Blackpool & the Fylde
College
“Preparing for QAA Review”
27th February 2014
Alan Mould
a.mould@qaa.ac.uk
Who Am I
• Currently
I am a QAA Officer managing
Higher Education Reviews (HER). Also
work on REO and AVA reviews
• For 15 months worked at the HEA
primarily around supporting the
Academy’s relationship with FECs
• Before that I was director of a LLN and
B&FC College was one of the two biggest
FECs in the network
Blackpool and the Fylde College
RCHE Outcome
• 2 meets UK expectations
• 2 commendations
• 0 recommendations
• 11 areas of good practice
• 5 affirmations
No other institution in RCHE or
IRENI achieved this
QAA Review History –
the road to congruence
HEI
Institutional Audit
2004-2012
FEC
AP
IQER
2007-2012
REO
2011 –
IRENI
2012-2013
RCHE
2012-13
Higher Education Review
2013 -
HER+
2014 -
RCHE/IRENI
HER
What are the
differences/similarities?
Plus Ca Change
Not much really!
(Note: There are a lot of differences between IQER and
HER, far fewer between RCHE and HER)
• SED in HER is both narrative and evaluative
• Slightly changed role of facilitator
• Even greater emphasis on Quality Code
• Extra potential judgment in academic standards
(“Requires improvement to meet UK expectations”)
Plus Ca Change
• Responsibilities checklist for FECs to list their
responsibilities and the Awarding Body’s responsibilities
against each expectation
• First Team Visit now not at institution
• Action plan updated each year until completed
• HEFCE has updated their Unsatisfactory Quality
Procedures.
Plus Ca Meme De Choses
• Risk based
• Peer review process
• Everything underpinned by Quality Code
(note: revised chapters coming onstream)
• Open and transparent on both sides
• Student involvement
Plus Ca Meme De Choses
• Core and thematic elements
• SED and SS underpinned by evidence base
• Four judgment areas
• Areas of Good Practice
• Recommendations
• Affirmations
Some Thoughts on Preparing for Review
•The Quality Code and the HER Handbook are
the key documents
• Make use of all the other documents available
from the QAA
• Student engagement is vital
• Use your QAA Officer to clarify anything you
are unsure of
Some Thoughts on Preparing for Review
• Start early
• SED and SS should be evaluative and
reflective, backed up by appropriate evidence
• It should be a reflection of what the institution
is already doing, not a reaction to the review
• Be open, transparent and honest
Some Thoughts on Preparing for Review
• Address each relevant expectation of the
Quality Code explicitly in your SED and have
supporting evidence
• Chapter B10 and its relevance to colleges
• The process is not the same as OfSted, either
in design or philosophy
Thank you
Any Questions?