Preparing for TEF 2027? Hang on a moment

One of the key recommendations in the Behan review was for the Office for Students to develop an integrated quality system, bringing together the TEF and the various B condition investigations into something a little more cohesive.

It’s never made sense to look at ostensibly the same stats (with different splits and use of benchmarking) in different quality-related activity – and it ended up with confusion both for providers and the general public (how can the same provider have an additional teaching quality related condition of registration and TEF Gold?). And the current approach does not align with international standards (such as ESG) – something that has given providers all kind of headaches, even though OfS seems constitutionally unable to admit that there is a problem.

To that end, England’s higher education has been talking to the sector and student groups about what a better-designed system might look like – and stalwart head of student outcomes Graeme Rosenberg has taken to the blog to explain what he is hearing.

Somewhat surprisingly given the above, a lot of the messages are to avoid change. There’s a keenness on a risk-based system (allowing for intervention where problems are identified) alongside a streamlined assessment to drive continuous improvements – basically B condition investigations plus TEF, in other words.

Given this, one is given the sense that a preference might be to adapt the TEF to more closely align to the way B conditions are assessed. This could mean new kinds of information (a greater focus on improvement, and an expansion of student input), and changes to the way TEF is presented (perhaps finally an end to the medal system) and how it can be used by applicants. There could also be changes to what is assessed – but don’t panic: there’s not much appetite for bringing visits into the TEF spectrum

Instead we appear to be shifting from a one-and-done REF style multi year approach back towards the previous iterative system, where providers are assessed at various times throughout a four-to-five year period. Providers are therefore advised not to specifically prepare for the once-expected 2027 TEF, and to expect a consultation on the future of the exercise later this year.