Consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework

1 Consultation Consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). This Consultation runs from 20 January 2022. to 17 March 2022. Reference OfS Enquiries to Publication date 20 January 2022. The Office for Students is the independent regulator for higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. Our four regulatory objectives All students, from all backgrounds, and with the ability and desire to undertake higher education: are supported to access, succeed in, and progress from, higher education receive a high quality academic experience, and their interests are protected while they study or in the event of provider, campus or course closure are able to progress into employment or further study, and their qualifications hold their value over time receive value for money.

2 1. Contents About this Consultation .. 3. Introduction .. 6. Section 1: Framework .. 14. Proposal 1: Provider-level, periodic ratings .. 15. Proposal 2: Aspects and features of assessment .. 17. Proposal 3: Rating scheme .. 20. Proposal 4: Absence of Excellence .. 23. Section 2: Scope .. 26. Proposal 5: Provider eligibility .. 26. Proposal 6: Courses in scope .. 32. Section 3: Evidence .. 36. Proposal 7: Provider submission .. 37. Proposal 8: Student submission .. 39. Proposal 9: Indicators .. 42. Section 4: Assessment .. 55. Proposal 10: Expert review .. 55. Proposal 11: Assessment of evidence .. 57. Section 5: Outcomes .. 61. Proposal 12: Published information.

3 61. Proposal 13: Communication of ratings by providers .. 64. Section 6: Implementation .. 66. Proposal 14: Name of the scheme .. 66. Proposal 15: Timing of the next exercise .. 67. Annex A: Consultation questions .. 70. Annex B: Features of Excellence and ratings criteria .. 73. Annex C: Proposed guidance on provider participation and submissions .. 83. Annex D: Proposed guidance on student submissions .. 87. Annex E: TEF Panel establishment and decision-making process .. 91. Annex F: Proposed guidance to the TEF panel on assessing evidence .. 96. Annex G: Consideration of alternative proposals .. 105. Annex H: Matters to which we have had regard in reaching our proposals.

4 107. Annex I: Section 2 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 .. 115. 2. About this Consultation The Office for Students is developing a new approach to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) a national exercise incentivising improvement and Excellence in Teaching , learning and student outcomes at universities and colleges. We would like to hear your views on the proposals presented in this Consultation . Timing Start: 20 January 2022. End: 17 March 2022. Who should We welcome responses from anyone with an interest in the quality of higher education courses, the TEF, or UK higher respond? education more generally. This includes, but is not limited to: staff, academics and leaders at higher education providers that will be engaging with the new TEF.

5 Past, present and future students providers and others in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland schools and further education colleges, employers, third sector organisations, and policy bodies. How to respond Please respond by 17 March 2022. Use the online response form available at We will summarise and/or publish the responses to this How we will treat Consultation on the OfS website (and in alternative formats on your response request). This may include a list of the providers and organisations that respond, but not personal data such as individuals' names, addresses or other contact details. If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please tell us but be aware that we cannot guarantee confidentiality in all circumstances.

6 An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not be regarded by us as a confidentiality request. The OfS will process any personal data received in accordance with all applicable data protection laws (see our privacy policy). 3. A privacy notice for this Consultation is available to view on our We may need to disclose or publish information that you provide in the performance of our functions, or disclose it to other organisations for the purposes of their functions. Information (including personal data) may also need to be disclosed in accordance with UK legislation (such as the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Data Protection Act 2018 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004).

7 Subject to feedback from this Consultation , we intend to make Next steps decisions on the design of the future TEF scheme in summer 2022. We intend to publish an outcomes document summarising our analysis of the Consultation responses along with our decisions and supporting rationale. Enquiries Email Alternatively, call our public enquiry line on 0117 931 7317. We are holding two Consultation webinars in February 2022, including an extended session for those not familiar with the TEF. These events will provide an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. To find out more and register, see: events/events/ Consultation -on-the-tef/. events/events/ Consultation -on-the-tef-ex tended-session/.

8 We are also planning to run some interactive student workshops in the coming weeks. We will publish details on our event pages, If you require this document in an alternative format, or need assistance with the online form, please contact Please note: this email address should not be used for submitting your Consultation response. 1 Available from: 4. Related This Consultation is taking place alongside consultations on a revised approach to regulating student outcomes, and a set of consultations proposed indicators which underpin the proposals for regulating student outcomes and the use of data in the TEF. All consultations can be read at You may also wish to read our recent Consultation on the revised quality and standards higher education providers registered with the Office for Students must meet.

9 This is available at quality-and-standards-conditions/. Terms used in Throughout this Consultation we refer to the TEF', but it should be noted that we are consulting on the name of the scheme, as this Consultation set out in proposal 14. Similarly, we refer to the proposed TEF rating names of Gold, Silver and Bronze and the proposed category of Requires improvement', but are consulting on these as set out in proposals 3 and 4. For more information about our work to date on the TEF, please visit the OfS website: 5. Introduction This Consultation sets out proposals for the future Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). This is a national scheme to incentivise improvement and Excellence in Teaching , learning and student outcomes at universities and colleges.

10 The scheme rates providers for Excellence above a set of minimum baseline requirements for quality and standards which they must satisfy if they are registered with the OfS. Summary of Consultation proposals Framework These proposals are set out in detail in section 1 and Annex B. Proposal 1 Provider-level, periodic ratings An overall rating should be awarded to a provider reflecting the quality of its undergraduate courses, and these ratings should last for four years. Proposal 2 Aspects and features of assessment Two aspects should be assessed and rated: the student experience and student outcomes. The criteria for determining ratings should be based on the extent to which very high quality and outstanding quality features are demonstrated for each of these aspects.