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Quality assurance framework

The Quality Assurance Agency, on our behalf, assesses the quality of education in English higher education (HE) through a number of processes. These processes comprise the quality assurance framework.

Overall the framework is designed to secure the quality of teaching and the standard of awards in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Current processes

From 2011-12 the framework includes:

  • Institutional review

    All institutions take part in this review carried out by the QAA approximately once every six years. The review follows a process of peer review and aims to safeguard quality and standards, help improve the student experience and address any public concerns about the issue of quality in HE. Please see the QAA web-site for further information.

  • Collaborative provision audit

    This audit is designed to assess large and complex collaborative forms of teaching. This is also carried out by the QAA. The audit covers examples of provision shared between UK institutions or with overseas providers. Please see QAA web-site for further information.

  • Publication of information about higher education

    This covers a wide range of information, such as the Unistats web-site, which includes the National Student Survey (NSS) and the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey.

  • Integrated quality enhancement review (IQER)

    The IQER is a quality-assurance review method designed specifically for further education colleges (FECs). It looks at how FECs manage their portfolio of HE, whether directly or indirectly funded, through an evidence-based process of peer review. With the QAA we are now beginning to consider the review method to be used for HE in FECs after 2011-12.

Academic Infrastructure

The QAA has developed a means of describing academic standards called the Academic Infrastructure, which underpins these quality assurance processes.

This sets out clear and explicit standards for HE and for public information, and is a point of reference for other quality assurance processes.

The infrastructure includes:

  • frameworks for HE qualifications
  • subject benchmark statements
  • programme specifications
  • the code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in HE.

Following an evaluation and a period of consultation, the QAA has set out proposals for a revised Academic Infrastructure that will integrate these different strands into a single integrated code of practice.

Addressing unsatisfactory quality

In 2009 we published a policy outlining how we engage with institutions that demonstrate unsatisfactory quality in learning and teaching (as established by the QAA's audit or review processes).

The policy was updated at the end of 2011 to take account of the new method of institutional review introduced by the QAA – in particular its grading system.

The principles and relevant procedures of the 2009 policy paper remain broadly in place, and the 2011 updates only apply to HEIs. The policy sets out steps that will be taken where an HEI or FEC has failed to address issues of unsatisfactory quality under the existing processes.

Policy for addressing unsatisfactory quality in institutions (HEFCE 2011/36)

In 2009 we formally assessed the impact of this policy on the HE sector in terms of regulatory burden, equality and diversity, and sustainable development.

Sector impact assessment of addressing unsatisfactory teaching quality in HEFCE-funded institutions (2009)

[ Adobe PDF 25K | MS Word 109K ]

Previous process: institutional audit

Before 2011-12, the QAA carried out a system or review on HEFCE's behalf known as institutional audit. Audits started in 2002-03 with a three-year 'transitional' cycle, which was then followed by a six-year cycle up to the end of 2010-11.

After the transitional cycle was completed, a group of sector representatives, chaired by Dame Sandra Burslem, reviewed the quality assurance framework to ensure that it was fit for purpose.

Reports from the three phases of the review are available:

Last updated 7 December 2011