TO BE PUBLISHED December 2026
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This conference will consider next steps for reform of the Teaching Excellence Framework and the future for regulation of higher education teaching quality in England.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider outcomes of the Office for Students’ Consultation on a new approach to regulating quality and standards in English higher education, including proposals for more continuous regulatory oversight and changes to assessment cycles - and to look ahead to further proposals expected to be published and consulted on in the autumn.
In the context of proposed changes to quality regulation and assessment, the conference will consider options for simplifying the framework to allow higher education institutions greater flexibility, and what a more proportionate approach to regulation might look like in practice, including how and when intervention is applied in relation to a provider’s circumstances. We expect discussion on what will be needed from metrics used to assess higher education standards, including issues of comparability across different types of provider, consistency in interpretation, and effective practice in the use of data to support transparency.
Sessions will also draw on emerging thinking on priorities for TEF reform, including comparisons with how international systems measure teaching quality and accountability, and the role that metrics and evidence may play in informing future policy approaches.
TEF reform, assessment, metrics & improvement
Taking into account discussion within the sector on the support provided by the current framework for pedagogical improvement, sessions will examine what will be needed from a revised approach if it is to foster teaching that is responsive to student needs, with continuous improvement across the sector at its core. Areas for discussion include how the framework can better reflect differences in institutional mission and delivery models across higher education providers, particularly for specialist and smaller institutions, including approaches to assessing areas such as creativity and technical skill within existing measures and metrics.
Further sessions will look at options for reducing unnecessary bureaucracy within revised assessment arrangements, alongside discussion on the respective role of quantitative and qualitative evidence in assessing teaching quality. Delegates will consider implications for the future design of TEF, including how student outcomes, experience and progression are weighted and interpreted alongside wider evidence relating to teaching, learning and student support.
Continuous oversight, institutional capacity & student engagement
With proposals for a rolling assessment cycle and more continuous regulatory oversight, attendees will assess implications for institutional preparation, quality management, and engagement within revised assessment and oversight arrangements - including for colleges delivering higher education that did not previously participate in TEF. Discussion is also expected on what support and guidance may be needed as institutions adapt to revised assessment arrangements and ongoing monitoring requirements.
The agenda will examine implications of TEF reform for staff workload, student engagement, and internal quality enhancement processes, alongside questions around capacity across different types of higher education provider. Further discussion will consider approaches to supporting further education colleges delivering higher education for the first time, including integration into revised quality assessment and reporting arrangements.
Delegates will also discuss effective practice for engaging students in providing feedback on their experiences, and how student input and data can best be gathered, interpreted and translated into improvements in teaching, learning and institutional practice. Sessions will consider approaches to linking student engagement with tangible improvements in outcomes and experience, alongside questions around how feedback is gathered, interpreted and acted upon within different institutional contexts.
Transparency & reputational impact
The role of TEF in supporting transparent decision-making will be considered, alongside implications of potential negative outcomes for institutional reputation and student choice. Delegates will discuss approaches to aligning public accountability with constructive support for providers, alongside effective practice in communicating outcomes of TEF assessments clearly to students, employers and other stakeholders.
Further sessions will examine the role of regulatory transparency in supporting confidence in higher education quality and informing student choice, alongside questions around proportionality, compliance burden, and the potential reputational implications of assessment and reporting requirements for different types of provider. Discussion will also consider effective practice in communicating assessment outcomes clearly and consistently, including how transparency measures can support accountability and improvement without creating unnecessary administrative burden.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
