Pre-Qualification – illuminare Education

illuminare Education

SLT Development pre-qualification

Complete session details to begin. All data stays in-browser only - nothing is transmitted.

Client organisation

Prepared by (illuminare adviser)

Session date

Confidentiality

illuminare Education

Client: —

Adviser: —

Date: —

—

Section 1 of 9

Organisation details

Capture key contact and institution information at the start of the session.

Organisation name

Organisation type

FE College Alternative provider Independent HE provider Other

Organisation website URL

Primary contact role

Principal / CEO Senior academic leader Deputy / Vice Principal Professional services lead Chair / Board member Other

Name

Position

Email address

Phone number

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Section 2 of 9

Strategic intent & regulatory context

Understand what is driving the enquiry and the outcome the client is seeking.

What is driving your enquiry at this time?

What outcome are you seeking in the next 12-24 months?

Select all that apply.

OfS registration Regulatory stabilisation / assurance HE validation or franchise partnership Board confidence / governance assurance Expansion of existing HE provision Other

Have you previously engaged with OfS, QAA, or a validating partner?

Yes - positive outcome Yes - unsuccessful or challenging Yes - mixed or unclear outcome No prior engagement

If yes, briefly describe the outcome

Do you have a target timeline for any OfS application or partnership decision?

Within 6 months 6-12 months 12-24 months No fixed timeline yet

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Section 3 of 9

Governance & leadership oversight

Explore how HE provision is currently structured, overseen, and assured at board level.

How is responsibility for HE provision currently structured at board level?

Dedicated HE oversight Shared oversight with FE provision Informal / evolving Not clearly defined

How would you describe your board's experience of HE regulation and OfS?

Extensive Some experience Limited experience No experience

Please briefly describe the board's experience

How does the board currently assure itself of regulatory compliance and risk?

Formal reporting and assurance processes Periodic review Reliance on senior management Not yet established

Have governance arrangements been reviewed specifically through an HE regulatory lens?

Yes - within the last 12 months Yes - over 12 months ago No Unsure

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Section 4 of 9

Regulatory readiness & understanding

Gauge the client's current understanding of OfS expectations and any gap analysis completed to date.

How confident are you in your understanding of how OfS evaluates risk and readiness?

Very confident Moderately confident Limited confidence Not confident

Which OfS initial conditions do you believe present the greatest challenge?

Select all that apply.

Governance and management Quality and standards Financial sustainability Student protection Consumer compliance Unsure

Have you undertaken any formal OfS readiness or gap analysis?

Yes - internally Yes - externally No Unsure

If yes, what were the main findings?

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Section 5 of 9

Evidence & institutional control

Understand the current state of the institution's evidence base and who holds accountability for it.

How would you describe the current state of supporting regulatory evidence?

Well-organised and mapped Exists but not collated Available but fragmented Largely undocumented

Are governance, quality, and financial narratives aligned and consistent?

Yes Partially No Not yet assessed

Who would lead the assembly and validation of evidence for an OfS submission?

Named individual Dedicated team Shared responsibility Not yet identified

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Section 6 of 9

Financial sustainability & risk

Assess the institution's confidence in its financial position under regulatory scrutiny.

How confident are you in your financial sustainability narrative under regulatory scrutiny?

Very confident Moderately confident Limited confidence Not confident

Have financial projections been stress-tested in a regulatory context?

Yes No Unsure

How is financial risk related to HE provision overseen at board level?

Dedicated committee Board-level oversight Senior management only Not clearly defined

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Section 7 of 9

Student protection & compliance

Explore how the institution assures compliance with its consumer protection obligations.

How does the institution currently assure compliance with consumer protection obligations?

Regular internal audit Periodic review Ad hoc checks Not formally reviewed

Have student complaints or appeals triggered regulatory concern or escalation?

Yes No Unsure

If yes, briefly describe

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Section 8 of 9

Engagement capacity & next steps

Understand the client's internal capacity and agree a preferred next step.

What level of internal capacity do you have to engage with a structured readiness programme?

High - senior leadership available, data accessible Moderate Limited Very limited

Preferred next step

Select all that apply.

Initial diagnostic discussion Formal readiness assessment Governance or training support Curated OfS application support Unsure - seeking advice

Additional notes

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Section 9 of 9

Extended qualitative diagnostic

Use selectively in dialogue - not all questions need to be asked in every session. Record key responses and observations as the conversation develops.

Theme A

Institutional self-assessment and regulatory mindset

1.How would you describe your institution's current regulatory posture?

2.What do you believe OfS would identify as your institution's greatest regulatory strength today?

3.Where do you believe OfS would be most likely to probe or challenge if scrutiny increased?

Theme B

Governance reality vs governance description

4.How would you describe the quality of challenge and debate at board level in relation to HE provision?

5.Can you describe a recent example where the board materially influenced a decision relating to HE risk, quality, or sustainability?

6.In your view, where does responsibility for regulatory risk truly sit in practice?

Theme C

Evidence, control, and operational maturity

7.If asked to demonstrate institutional control to a regulator, what evidence would you be most confident presenting?

8.Where do you feel the gap is greatest between policy intent and operational reality?

9.How confident are you that senior leaders have a shared understanding of regulatory risk? (Please explain your answer.)

Theme D

Financial sustainability and realism

10.How would you explain your institution's financial sustainability to a regulator who is sceptical by default?

11.What assumptions underpin your current financial model that you feel most exposed or least certain about?

Theme E

Student protection, complaints, and culture

12.What do student complaints tell you about your institution at the moment?

13.How confident are you that students experience what your published information promises? (Please explain.)

Theme F

Change, growth, and future risk

14.What changes (planned or likely) do you expect to place the greatest pressure on governance or regulatory assurance in the next two years?

15.Where do you think your institution may have outgrown its current governance or oversight arrangements?

Theme G

Expectations of external support

16.What prompted you to seek external support rather than rely solely on internal capability?

17.What would "successful support" look like from your perspective?

18.What level of challenge are you genuinely prepared to accept from an external partner?

19.What concerns do you have about engaging with a consultancy in this space?

20.Is there anything about your institution's context that you believe external advisers often misunderstand?

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Pre-qualification summary

illuminare Education — SLT Development

Client—

Adviser—

Date—

Confidentiality—