New resource aims to strengthen self-evaluation and continuous improvement across Wales’ tertiary education system

A new joint resource from Estyn and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) aims to support providers across Wales’ tertiary education system to strengthen their self-evaluation and continuous improvement practices.

The new microsite, Self-evaluation and continuous improvement in the tertiary system in Wales, brings together findings from a Medr-funded project led by Estyn and QAA. It provides a shared set of principles, reflective questions, sector insights and recommendations to help providers evaluate their work more effectively and improve outcomes for learners.

The resource is designed for use across the diverse range of providers within Wales’ tertiary system, including further education colleges, higher education institutions, apprenticeship providers, adult learning partnerships, school sixth forms and local government education services.

The project identified 12 key principles of effective self-evaluation. These include being learner-focused, evidence-based, impact-led, action-oriented and transparent. The principles are intended to support providers to reflect critically on their practice and strengthen their approaches to improvement, while recognising the different contexts in which providers operate.

Drawing on inspection evidence, quality reviews, stakeholder engagement and international research, the project found that many providers have well-established self-evaluation processes. Common strengths include strong learner engagement, effective use of evidence and clear quality assurance arrangements. However, the report also highlights opportunities to strengthen practice, particularly by focusing more sharply on the impact of provision on learners, improving the quality of improvement planning and making better use of data.

Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said:

“Self-evaluation is most effective when it leads to meaningful improvements in learners’ experiences and outcomes. This resource provides a shared framework that can help providers across Wales reflect honestly on their strengths and areas for development, while recognising the diversity of the tertiary system.

“We are proud to have worked alongside QAA and Medr on this important project. By bringing together expertise from across the sectors, we hope this resource will support providers to strengthen their quality improvement processes and continue to raise standards for learners throughout Wales.”

Maureen McLaughlin, Head of Wales, Northern Ireland and Educational Oversight, QAA, said:

“Our collaboration with Estyn on this project has been an exciting and productive opportunity to share and learn from effective practice across Wales’s tertiary sector. We very much hope that this will offer a valuable resource to promote and strengthen the evaluation and enhancement of provision across our entire sector here in Wales – and will also be of interest and use to our colleagues across the UK and beyond.” 

This new microsite is the first resource of its kind developed jointly by Estyn and QAA. It reflects a shared commitment to supporting high-quality provision and continuous improvement across the tertiary education system in Wales.

The microsite will continue to develop over time, with additional case studies, examples of effective practice and other resources being added to support providers in embedding effective self-evaluation and quality improvement processes.

The resource is intended as a practical tool to support reflection and professional dialogue. It does not introduce statutory requirements or prescribe a single approach to self-evaluation. Instead, it aims to encourage providers to develop approaches that are proportionate, evidence-informed and focused on improving outcomes for learners.

The Self-evaluation and continuous improvement in the tertiary system in Wales microsite is available here.