The paper outlines the history of the different uses of 'quality' in higher education. Emphasis is given to the United Kingdom, but consideration is also given to a range of international contexts. Three different uses of 'academic quality' are identified (the state-driven, sector-derived, and the traditional academic uses) and their relationship…

This report investigates the link between different 5 percentage point bandings of attendance and attainment for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 (KS2) and Key Stage 4 (KS4) in state-funded mainstream schools in 2022/23. Absence from school is not the only factor that is likely to affect a pupil's level of attainment. There are a range of pupil,…

As neoliberal policies became widespread, the number of studies concerned with those policies also increased. This study aims to analyse articles which are concerned with neoliberal education policies in the literature through systematic review. The current study makes efforts, in its scope, to exhibit the descriptive properties (methodological…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the way "moderation" is defined and operationalised at UK universities. It is hoped that this investigation provides pointers for modifications in university documentation and practices, as well as indicates possible areas for future research. Design/methodology/approach: This paper begins…

This article, which is intended as a contribution to wider conversations around music literacy, explores current conceptions of music literacy within the UK, using the area of aural skills training as a focus. Specifically, it considers the nature of music literacy and aural training in secondary (ages 11-18) music curricula and the role of aural…

Natural History has been part of our curriculum since 1858. Not as a single, continuous subject but embedded in many different subjects and qualifications. As OCR prepares to launch a GCSE in Natural History, this article draws on the historical resources of OCR and its predecessor the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate to show…

The transformation of higher education provision by neoliberal values has been well documented. However, recent criticisms and even attacks upon higher education indicate a new politics extending beyond neoliberalism. This article draws on the sociology of conventions to unpick the distinctions at work in these new criticisms of universities. By…

The global pandemic prompted universities to rethink how assessment might be reconfigured to better support student learning across different modes of delivery resulting in unprecedented, large-scale, and rapid institutional change. Significantly, there has been a dearth of empirical studies examining the nuances of staff experiences of how they…

The Research Excellence Framework is a high-stakes exercise used by the UK government to allocate billions of pounds of quality-related research (QR) funding and used by the media to rank universities and their departments in national league tables. The 2008, 2014 and 2021 assessments were zero-sum games in terms of league table position because…

Academic developers work with colleagues from every discipline to facilitate learning about teaching, learning and assessment. Boud and Brew (2013) called for academic development to be significantly 'closer to everyday practice' while also recognising development involves extending notions of what 'practice' is. Moreover, Loads and Campbell…

In 2021, York St John University and Mind the Gap collaborated to validate a Certificate in Higher Education (Cert HE) in the Performing Arts for learning disabled and autistic adults. This article presents context surrounding inclusive education, identifying the histories of ableism within assessment processes. We then discuss how we worked in…

In aggressively neo-liberalized higher education systems and in 'high-performing' research units--typically academic schools in high-ranking research universities--research assessment has come to dominate the daily organization and enactment of research and research culture. So much so in fact that academics' research praxis, their employability,…

This report sets out a bold package of reform to stabilise, mobilise and then maximise the contribution of UK universities to economic growth and widening opportunity for all. It has a single aim: to create a UK university sector that is better in ten years' time than it is today. This blueprint is evidence-based, action-oriented and consciously…

Accreditation can serve as an accountability mechanism for higher education, ensuring institutions meet specific standards, which can be impacted by various factors including the regulatory environment of each country or local jurisdiction as well as an institution's mission, enrollment, and student success trends. In addition, higher education…

The Assessment Experience Questionnaire has been widely used to measure conditions of learning from assessment. It is one of three methods used in the 'Transforming the Experience of Students through Assessment' research process, originally funded by the Higher Education Academy to explore programme assessment patterns, and now used extensively in…