Learner support

It provides our view on the mechanisms education providers have in place to support learners from an academic and pastoral perspective.

This information should be considered by education providers when developing new and existing programmes linked to this area. 

Our threshold requirements

Summary reflections 

We found that policies and processes are in place to ensure learners are provided with appropriate and effective support, whether they are in the academic environment or practice-based learning settings. Education providers offer multiple learner support mechanisms, which normally include the following: 

• centralised information, resources and communication; 

• personal academic and pastoral support, including support to progress within programmes; 

• wellbeing and mental health support; 

• disability, inclusion and reasonable adjustments; 

• academic skills and learning support; 

• practical support within practice-based learning; 

• careers and employability support; 

• learner voice and engagement; and 

• complaints, appeals, whistleblowing and safeguarding. 

The support mechanisms and areas outlined above are supported by policies and frameworks to ensure they are applied effectively and consistently.  Support is available both in physical ways, and online resources through virtual learning environments or the education provider’s website. 

Education provider approaches

Education providers were generally multifaceted in their support for learners, which often included the following: 

• Centralised information, resources and communication – learners access information through online portals, virtual learning environments, handbooks, induction materials and learner hubs, which act as central points for guidance and signposting. Library services provide access to learning resources, academic materials and study skills support which are often tailored to professional programmes. 

• Personal academic and pastoral support, including support to progress within programmes – learners are allocated named academic staff who provide ongoing academic guidance, pastoral support, progress monitoring and referral to specialist services. Programme leadership oversees and coordinates support to ensure continuity and early intervention where issues arise. 

• Wellbeing and mental health support – institution‑wide wellbeing services provide support such as counselling, mental health support, welfare advice, and access to 24/7 digital wellbeing platforms. Structured processes and learner engagement frameworks help learners remain on their programme during periods of personal or medical difficulty. 

• Disability, inclusion and reasonable adjustments – dedicated disability and inclusion services support learners with additional needs through reasonable adjustments, personalised support plans and collaboration with academic teams. These arrangements are embedded within inclusive learning policies and monitored to ensure their effectiveness across academic and practice settings. 

• Academic skills and learning support – learners are supported through areas such as academic skills teams, library services, and targeted workshops offering guidance on writing, assessments, research and academic integrity. Clear assessment regulations ensure learners are treated fairly and consistently. 

• Practical support within practice-based learning – learners are often supported through dedicated placement teams, their named practice educator, and structured review processes. Clear safeguarding, escalation and fitness to practise arrangements support learners’ professional development and wellbeing in practice environments. 

• Careers and employability support – guidance is provided to learners on career planning, job applications, further study and professional development. For apprenticeship programmes, there is consideration of progression and transition beyond the programme. 

• Learner voice and engagement – learners are actively involved in shaping programmes through mechanisms such as feedback processes, programme committees and learner representation. Education providers also use results from external feedback mechanisms, such as the National Student Survey and the National Education and Training Survey in England, to enhance support mechanisms by considering the views of learners. 

• Complaints, appeals, whistleblowing and safeguarding – robust institutional processes allow learners to raise concerns, complaints or appeals informally or formally. Clear policies cover academic delivery, practice-based learning and apprenticeship contexts, including joint processes with employers where required. 

Current sector focus and challenges 

There has been a sustained increase in disability declarations within higher education since the 2014-15 academic year, with mental health conditions showing the steepest growth. This means that education providers are required to assess, and where necessary, provide reasonable adjustments for education and training at an increasing rate. 

For degree apprenticeship programmes, in the 2024-25 academic year we clarified our expectations and embedded these expectations within the approval process for our stakeholders. This was to ensure named employers were in place at the point of programme approval. As part of this, we needed to understand which (and whose) learner support policies and processes were applied across the duration of the programme, and what happens if they differed. 

For these programmes, learners are also employees, so both education provider and employer policies may apply at the same time. As the education provider retains overall responsibility for the programme, they must monitor and evaluate the role of the employer as part of delivering ongoing quality and effectiveness. This includes the provision of learner support to ensure a safe and supportive environment for learners.