News
Data Service service desk closed 13 May 2013
Monday 13 May 2013
Access to HE conference 2013: degrees of maturity - BOOKINGS OPEN
Friday 3 May 2013
The FACE annual conference 3-5 July 2013
Friday 3 May 2013
Access to HE – new research network
Thursday 21 March 2013
QAA launches Access to HE Awards Scheme
Thursday 14 March 2013
Collaborating in the new environment - an Action on Access/OFFA/UUK conference
Wednesday 20 February 2013
Latest AVA bulletin now available
Wednesday 20 February 2013
AVA review reports published
Wednesday 16 January 2013
Redeveloping the Access to HE Diploma - have your say! UPDATED
Friday 14 December 2012
Come to one of the half-day consultation events for higher education admissions staff, Access to HE providers and Access Validating Agency staff and discuss with us our proposals for the redevelopment of the Access to HE Diploma.
Non approved courses
Thursday 29 November 2012
Guidelines for HE admissions staff
Tuesday 27 November 2012
Milburn report on higher education and social mobility published
Thursday 18 October 2012
Hear our plans for our new website
Monday 24 September 2012
AVA annual report and data submission guidance now available
Wednesday 12 September 2012
We have now published guidance for AVAs for the submission of their annual reports and data for 2011-12 to QAA. Click the link below to go to the guidance.
Access to HE Annual Conference, Birmingham - Friday 22 June 2012
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Listen to Professor Nick Foskett's thoughts about Access to HE
Tuesday 3 July 2012
Find out why this year has been a record breaking year for Access to HE.
Thursday 21 June 2012
Key statistics 2012 provides a brief summary of statistical information about the characteristics of students who were on Access to HE courses in 2010-11. We have also published an animation featuring some of this year's headline statistics.
The Joint agency statistical report 2012 is a composite report which provides more detailed statistical information than Key statistics, in a wider range of areas, for both England and Wales. Many of these reports include trend data and comparative data to show the characteristics and performance of Access to HE students
Find out why this year has been a record breaking year for Access to HE.
Sunday 10 June 2012
Updated - Tutors' Quick Guide
Friday 13 April 2012
AVA licensing: Operational description - January 2012
Friday 27 January 2012
AVA revisit: Operational description - December 2011
Monday 12 December 2011
Publications page updated
Monday 21 November 2011
We have updated our publications page to make it easier for you to find up to date our regulatory and information documents. However, as part of this process we have archived documents which are no longer current.
Action on Access 'access to HE summit'
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Access Validating Agency (AVA) reviewers required
Friday 21 October 2011
AVA Bulletin October 2011
Friday 7 October 2011
New way of searching for discontinued Access to HE courses
Tuesday 4 October 2011
QAA is developing a new web page where you can search for Access to HE courses that have been discontinued.
Data submission guidance notes 2010-11
Thursday 8 September 2011
Annual self-evaluation report guidance notes 2010-11
Thursday 8 September 2011
AVA relicensing: Operational description - August 2011
Friday 19 August 2011
Changes to annual data collection
Friday 8 July 2011
AVA licensing agreement - June 2011
Wednesday 29 June 2011
standard conditions for the licensing and relicensing of Access Validating Agencies - June 2011
Former Access to HE student honoured at national awards
Friday 3 June 2011
Lorraine Pearson who studied an Access to HE course at City and Islington College has been named Outstanding Learner of the Year in this year’s Adult Learners’ Week awards. Read her story on the Adult Learners’ Week website http://www.alw.org.uk/winners-stories/winner-story/2011/lorraine-pearson.
Lorraine’s story was mentioned by Vince Cable MP in his speech at the award ceremony. It was also included in his blog, published on the BIS website http://blogs.bis.gov.uk/blog/2011/05/19/learning-for-life/.
AVA licensing criteria published
Tuesday 31 May 2011
AVA licensing criteria: criteria for the licensing and relicensing of Access Validating Agencies - May 2011
More information
AVA Bulletin May 2011
Tuesday 31 May 2011
More information
Feedback from grading implementation survey published
Friday 27 May 2011
New, easy way to tell us your Access to HE success story
Monday 21 February 2011
QAA responds to HEPI report: Higher Education Supply and Demand
Friday 4 February 2011
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), responded to research published by HEPI, indicating that over a third of the applications to higher education in 2008-10 came from people with no UCAS Tariff points
Grading survey for HE admissions staff closed
Wednesday 1 December 2010
AVA Bulletin November 2010 - Database special
Friday 26 November 2010
Grading survey for HE admissions staff opened
Tuesday 26 October 2010
QAA is conducting an evaluation of the implementation of the graded Access to HE Diploma and is seeking the views of higher education admissions staff. The survey opened on Friday 22 October 2010 and will close on 30 November 2010.
Guidance for HE admissions staff on the Access to HE Diploma
Friday 24 September 2010
QAA has published updated guidance for higher education admissions staff on the Access to HE Diploma. It outlines new recommendations for expressing entry requirements and conditional offers to Access to HE students. Also available is a brief outline to grading and the Access to HE Diploma.
