HEFCE’s changes to quality assessment: new assurances required from Governing Bodies

HEFCE has recently ended its long-standing approach to discharging its statutory responsibility for assessment of academic quality and standards and the associated cyclical Higher Education Review method, currently undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).

There are a number of reasons that HEFCE have given as to why this change is happening now, but in particular are the beliefs that the current and growing diversity of providers in the sector means a more tailored and risk-based approach is required than at present; and that more reliance should be placed on existing internal arrangements of established providers.