Key performance measure 6

‘We will deliver our work in collaboration with students and the institutions we regulate. We will work with student bodies, sector agencies and other partners that share responsibility for stewardship of this important sector to support a cohesive regulatory environment and foster a thriving ecosystem equipped to create opportunity and drive growth.’ (The OfS strategy 2025 to 2030)

Events and visits are two important ways we engage with institutions, students and others. They help us learn more about institutions and their students, and they help institutions to better understand the OfS. They also help to cultivate strong working relationships.

Tracking attendance at our events suggests how effectively we are engaging with the groups that are important to our work. Tracking non-regulatory visits highlights the work we are doing to deepen our understanding of the institutions and the sector we regulate.

A high or increasing number of attendees, including students and attendees from different types of institutions, and non-regulatory visits suggests we are working to build strong relationships with those who share responsibility for stewardship of the higher education sector.

The number of attendees at OfS events has gone up over time. Between October and December 2024, around 400 people attended OfS events. Between October and December 2025, that rose to approximately 1,260 people.

Among the different groups that attend our events, the largest increase has been among attendees from institutions. The number of attendees from universities has increased from 70 in late 2024 to 500 in late 2025. The number of attendees from specialist providers and further education colleges has also increased by around 150 and 180 respectively over the same period.

The increase in attendees is driven by an increase in the average attendance at our events, rather than an increase in the number of events held, which has remained broadly constant over time.

In total, we conducted 82 non-regulatory visits between October 2024 and December 2025. The period with the highest number of non-regulatory visits was between October and December 2024, when we conducted 25 visits. Fewer visits were conducted in the first three quarters of 2025, but this number increased to 20 between October and December 2025.

This KPM draws on internal OfS data on events and non-regulatory visits. It presents the number of event attendees and non-regulatory visits in each quarter of the year, backdated to October 2024, and will be updated quarterly.

KPM 6A shows the total number of attendees at events hosted by the OfS. We define an event as a structured, purposeful gathering with external attendees where the content and format are owned (or co-owned) and led by the OfS. Open-ended conversations, research groups and regular meetings are not included. The data shows attendance by institutions, students and student representatives, and others, of which most are members of sector bodies.

KPM 6B shows the total number of non-regulatory visits conducted each quarter as part of the OfS's annual programme of non-regulatory visits.

Download the data for KPM 6