Response to new OfS consultations on student outcomes and teaching excellence

20 January 2022

In response to the publication of Office for Students (OfS) consultations on proposals for minimum acceptable outcomes for students and reforms to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, said:

“We support efforts by the regulator to ensure students from all backgrounds receive a high-quality education that enables them to succeed later in life. The priority our members give to this is reflected in the high levels of continuation rates, progression to professional careers and higher degrees, and the future earnings for students attending our universities, including those from the most underrepresented groups.

“We share the OfS’ ambition to incentivise excellent teaching, learning and student outcomes and we will continue to engage on the proposed reforms to TEF. In future, we would like to see TEF prioritise enhancement for the benefit of students while minimising the burden of unnecessary bureaucracy on universities, so they can do what they do best.”

Notes

• 80% of the 2018/19 cohort of students graduating from Russell Group universities were in highly skilled employment 18 months after graduation compared to 67% of those graduating from other UK universities.
• In total, 89% of the most under-represented students (those from POLAR Q1 areas) achieve a first or upper second-class degree at Russell Group universities. Although there is a gap in degree attainment between the most and least under-represented students, this has closed from seven percentage points in 2016/17 to five percentage points in 2019/20, and our universities have set targets to eradicate this gap over time.