July 2007/21 (web only)
Core operations
This report is for information only
Provision of higher education study by location
2005-06
These tables show all students who are registered at institutions in England and are studying for a higher education qualification, by the geographical area in which the learning takes place.
| To: | Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of further education colleges with HE provision |
|---|---|
| Of interest to those responsible for: | Student data, Audit, Finance, Planning |
| Reference: | 2007/21 |
| Publication date: | July 2007 |
| Enquiries to: | hefce@hefce.ac.uk |
Executive summary (read online)
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Provision of higher education study by location 2005-06
Executive summary
Purpose
1. These tables present the numbers of students who are registered at institutions in England and are studying for a higher education qualification. Information is derived from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record (ILR) collections. Their purpose is to show the geographical area in which the learning takes place.
Key points
2. This is the third annual report on the provision of higher education by location, but it cannot be used to investigate trends because the categories and populations we use change as we try to improve the quality and usefulness of the information.
3. We have excluded duplicate records from the tables. This needs to be done after all institutions have submitted their data to HESA and the ILR, so may result in differences between the tables institutions have seen and those we publish in this document. In particular, if a student is returned by a higher education institution and taught by a further education college, and is also returned by that college, we have excluded the college's return from the tables.
Action required
4. No action is required; this document is for information only.
Description of the tables
5. The numbers in the tables should be taken as a guide only. Although we publish these tables annually they do not form a time series and should not be used for analyses of trends. Any dramatic differences between years are likely to be due to changes in definitions or reporting rather than to changes in the sector.
6. The main tables presented are student headcounts and full-time equivalents (FTEs) by registering institution, teaching institution and subject; and by Government Office Region, sub-region, mode and level. A supplementary table of student headcounts and FTEs by registering institution and campus is provided for those higher education institutions (HEIs) that returned students at campuses which are some distance from their main campus.
7. Numbers of students registered at HEIs are based on the HESA population. Numbers registered at further education colleges (FECs) are from the ILR, and the population used has been closely derived from that used for HEIs.
8. Students on distance learning courses, on their sandwich year out, or studying for research degrees are excluded. The tables include only students that are registered in England. Students franchised to an English institution from outside England are excluded, while students franchised to non-English institutions from an English one are included.
9. The headcounts for those studying combinations of subjects are not apportioned to the relevant subject areas: each headcount was assigned to one subject area only. However, the FTEs are apportioned. For example, if a student is studying a double subject of mathematics and physics, then their FTE is assigned proportionately to mathematics and to physics, but their headcount is assigned to the dominant subject. Where the subjects are balanced we have used the first subject listed for the headcount. Similarly, the headcounts of partially franchised students are not split between the institutions they attend; however, the FTEs are split. This can result in headcounts of zero with FTEs over 20.
10. Where a student on a particular course was recorded more than once, we have removed records. For example, students returned both by an HEI as franchised to an FEC and by that FEC, are excluded from the FEC numbers. In all, 4,504 of the HESA records and 4,922 of the ILR records were excluded as duplicates. The tables are about provision rather than student characteristics. This means that we may have counted the same student more than once. This happens where the student is studying for two different qualification aims; or the student studied half the year on one course and the other half of the year on another course.
11. In the main tables, headcounts have been rounded to the nearest five and FTEs to the nearest integer. The names of institutions are those current in June 2007. The general HEIs are listed first, followed by the specialist HEIs and finally the FECs.