Quality

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.

  • 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.

Estyn inspects further education colleges, adult community learning partnerships, and apprenticeship providers. It also inspects school sixth forms as part of a whole school inspection. In addition, it inspects local authority education services, which includes their support for schools (including sixth forms).

Estyn also has a duty to provide information and advice to Medr under the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022.

Information on Estyn’s processes, including what and how it inspects each area, is available on its website.

Medr must assess, or make arrangements to assess, the quality of education provided in Wales by or on behalf of each regulated higher education institution.

Medr took over the responsibilities of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) on 1 August 2024. Accordingly, HEFCW’s most recent guidance currently applies.

Procedures for assessing the quality of education (HEFCW circular W19/05HE) provide information on how Medr will fulfil its statutory duties relating to the quality of education.

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

From 1 August 2025, revised versions of the Quality Assessment Framework and the external quality assurance reviews documents will come into force to take account of changes to the Quality Code for Higher Education, and the UK Quality Council.

	

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.

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

The post-16 Welsh Baccalaureate: recording and measuring outcomes

Self-assessment guidance for post-16 providers

Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021/22

 

 

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.

Educational oversight in higher education

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

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.

Guidance on partnership arrangements for franchise education provided on behalf of regulated higher education institutions in Wales

This guidance on franchise partnership arrangements in Wales, takes account of the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015, and is inherited from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

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.

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

The post-16 Welsh Baccalaureate: recording and measuring outcomes

Self-assessment guidance for post-16 providers

Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021/22

 

 

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.

Educational oversight in higher education

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

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.

Guidance on partnership arrangements for franchise education provided on behalf of regulated higher education institutions in Wales

This guidance on franchise partnership arrangements in Wales, takes account of the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015, and is inherited from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

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. 

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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