The Office for Students (OfS) has published proposals for how it
would implement the new quality assessment system announced in
June this year, which will provide students with a clear view of
the quality of teaching and learning delivered by every
registered university and college.
The new system will use a revised Teaching Excellence Framework
(TEF) to assess and rate quality at individual institutions,
which will receive Gold, Silver, Bronze or Requires improvement
ratings for student experience', student outcomes' or both where
sufficient data allows. To ensure that all students experience
satisfactory quality and drive continuous improvements in quality
across the sector, the OfS is proposing a strengthened set of
incentives and restrictions linked to these ratings, including
student recruitment limits for those rated Requires improvement.
The OfS expects most universities and colleges to apply for a TEF
rating for the incentives it can bring, although institutions
could choose not to receive a rating. For those that choose not
to participate in the TEF, they will be assessed against minimum
requirements that will find their quality is either satisfactory
or unsatisfactory. Recruitment limits would be placed on those
rated unsatisfactory.
The OfS is now consulting on more detailed proposals on how the
new system will work, including what evidence would be used in
the assessments, how ratings would be judged by assessors and
decided by a panel, and how the OfS will take into account
submissions from institutions and students. The OfS is also
seeking views on how it would communicate outcomes to students,
apply incentives to those delivering high and outstanding quality
and interventions to institutions with lower ratings.
The consultation will run until 28 January 2027 and is open to
students, staff, academics and leaders at higher education
institutions, schools and further education colleges, and anyone
with an interest in higher education.
Interim Director of Quality and Access at the OfS, Jean Arnold,
said:
Students should expect to receive the brilliant teaching,
academic support, rigorous assessment, and resources they need to
succeed in higher education. Earlier this year, we announced big
changes to the way we assess quality at universities and
colleges, which will put students first, incentivise every
registered institution to continually improve, and celebrate
those that strive for excellence.
When we consulted on those changes, we were encouraged to see
broad support for the revised Teaching Excellence Framework that
will form the core of our new approach, as well as constructive
feedback on how we can make it work for institutions of all types
and sizes. That feedback, alongside ongoing discussions with the
sector and student representatives, has directly informed the
proposals we're announcing today.
Our ambition is to have a system which creates strong incentives
for improvement and will allow us to recognise and showcase the
excellent quality we see across the sector, as well as protecting
students from poor provision. We also want to put greater
emphasis on students' views, giving them a strengthened role in
how we assess the quality of their experience.
We're keen to continue the discussion with the sector and
students as we take forward this consultation, and we look
forward to hearing what they think of our proposed
approach.'
As part of its wider review of quality, the OfS has also
announced proposed reforms to the application and assessment
process for institutions seeking to gain or retain degree
awarding powers. A two-stage consultation process will first look
to tighten the application process, to ensure that only providers
that meet the OfS's eligibility and suitability requirements can
apply. The second will consider wider reforms of the application
and assessment process and ongoing requirements for providers
that have degree awarding powers. While the OfS is consulting on
the first stage of this work, it will not accept new applications
for degree awarding powers. It also will not award indefinite
degree awarding powers for the duration of the two stage reform
process. This will ensure that new applications and assessments
for indefinite degree awarding powers will be assessed against
any agreed changes to the OfS's requirements.
ENDS
Notes
- The Office for Students is the independent regulator for
higher education in England. Our strategy for 2025 to
2030 seeks to ensure that students from all backgrounds
benefit from high quality higher education, delivered by a
diverse, sustainable sector that continues to improve.
- A copy of the consultation document is attached, subject to
the same embargo. Please note this is subject to some final
proofing and other very minor drafting changes but we didn't want
to delay sharing with you.
- Also attached are embargoed graphics which explain the
proposed system and process.
- The OfS will publish supporting guidance for the consultation
proposals and updated data dashboards to show how data used for
assessments will be presented on Thursday 5 November.
