Medr proposes learner-adjusted comparisons for Welsh education providers

Medr is asking how universities, colleges and other post-16 education providers in Wales should be compared, under proposals that would adjust many measures for the backgrounds of their learners. The consultation, published on Tuesday 20 October, covers quality monitoring across higher and further education, school sixth forms, apprenticeships and adult community learning. Responses are invited through the form linked from Medr’s publication page by 9 December 2026.

Comparing outcomes in context

The proposed measures include course completion, retention, learner satisfaction and destinations in employment or further study. Medr wants to publish provider dashboards with benchmarks and subject-level analysis, with more detailed breakdowns on StatsWales where data allow. A benchmark would be an adjusted average that accounts for relevant learner characteristics. The consultation explains that prior qualifications, subject, age and disadvantage can affect outcomes, making a comparison with a simple sector average misleading. Higher education comparisons would be UK-wide; those for the other parts of the sector would use Welsh providers. Being below a benchmark would not automatically trigger a penalty. Medr proposes first examining the detail and discussing context with the provider, then considering external assessments and other evidence before deciding on further action. Recruitment numbers would provide context rather than be used for quality interventions.

What is proposed, and what happens next

Medr is not proposing to change data collection at this stage. It also says it will not benchmark degree classifications, citing grade inflation and the risk of unintended consequences, although it would still examine those outcomes in discussions with universities. The main consultation document aims to publish decisions in spring 2027 and begin phasing in use of the measures from May 2027, as data become available. Some destinations measures would follow later because they track learners after study; learner-survey measures have a separate timetable. This is a proposed system, rather than a new set of published judgments on individual institutions. Medr’s FAQs say the information should help learners, parents and carers make choices alongside other factors. The illustrative dashboards accompanying the consultation use dummy data, so they cannot be read as results for a real college or university.