Chapter 2: Access to Higher Education: Monitoring and Standardisation

This chapter describes the role the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has in the monitoring and standardisation of Access to HE Diplomas (AHED) and the impact this has had on the ‘Access project’ referred to in Chapter 1. Access to HE practitioners from institutions in England with varying levels of experience teaching and monitoring Access to HE programmes have shared their reflections on the AHED (the Diploma).

Currently, the Diploma is a nationally recognised qualification, which is designed to provide a preparation for study in higher education for adults returning to education. Individual Diplomas are validated and awarded by Access Validating Agencies (AVAs), according to regulations and specifications set by the QAA. Each AHED has a title, which indicates the general subject of study or the intended progression route (e.g. Access to HE, Nursing and Midwifery or Access to HE, Art and Design).