Support for teaching enhancement

In 2009-10 we introduced a new targeted allocation to provide additional support for teaching enhancement and student success (TESS). This allocation brings together funding previously associated with the allocation for improving retention and the Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund.

The allocation demonstrates a more strategic approach to the overall enhancement of learning and teaching. It acknowledges that funding for improving retention is used to support the learning of all students and that improving retention is often achieved through enhancing the student experience.

Our consultation on future support for teaching enhancement and widening participation sets out what we proposed.

Breakdown of funds

Funding for teaching enhancement and student success is broken down into three sections.

Improving retention
Undergraduate new entrants are weighted according to prior educational attainment and age.
Institutional learning and teaching strategies
The funding has been distributed pro rata to a standard resource level for each institution for 2010-11, which counts students funded through mainstream and non-mainstream teaching grant. Further education colleges with fewer than 100 FTEs do not receive an allocation.
Research-informed teaching
This is calculated using 2011-12 quality-related research funding per student FTE (2010-11 mainstream and non-mainstream FTEs). Where this rate is less than £500, the funds available are allocated in proportion to the product of the shortfall in the rate of funding and the student FTEs. Further education colleges with fewer than 100 FTEs do not receive an allocation.

Full details of latest TESS allocations and allocation method (under 'Funds for learning and teaching')

Sector impact assessment

When we developed these changes to the teaching funding method, we formally assessed their impact on the HE sector in terms of regulatory burden, equality and diversity, and sustainable development.