For learners
Medr has been created to put the learner at the heart of everything we do.
Whether you’re a learner or students in further or higher education, a sixth form pupil or an apprentice, our goal is to equip learners to move into, through, and beyond tertiary education so that you can succeed in work and life.
Involving learners
We aim to help tertiary education providers to deliver the best possible experience for learners.
Learner Engagement Code
Medr will be developing a Learner Engagement Code, intended to ensure that learners’ interests are represented, that they have the opportunity to give their views to providers about the education and training they receive, and that they are able to participate in decision-making.
Registered providers, and those funded by Medr, will be required to comply with the Learner Engagement Code, as well as local authority maintained school sixth forms.
The Learner Engagement playlist on Hwb sets out an initial draft vision and principles for the Learner Engagement Code, produced with learners, and explains the background to how they were developed. This will form the basis for the development of the Code.
Student / Learner Partnership
Student Partnership in Welsh Higher Education and Further Education Institutions highlighted a number of areas of good practice, such as integrating student partnership into strategic decision-making and embedding more nuanced approaches into gathering students’ views.
The student/learner voice informs the work of governing bodies across all institutions providing higher and further education and helps to ensure that the decisions made by governing bodies take account of the needs of the diverse body of students.
Student governors make a special contribution to universities and colleges every year, and bring a highly valuable context and perspective to their institutions and to the way they are run. The Guide for student governors in Wales, created by Advance HE, is aimed at student governors to aid them in their role.
The strategic priorities for Medr, as set out by the Welsh Government, include putting the learner at the heart of the system, through focusing on the experience of learners and their wellbeing in tertiary education. Medr will take this forward in its strategic plan, which will include its work on a quality framework for tertiary education and training, and the learner engagement code.
Student engagement is a key part of external quality reviews for higher education providers, and included as part of inspections by Estyn for all other tertiary sectors.
Protecting learners
Learner Protection Plans
Tertiary education providers will be expected to prepare a Learner Protection Plan, setting out how they will protect learners’ interests in the event of course disruption or closure, and how they will facilitate learner transfers to other courses.
Complaints
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator is the body responsible for reviewing student complaints about higher education providers in Wales and in England.
Learners can also complain to Medr about systematic problems about quality and standards within their provider, normally after having completed their own provider’s complaints procedures.
Information for higher education students
Student Charters
Higher education institutions work with the student body to prepare Student Charters (HEFCW circular W22/20HE), which set out the mutual expectations, rights and responsibilities of institutions and their students, with appropriate links to further information, designed to support the student’s learning experience. The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) published guidance on how higher education providers should develop student charters and these expectations are included in the Quality Assessment Framework for Wales.
Funding effective students’ unions
HEFCW published guidance (HEFCW circular W14/06HE) on good practice in funding of effective, democratic students’ unions, and student representation for consultation.
National Student Survey
Prospective students have access to public information, which includes the outcomes of the National Student Survey (NSS), the Discover Uni website and Key Information Sets (KIS). Information that should be provided to students and prospective students is set out by the Competition and Markets Authority.
The National Student Survey (NSS) gathers feedback on undergraduate student satisfaction with their course. NSS data is available on the Office for Students website. More detailed NSS results are available to institutions and students’ unions for internal purposes. Medr plans to do work on capturing the views of learners in other parts of tertiary education.
Postgraduate students
Research has been published that identifies particular information needs for postgraduate taught students, including recommendations for higher education institutions to improve information for a diverse audience of prospective postgraduate students.
In 2022, HEFCW published a report by Advance HE, commissioned by HEFCW, on reviewing policy and practice in relation to supporting postgraduate students who teach.
In 2023, HEFCW published a report by Arad Research, undertaken on HEFCW’s behalf, on the wider experience of postgraduate research students.
More information for learners
You can find information about a range of learning opportunities through:
Careers Wales: sixth form, apprenticeship, and college opportunities in Wales.
Working Wales: free and impartial careers advice and guidance for people aged 16 or above.
Study in Wales: higher and further education in Wales.
Discover Uni: comparing information and data on undergraduate higher education courses across the UK.
Prospects: postgraduate study opportunities across the UK.
Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol: opportunities to study through the medium of Welsh.
Taith: international exchange opportunities for learners in Wales.
UK Council for International Student Affairs: information and advice for international students.
Student Finance Wales: funding for further education learners, undergraduates, and postgraduates.
Educators Wales: teacher training qualifications.
The Welsh Government website for incentives to train to teach in further education and in schools.
Find out more about Medr’s work
You can subscribe to updates to be the first to know about our publications, news and job opportunities.
Subscribe