Regulating the financial sustainability of higher education providers in England

The Department should: a) review, improve and agree with the OfS the key performance measures and other indicators it uses to hold the OfS to account, to include measures of the impact of the regulatory regime, rather than measures outside the OfS’s control;

Ref Page 13, paragraph 25, point a · Implemented 03/2023

b) make clear what tolerance the government has for provider failure, and the circumstances under which it would or would not intervene; and

Ref Page 13, paragraph 25, point b · Implemented 02/2024

c) together with the OfS, assess how redistribution of student numbers between providers, as a result of higher A-level grades awarded in 2020 and 2021, has affected students’ experiences and providers’ finances, and draw on this to understand the likely consequences following release of A-level grades awarded in 2022.

Ref Page 13, paragraph 25, point c

The OfS should: d) communicate more effectively with the sector to build trust in its approach as a regulator; improve providers’ understanding of its attitude to risk and how it defines risk-based, proportionate, regulation; and be more ready to share sector insights to improve efficiency and competitiveness in the sector;

Ref Page 13, paragraph 26, point d · Implemented 01/2023

e) set out how it will secure provider and stakeholder views of its work;

Ref Page 13, paragraph 26, point e · Implemented 01/2023

f) review, improve where necessary and then reauthorise student protection plans for all providers to ensure they remain adequate and can respond to new risks; and

Ref Page 13, paragraph 26, point f

g) prioritise finalising its key performance indicator on how it assesses the value for money students see in their education and set out how its work will reverse students’ declining satisfaction rates.

Ref Page 13, paragraph 26, point g · Implemented 09/2022