Office for Students notifications

Background – refers to a students’ individual circumstances. An important part of our regulatory role is to make sure all students have fair access to higher education, including underrepresented groups. Underrepresented groups include students from black and minority ethnic groups, those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or of other minority sexualities or sexual identities, disabled students, mature students, and students from lower socio-economic groups. We believe that all students should have equal opportunity and be treated fairly regardless of their background and identity.

Care experienced – refers to anyone who has been, or is currently, in care. This care may have been provided in many different settings, including: living with foster carers; living in a residential children’s home; being looked after at home under a supervision order; living with friends or relatives in kinship care.

Governance – refers to the structures, processes and practices that are in place to direct the activity and decisions made within an organisation.

Notification – a way for students, staff members or others to let us know about an issue at a university or college. Notifications are sent to us by email. When we receive a notification, we will review it and we may decide to investigate further, to take regulatory action, or both. Notifications help us to regulate universities and colleges that are registered with the OfS in the interest of students.

Redress – in the context of this guidance, redress refers to any action taken by a university or college to adequately address or remedy concerns (for example, payment of compensation).

Regulator – the Office for Students is the independent regulator of higher education in England. This means that we regulate universities and colleges to make sure that they meet our requirements, which are set out in our conditions of registration.

Set of conditions – when universities and colleges apply for registration as a higher education provider with the Office for Students, they are required to satisfy a set of conditions, known as the ‘conditions of registration’. These conditions are the minimum requirements that universities and colleges must meet in order to be and stay registered with us, because they demonstrate that the university or college is able to offer high quality higher education to students. These conditions are the main tool that the OfS uses to regulate universities and colleges and they are in place to make sure that all students have a fulfilling experience.