Quality

The TQEF is designed to provide assurance on academic standards, the quality of the student experience, and accountability for public investment in tertiary education in Scotland. It was fully implemented from the 2024-25 academic year. The framework is student-centred, aiming to create a coherent and streamlined tertiary education system that delivers the best learning outcomes for students.

Principles 

The TQEF is underpinned by a set of shared principles that guide quality assurance and enhancement:

• Excellence in Learning, Teaching, and Assessment
• Supporting Student Success
• Enhancement and Quality Culture
• Student Engagement and Partnership
• Externality and Data and Evidence, which are threaded throughout all activities 

Delivery Mechanisms

The TQEF operates through five interconnected delivery mechanisms:

• Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) – An external, peer-led review of colleges and universities managed by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), focusing on enhancement and quality improvement.  TQER at Edinburgh College will take place in September and October 2026.
• Annual Quality Engagement (AQE) – Includes Institutional Liaison Meetings (ILMs) with QAA and SFC-led discussions on learning, teaching, and student outcomes.
• Institution-led Quality Review (ILQR) – Institutions monitor and review their own provision annually, fostering ownership of quality processes.
• Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP) – A national programme supporting collaborative enhancement projects across colleges and universities, managed jointly by QAA and College Development Network (CDN) with student partnership support from sparqs.
• Use of Data and Evidence – Institutions submit annual Self-Evaluation and Action Plans (SEAPs) to inform reviews and support evidence-based enhancement.  Edinburgh College submitted SEAPs in 2024 and 2025.  In 2026, we have prepared a Strategic Impact Analysis and collated a set of supporting documentation (the Advance Information Set) to inform the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER). 

Purpose and Impact

The TQEF answers the key question: “Is the provision delivered by Scotland’s colleges and universities of high quality and is it improving?”. By combining external review, institutional self-evaluation, collaborative enhancement, and data-driven insights, the framework ensures continuous improvement, accountability, and a high-quality student experience across Scotland’s tertiary sector.

The TQEF operates within the Scottish Funding Council’s Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model (OFAM), supporting the “High Quality Learning and Teaching” outcome, aligning quality enhancement with assurance and monitoring processes.  OFAM sets out the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) expectations for colleges and universities in return for funding. It includes an Assurance Model that monitors whether institutions are meeting these outcomes, ensuring accountability and supporting coherent, high-performing tertiary education