Teaching sites, partners and educational oversight

Map the actual arrangement

The licence guidance addresses teaching sites and partnerships. Educational oversight requirements vary by provider and location; OfS-related provisions should not be applied as if all UK education providers fall within one English regulatory category.

Build a single map that joins the legal entity, teaching location, awarding body, delivery partner and regulator. Where different teams hold those records, reconcile them before adding a new intake or changing delivery.

Suggested approval and review workflow

Before a new arrangement begins, identify who teaches, who enrols, who holds the student record and who can supply evidence. Agree a timetable for sharing concerns and test it with a fictional case. Include a practical plan for obtaining records if the partnership ends.

Keep regulatory correspondence and licence-related approvals next to the internal decision record. A commercial agreement should make the operational responsibilities clear, but it cannot by itself establish that immigration requirements are satisfied.

• Maintain a current location and partnership inventory.
• Identify the relevant oversight bodies and the evidence of current status.
• Route proposed location, delivery and ownership changes for compliance review.
• Record who monitors engagement and who handles the reporting decision.
• Test access to partner-held evidence and contact details.
• Review exit arrangements, outstanding students and record access before termination.

Ongoing assurance

Review what has changed since the last approval: names, addresses, courses, delivery teams, ownership or inspection outcomes. A short verified change list is often more useful than repeatedly filing the original agreement.

When the arrangement is complex, obtain specialist review before treating a site or partner as authorised. Keep the basis of that decision available for later audit.