Review of Foundation Degrees: England and Northern Ireland

QAA carries out reviews of Foundation Degrees in England. Foundation Degrees are a vocational qualification, delivered in two years and designed to equip learners with skills and knowledge relevant to their employment. In 2003-04, we carried a review of a sample of Foundation Degrees in England and Northern Ireland.

The review process

Handbook for the review of Foundation Degrees in England 2004-05 – HTML version | PDF version
Including details on how the process works, guidelines for producing self-evaluations and details about the judgements.
Please note: The word lengths in Annex H should read 5,000 and 5,500 respectively.

Annex B - Student data table (Excel spreadsheet)
Annex G - Student work and assessment note (Word document)

Foundation Degree review data tables - Guidance notes for providers (Word document)

Procedure on representations
Available to a Foundation Degree consortium/provider(s) where either or both of the following conditions apply: the reviewers have expressed 'no confidence' in the (emerging) academic standards and the (emerging) achievements of students, or the reviewers have expressed 'no confidence' in the quality of students’ learning opportunities.

Other publications relating to Foundation Degrees

Learning from reviews of Foundation Degrees in England carried out in 2004-05 - HTML version | PDF version

Report of a survey of Foundation Degrees converted from existing Higher National Diplomas since 2001 - November 2005 - HTML version | PDF version

Report of a survey to follow up Foundation Degree reviews carried out in 2002-03 - May 2005 - HTML version | PDF version

Report of a Survey - The Provision of the Pilot Programme of Foundation Degrees in Seven Colleges of Further and Higher Education
Completed jointly by the Education and Training Inspectorate (Northern Ireland) and QAA - January - May 2003 - HTML version | PDF version

Overview report on Foundation Degree reviews - HTML version| PDF version
Findings from the reviews of Foundation Degrees in England conducted during 2003

Academic Infrastructure documents relating to the review method

• Foundation Degree qualification benchmark - HTML version | PDF version
• The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education
• Subject benchmark statements
• Programme specifications

Archive items

Foundation degree handbook 2002-03 – HTML version | PDF version
This Handbook was used for the review of Foundation Degrees in England commissioned by HEFCE for 2002-03. The overview of these reviews is contained in the Overview report on Foundation Degree reviews.

Foundation degree qualification benchmark (final draft) – HTML version | PDF version
The draft benchmark statement describes the purpose, characteristics and generic content and outcomes of the Foundation Degree qualification. It explains what a Foundation Degree is and is a reference point for those designing, validating and reviewing the qualification. It has been replaced by the Foundation Degree qualification benchmark.

Survey of Foundation degrees converted from higher nationals and enrolling in 2002-03 or 2003-04 - Data sheet (Excel)
This data sheet is only for use by those institutions whose Foundation Degrees were converted from higher nationals in 2002-03 or 2003-04 and who are contributing to the survey of those awards.

Survey of Foundation Degrees reviewed in 2002-03 - Data sheet (Excel)
This data sheet is only for use by those institutions whose Foundation Degrees were reviewed in 2002-03 and who are contributing to the follow-up survey of those awards.

Further information about Foundation Degrees

Please note QAA is not responsible for the content of external websites

DfES web site
www.foundationdegree.org.uk

Foundation degree forward
www.fdf.ac.uk