving inclusion within Technology. This collaboration helps ensure that actions to increase female representation are informed by lived experience and do not unintentionally create barriers for colleagues with intersecting characteristics.
These activities reflect delivery against the Diversity in STEM commitments set out in the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan 2024–25, including continued outreach, inclusive recruitment practice, flexible working support and the use of networks to inform action. SLC will continue to monitor representation, retention and progression within Technology to inform future activity and support progress towards improved gender balance.
9. Gender Pay Gap Action Plan
This Action Plan sets out the actions SLC plans to deliver during 2026 to continue reducing the gender pay gap. It reflects learning from previous activity and aligns with SLC’s EDI Strategy 2023–2026, with a clear focus on retention, progression, leadership accountability and the removal of structural barriers, alongside fair and inclusive recruitment practices.
Progress against this Action Plan will be monitored through workforce data, governance oversight, colleague insight and leadership review.
Data and insight
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Strengthen gender pay gap analysis | Undertake six-monthly analysis of mean and median gender pay gaps, with deeper insight by grade and directorate | Analysis reviewed through governance forums and compared across reporting periods |
| Improve insight into progression and starting pay | Analyse starting salary, promotion and internal mobility by gender to identify potential drivers of pay gaps | Findings reviewed and used to inform targeted action |
| Enhance retention insight | Strengthen exit analysis for women, particularly at Grades 15+, to inform retention planning | Exit themes monitored and reviewed regularly |
9.1 Recruitment
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Maintain inclusive recruitment practice | Continue applying gender-neutral language, diverse interview panels and flexible working promotion | Periodic review of recruitment practice and outcomes |
| Use recruitment data to identify barriers | Use the Workday Equality Recruitment Dashboard to monitor gender representation at each recruitment stage | Trends and drop-off points reviewed to inform action |
| Improve accessibility of internal recruitment | Work with colleague networks to remove barriers, particularly for neurodivergent colleagues | Feedback from networks and internal candidates reviewed |
| Embed Workplace Adjustments in recruitment | Encourage and support adjustment requests for recruitment and assessment processes | Uptake of adjustments and colleague confidence monitored |
| Develop early-career pipelines | Continue the Graduate Programme and other early-career routes to build long-term gender balance | Participation and progression trends monitored |
9.2 Performance development
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Strengthen performance moderation | Further embed quality assurance and moderation to improve consistency across directorates | Moderation outcomes and QA findings reviewed |
| Embed HEART values in assessment | Use HEART behaviours to support objective, evidence-based performance assessment | Evidence of HEART behaviours reflected in performance documentation |
| Expand mentoring approaches | Use learning from the RISE mentoring pilot to shape future mentoring activity | Feedback and participation reviewed |
9.3 Pay and recognition
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Monitor pay framework impact | Continue reviewing how pay structures affect gender pay outcomes | Workforce pay data reviewed regularly |
| Embed values-based recognition | Encourage consistent recognition linked to HEART values | Uptake and usage trends reviewed |
| Strengthen recognition transparency | Promote clear understanding of recognition routes across the organisation | Colleague feedback and engagement reviewed |
9.4 Performance Related Pay (PRP)
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Complete PRP review | Finalise the review of PRP design with a focus on fairness and transparency | Review outcomes considered through governance |
| Monitor PRP outcomes | Analyse bonus participation and values by gender and working pattern | Annual review of PRP data |
| Equality impact assess changes | Ensure any PRP changes are equality impact assessed | EIAs completed prior to implementation |
9.5 Flexible working and Workplace Adjustments
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Promote flexible working consistently | Continue promoting flexible and hybrid working at all grades | Uptake and approval rates reviewed |
| Analyse flexibility and progression | Review links between flexible working, retention and progression | Data analysed by gender, grade and directorate |
| Embed Workplace Adjustments | Support tailored adjustments, including home working where appropriate | Confidence in requesting adjustments monitored |
| Increase leadership role-modelling | Encourage visible senior role-modelling of flexible working | Examples reviewed through leadership forums |
9.6 Engagement and lived experience
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Use colleague networks for insight | Continue working with RISE and other networks to inform action | Network feedback reviewed and acted upon |
| Strengthen intersectional collaboration | Ensure initiatives consider intersecting characteristics | Evidence of cross-network collaboration |
| Monitor engagement data | Use staff survey results to track confidence in inclusion | Survey trends reviewed year-on-year |
9.7 Career progression and development
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Support internal mobility | Continue Career Coaching and Leap of Faith programmes | Participation and progression outcomes reviewed |
| Strengthen leadership accountability | Maintain Inclusive Leadership development and action plans | ELT/SMT actions reviewed |
| Introduce specialist training | Deliver menopause and neurodivergence training to build manager capability | Feedback and confidence measures reviewed |
| Develop positive action initiatives | Design targeted positive action to support progression at senior levels | Actions set out and governed through the Action Plan |
9.8 Diversity in STEM roles
| Action | What we plan to do in 2026 | How we will monitor progress |
|---|---|---|
| Maintain STEM outreach | Continue partnerships with schools and external programmes | Participation levels monitored |
| Embed inclusive recruitment in Technology | Focus on skills-based, accessible recruitment | Recruitment outcomes reviewed |
| Support flexibility and adjustments | Enable retention and progression within Technology | Retention and feedback reviewed |
| Use network insight | Apply intersectional insight to STEM initiatives | Network input reflected in actions |
10. Declaration
We confirm that data reported by the Student Loans Company is accurate and is calculated according to the requirements and methodology set out in the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.