Figures released
today (Friday 27 January) have revealed that the vast
majority of English universities have opted in to be assessed by
the Department for Education’s Teaching Excellence
Framework (TEF)
Applications for the first set of TEF assessments
closed on 26 January 2017 and revealed that 299 providers agreed
to participate, including all English members of the Russell
Group. This included applications from more than 100 colleges and
alternative providers.
The framework will assess higher education institutions against
criteria including drop-out rates and progression to highly
skilled employment and is part of the government’s plans for
raising standards in higher education. It will also give students
more information so that they can make the most informed
decisions when deciding which university to attend.
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
I am delighted that so many providers have decided to
participate. The Teaching Excellence Framework will drive up
the standard of teaching and give students clear,
understandable information about where they are likely to
receive the best teaching and outcomes.
Such strong participation demonstrates that the sector has
bought into the concept of the TEF and I look
forward to seeing the results of the assessments in May.
Participating providers will be assessed by an independent,
expert group of academics, students and employers, and will
receive their ratings in May 2017.
As set out in its White Paper, ‘Success as a knowledge
economy’ (May 2016), the government will shortly begin a
lessons learned exercise into this first, trial year of
the TEF.
The findings of the lessons learned exercise will inform the
operation of the TEF in 2018 and the
intention to move to subject level assessments.
Notes to editors
1) The TEF assessments will
trial the full assessment process at provider level, on a
voluntary basis. In order to receive a TEF award, providers
must pass a series of eligibility requirements and demonstrate
that they meet the high baseline of quality expected by the UK
higher education sector.
2) Providers will be assessed by an independent, expert group of
academics, students and employers, on the basis of core evidence
such as drop-out rates and progression to highly skilled
employment, as well as additional evidence submitted by each
provider.
3) Most providers who opt in for TEF will receive a
rating of either ‘gold’, ‘silver’ or ‘bronze’ and are due to
receive their ratings in May 2017. Where a provider meets
other TEF eligibility
requirements but does not yet have sufficient data to be fully
assessed, it will receive a provisional award,
and DfE expects that these
providers will participate in the full TEF assessments in
future years. Providers from the devolved administrations were
able to participate in the TEF and 12 providers
from the devolved administrations have opted to do so.
4) The lessons learned exercise will focus on:
- whether the process of application and assessment worked
smoothly and effectively
- whether the guidance to providers was clear and
understandable
- the way in which the metrics were used, in particular the use
of significance flags and their role in generating initial
hypotheses
- the balance of evidence between core metrics and additional
evidence
- whether commendations should be introduced for the next round
of TEFassessments
- the number and names of the different ratings and their
initial impact internationally
5) The lessons learned exercise will be conducted by means of a
survey of all participating providers, feedback from panellists
and assessors and desk-based research. The government will also
seek input from providers who chose not to participate in the
trial year, as well as those who did not have sufficient data to
receive a full assessment.
6) The TEF assessment
process is being delivered by the Higher Education Funding
Council for England (HEFCE), who
has been asked to implement Year 2 of the TEF.
7) More information on the Teaching Excellence
Framework is available.
