QAA publishes report on West Cheshire College

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has published a report on standards and quality at West Cheshire College (the College) following its review in March 2016.

A team of QAA reviewers visited the College and judged that the quality of its student learning opportunities and the information about its learning opportunities meet UK expectations.

However, reviewers judged that the maintenance of the academic standards of the awards it offers on behalf of degree-awarding bodies and other awarding organisations and the enhancement of its student learning opportunities require improvement to meet UK expectations.

The review report identifies the College’s use of effective and systematic peer observation to promote good teaching practice specific to higher education as a feature of good practice.

The review report made a number of recommendations to the College, including:

• ensure that academic governance arrangements assure the College of the maintenance of academic standards at an executive level

• ensure that strategic self-assessment review processes critically identify, evaluate and monitor action with respect to higher education

• formalise the internal approval process for published information regarding the higher education provision.

Helen Nellist, Acting Principal and Chief Executive of West Cheshire College, said: ‘We are delighted that QAA have confirmed the quality of our student learning opportunities and recognised our good practice in promoting good teaching across our HE provision.’

QAA’s Higher Education Reviews are carried out by experts from other universities and colleges. Every review team includes a student reviewer, because QAA believes that students should be partners in the quality assurance of their education.

The review team comprised Maxina Butler Holmes (North Lindsey College), Professor John Deane (Birmingham City University) and James Perkins (student reviewer, Royal College of Art).