Like all higher education providers in the UK, the QAA Quality Code states we must meet certain Core Practices for Learning and Teaching that the QAA have set out within their Expectations for this area. See How we do things for our approach in meeting these.
The required Core Practices for Learning and Teaching are:
Core Practices: Quality
- The provider has sufficient appropriately qualified and skilled staff to deliver a high-quality academic experience.
- In practice, this means that providers ensure individuals and teams involved in teaching and supporting students demonstrate an appropriate mix of academic, professional and pedagogic knowledge and skills.
- The provider has sufficient and appropriate facilities, learning resources and student support services to deliver a high-quality academic experience.
- In practice, this means that providers plan for, invest in and maintain an appropriate environment for delivery of their learning and teaching. Learning facilities and resources are accessible and relevant to students’ development of their knowledge and skills.
- The provider actively engages students, individually and collectively, in the quality of their educational experience.
- In practice, this means that providers use engagement to assess the effectiveness of learning and teaching provision.
- The provider supports all students to achieve successful academic and professional outcomes.
- In practice, this means that providers ensure the availability of an inclusive and engaging learning environment in which all students are supported to succeed. They design and deliver learning and teaching to develop subject-specific and transferable skills that enhance students’ personal development and employment opportunities, including self-employment. Providers continually evaluate the effectiveness of learning and teaching in the context of student needs, achievement and progression.
Common Practice for Quality:
The QAA Quality Code also has a Common Practice that whilst not mandatory for us to follow, we still feel this is relevant to us and that we can show we do it. It is:
- The provider engages students individually and collectively in the development, assurance and enhancement of the quality of their educational experience.
- In practice, this means that providers engage students, and alumni where practicable, to design, monitor, review and enhance learning and teaching. Student feedback is responded to and / or acted upon to enhance the quality of learning and teaching.