Access to HE conference 2010 - films and presentations
Thursday 17 June 2010
17 June 2010, BMA House, London
QAA publishes report on retention, selection and demand in Access to HE
Monday 8 March 2010
The 2009 special appendix for the AVA self-evaluation reports focused on the topic of retention. The purpose of this work was to shed light on differing retention rates, to investigate the use of retention benchmarks and selection strategies, and to facilitate the sharing of good practice in improving retention.
QAA has now published a summary of the findings, entitled Access to HE courses: retention, selection and demand. More information
Learning from AVA review 2006-09 published
Thursday 25 February 2010
QAA has published the latest Learning from AVA review for 2006-09.
QAA podcast celebrates 20 years of Access
Friday 8 January 2010
Access to HE featured in The Independent
Thursday 5 November 2009
QAA Chief Executive takes up post
Thursday 1 October 2009
Anthony McClaran has taken up his new post as Chief Executive of QAA from 1 October 2009, succeeding Peter Williams CBE who retired on 30 September. Anthony McClaran said: ‘I feel very privileged to lead QAA at this time of significant challenge for UK higher education and the wider society it serves.'
Guidelines for higher education admissions staff published
Thursday 27 August 2009
Tutors' quick guide to grading published
Monday 17 August 2009
Access to HE multimedia toolkit launched by south west consortium
Thursday 13 August 2009
Evaluators appointed for review of Access to HE
Friday 7 August 2009
Access to HE conference
Monday 22 June 2009
A hundred delegates attended this year's conference, held in Birmingham on 18 June, which focused on the theme 'Access to HE Diploma: a qualification for the future'.
Key statistics 2009 and Joint Agency Report published
Thursday 4 June 2009
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has published the Access to Higher Education (HE) Key Statistics and Joint Agency Report which provide key data about Access to HE in England and Wales. The publications offer the most comprehensive set of published statistical data about Access to HE. This year information is included which highlights the differences between each data set. QAA is grateful to all those who have contributed to this work.
Report on trends in Access to HE student numbers published
Thursday 9 April 2009
This report looks at trends in numbers on Access to HE courses in recent years and explores reasons for a reported fall in student numbers. The report is based on responses to a survey of more than 200 Access to HE providers.
QAA appoints new Chief Executive
Friday 27 February 2009
Updated guidelines for higher education admissions staff November 2008
Friday 28 November 2008
The document outlines the main changes to the Access to Higher Education qualification and includes a brief summary of grading developments. It also highlights how the changes will affect HE admissions, providing guidance on how to make appropriate offers.
Universities opening doors for Access to HE students
Thursday 14 August 2008
In 2007, 20 universities each admitted over 200 Access to HE students. And for the second year running the University of Teeside recruited more Access to HE students than any other university.
Key statistics 2008 and Joint Agency Report published
Thursday 19 June 2008
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has published the Access to Higher Education (HE) Key Statistics and Joint Agency Report which provide key data about Access to HE in England and Wales.
The publications offer the most comprehensive set of published statistical data about Access to HE, including data about course providers and provision; about students' achievement, and their progression into and through higher education.
QAA is grateful to all those who have contributed to this work.
Former Access to HE student featured in the Guardian
Tuesday 10 June 2008
Access to HE students win Adult Learners' Week Awards
Monday 9 June 2008
New Access to HE courses database - QAA / LSC joint statement
Friday 23 May 2008
Grading the Access to Higher Education Diploma: progress towards implementation
Friday 16 May 2008
This report offers a standard reference point for queries about the development of the grading scheme, or about key elements of the grading process which have now been confirmed. It provides a response to the questions raised in the consultation, and supplements the consultation summary report published in August 2007.
Access to HE newsletter for AVAs - March 2008 edition
Friday 14 March 2008
This is the latest electronic bulletin providing regular updates about Access to Higher Education, with particular focus on QAA's development and regulatory work in this area.
GCSE equivalence and the Access to HE Diploma
Friday 14 March 2008
QAA has revised the GCSE equivalence guidance to take account of funding decisions by the LSC. The new guidance is available here.
Access to HE Diploma: implementation schedule
Tuesday 5 February 2008
LSC statement on benchmarking data for Access to HE
Wednesday 5 December 2007
Guidance for the admission of students to QAA-recognised Access to HE programmes (November 2007)
Monday 12 November 2007
Revised guidance for the admission of students to QAA-recognised Access to HE programmes has now been published and is available to download.
Access to HE newsletter for AVAs - September 2007 edition
Tuesday 11 September 2007
This new electronic bulletin will provide regular updates about Access to Higher Education, with particular focus on QAA's development and regulatory work in this area.
News for AVAs - annual report and data submission guidance notes published
Wednesday 5 September 2007
The 2006-07 AVA annual report guidance notes and AVA data submission guidance notes have now been published and are available to download.
Access to HE grading consultation outcomes
Wednesday 29 August 2007
Key outcomes from the Access to HE grading consultation have been published. We received responses from a total of 128 higher education institutions, AVAs and further education colleges.