The latest from the slow and steady grind of the OfS quality assurance process
Back in May 2022, the OfS began to inspect the way provision at RTC Education ltd (Regent College London) complied with conditions B1, B2, and B4.
The actual investigation took place between November 2022 and May 2023, resulting in the publication of an investigation report in October 2024.
On 2 February 2026 the Office for Students published a regulatory case report – outlining its decision to find that RTC was in breach of B1, B2 and B4.
Because RTC does not itself have degree awarding powers (though it is, to be clear, registered with OfS) it also made findings that two providers that it acted as a delivery provider for. Buckinghamshire New University (which had responsibility for the BA Business Management course) was in breach B2 and B4, while the University of Greater Manchester (known at the start of the investigation as the University of Bolton – it had responsibility for the BSc Business Management course) was found to be in breach of conditions B1, B2, and B4.
As a result RTC will be placed under OfS’ enhanced monitoring process – we are not told for how long – and while it is within this process it is not permitted to apply for New Degree Awarding Powers (NDAPs).
Buckinghamshire New University terminated its contract with RTC in May 2025 – no new students will be recruited to the BA Business Management course at RTC. It will not face any further regulatory interventions or sanctions.
The University of Greater Manchester, however, continues to work with RTC. It will be subject to specific ongoing condition of registration BB (relating to standard ongoing registration conditions B1, B2, and B4), which means it needs to develop and implement plans to offer it effective oversight of a number of matters at RTC by 14 January 2027 (at which point there will be another assessment). These matters refer to the findings of the investigation, and include:
This will all start with the submission of details of proposed actions by 14 July 2026.
Of note to the interested reader is the fact that Greater Manchester is already subject to enhanced monitoring on registration condition B2 for its own business provision, and is seen to be at increased risk of breaching registration conditions B1 and B4 for partnership provision. OfS does not note that the university is also still subject to another specific ongoing condition (B3A) for condition B3. The financial issues under investigation by Greater Manchester Police are perhaps less relevant to this case, but are worth reminding ourselves of.
Clearly the establishment of another specific condition was considered the best way to escalate existing concerns around Greater Manchester in the light of new evidence. It does all feel rather last chance saloon.
It’s also worth remarking on the enormous amount of time that has elapsed since concerns around provision at RTC were first brought to the attention of OfS – I assume some time before May 2022. That we have regulatory action three and three-quarter years after the start of the investigation is hardly helpful to full-time students who have faced the issues described in the investigation report – and there may not be a remedy in place that even satisfies registration conditions until 2027 at the earliest.
While OfS is clearly keen to get these processes right, the timescales aren’t really conducive to responsive action that benefits students.