Quality assessments

Each year we investigate quality at a number of providers we regulate. We do this by monitoring the regulatory intelligence we gather for areas of potential concern. 

Specifically, we monitor to make sure providers comply with our conditions of registration.  

The regulatory intelligence we consider covers, among other things: 

• student experience data
• student outcomes data
• notifications we receive.  

How do assessments work?

As part of an investigation, we may decide to commission an assessment team, including external academic experts, to carry out an assessment of quality.

The assessment team will focus on the areas of potential concern indicated by the data or other regulatory intelligence, or any information the team collects as part of its assessment. The team will also visit the provider.

Assessment reports

Once it has completed its assessment the team produces a report. This sets out the team’s conclusions based on the information the team gathered during the assessment. It does not take into account matters that may have occurred after that period.

The team’s assessment follows our risk-based approach to regulation. This means the team does not carry out a comprehensive assessment of every requirement in each condition of registration. The report the team produces should not be read in this way.

If the team identifies potential concerns in its report, we will consider whether any of the findings give rise to concerns about the provider’s compliance with the OfS’s requirements for quality and whether any regulatory action is appropriate.

This report therefore does not represent any decision of the OfS in respect of compliance with conditions of registration.