8 September 2022

"Wales takes a distinct approach to quality, with its own method being revised and developed since 2013/14 through the Higher Education Review Wales (HERW). This combines elements from across the UK to provide a system that recognised both assurance and enhancement.  Wales is currently developing a new quality enhancement review (QER) method which will build on our existing practice and best practice from across the world.

"Recently the Office for Students (OfS) in England published a consultation on the revised model for the teaching excellence framework (TEF). This is mandatory in England and optional for universities in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Office for Students intends TEF to play a key role in the regulation of English universities in the future.

"It has become apparent that as we move to a more enhancement focused method that this is no longer compatible with the TEF methodology and the metric-based approach being pursued by OfS.  Having considered the TEF carefully, Welsh universities have decided to not participate (with the exception of the OU in Wales, who as a four nation institution are required to meet the quality requirements across all regulatory jurisdictions).

"Wales values students as partners, quality enhancement activity, qualitative data and an enhanced approach to overseas collaborative provision and we look forward to working collaboratively to build upon existing practice and further develop our quality enhancement approaches."

 

Commenting on Universities Wales' position, Dr David Blaney, Chief Executive of HEFCW said:

“The regulatory system in Wales is increasingly different to that in England. Wales has a well-embedded quality enhancement approach, with a strong focus on student partnership. Our view is that this meets the needs of students in a way that the TEF cannot, and we therefore support this decision by Universities Wales.”