Quality and continuous improvement

We have a responsibility to assess, or make arrangements to assess, the quality of education provided in Wales by or on behalf of regulated providers. We do this through our quality assessment processes. We also have responsibility to monitor, and promote improvement in the quality of tertiary education.

Continuous improvement means providers use self-evaluation, data, analysis and information to strive for sustained excellence. It is an ongoing process, and can include both addressing deficits and making incremental changes to learner outcomes over time. Higher education providers usually refer to this activity as enhancement.

Regulatory framework

Quality is a key component of regulation, in line with the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022, and will be a condition of registration and funding.

Draft Quality Framework

Medr has developed a draft Quality Framework that includes information on:

  • how quality will be assessed across all tertiary education
  • the roles of providers
  • how the views of learners are taken into account, and
  • the professional development of staff.

We are working with Estyn  and QAA  towards aligning approaches, where possible. We will also continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders on the development of external quality assessment methodologies.

The Quality Framework is designed to help providers to ensure learners receive the highest quality provision in a sector that strives for continuous improvement.
 
We consider good quality education to be that which meets the reasonable needs of learners. This is demonstrated through positive learner outcomes, in the context of the diversity of the sector and the learner body.

Seven pillars of the Draft Quality Framework

The Quality Framework includes seven pillars, which we believe demonstrate provision is of good quality and which we expect to drive good learner outcomes. The Welsh language is embedded in each of the pillars.

Learners have opportunities to engage in providers’ decision making, and providers can demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of this engagement.

Learner engagement

Consideration of the views of learners about the quality of the tertiary education they receive.

For learners

A provider’s governing body is a key driver of good quality education. It has active and effective oversight of the quality and continuous improvement of the provider’s tertiary education.

Providers undertake regular, rigorous, self-evaluation, planning for improvement, and reflection, which will be the basis of the external assessment of quality and planning for continuous improvement.

There will be externality in the assessment of quality and evaluation of planning for continuous improvement, which will take place at regular intervals and cover all its provision, including that delivered on its behalf. Providers will also seek externality through other mechanisms including their broader use of benchmarking and external reference points.

Good practice is shared both internally and externally to drive innovation and excellence in the quality of the learning experience across all parts of the tertiary education sector.

Providers and Medr support the professional learning and development of members of the tertiary education workforce.

Monitoring and quality assessment

Data

We will consider data to determine any risk to the quality of tertiary education, using existing data where available. This will include data from the Post-16 Data Collection, the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR) and HESA.

Data may also include that from internal and external audits commissioned by providers, together with audits commissioned by Medr.

Data we will consider includes, but is not limited to:

(a) recruitment
(b) progression
(c) retention
(d) completion (including achievement of qualifications)
(e) complaints to Medr (including numbers and patterns)
(f) learner surveys
(g) destinations (employment/education/training)

We plan to consult on performance indicators to inform our approach to data.

Consistent post-16 performance measures for further education and sixth forms

The completion and attainment of learners studying in further education institutions and school sixth forms are published annually.

The consistent performance measures show the proportion of learners who achieve their intended qualifications, as a proportion of those who start a programme of study.

National statistics for learner achievement are available on the Welsh Government website.

Consistent post-16 performance measures: overview
Learner outcomes reports for post-16 providers

The Welsh Government has published two reports that measure the success of:

  • work based learning providers
  • adult community learning partnerships

The reports include information on:

  • the percentage of all qualifications achieved by learners for the past 3 years
  • the average rate achieved across all similar providers in Wales
Learner outcome measures for further education, work-based learning and adult community learning Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales: recording and measuring outcomes Higher Education Student Statistics: UK

Information

We may use information from other processes and engagements to inform our view regarding whether there is a risk to the quality of education. This may include:

Outcomes of external quality assessment

Medr will work with providers and with bodies carrying out external quality assessment to ensure that assessment procedures are robust, proportionate and timely; add value for providers; and have impact in driving improvement. In the case of school sixth forms, we expect local authorities to work with their schools to ensure that this is done.

We will use the outcome of Estyn inspections and QAA reviews in assessing the quality of provision. Any provider receiving an outcome requiring follow-up engagement will be considered not to demonstrate good quality. We will monitor providers’ engagement with Estyn and QAA to ensure that they successfully address issues identified. If they are not able to address the issues then we may implement our Statement of Intervention.

Quality Assessment framework for higher education providers

As part of the Quality Assessment Framework for Wales, regulated institutions must undergo regular external quality assurance reviews. This is carried out using the Quality Enhancement Review developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Procedures for assessing the quality of education

This circular outlines our procedures for assessing the quality of education, inherited from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

Procedures for assessing the quality of education (HEFCW circular W19/05HE)

Educational oversight in higher education

This document sets out Medr’s inherited (from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales) role in educational oversight.

HEFCWs role in Educational Oversight outcome of consultation and procedures (HEFCW circular W21/06HE)

Quality reports

The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales commissioned the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to carry out a concerns investigation at Wrexham Glyndŵr (now Wrexham) University to investigate issues relating to quality assurance systems, meeting students’ needs, partnerships and the governance of quality. The review team visited the institution in January 2023. The final report from QAA’s investigation team, which HEFCW received in March 2023, reached a conclusion of serious issues found.

Report to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales of a Concerns Investigation (Wales): Wrexham Glyndŵr University (January 2023)

Where serious issues are found in a concerns investigation, the provider is required to develop an action plan to be approved by HEFCW. The implementation of the action plan required ongoing monitoring as part of HEFCW’s quality assurance framework.

Wrexham University Quality Assurance Review 2023 Action Plan (July 2023)

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