QUALITY ASSURANCE
The Office for Students (OfS)
The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. It works to ensure that students from all backgrounds have a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.
We are registered with the OfS, which means we meet its requirements relating to course quality, academic standards, student support, student protection, and more.
Quality and Standards
In February 2025, the Office for Students (OfS) completed an assessment of Laine Theatre Arts’ compliance with initial conditions B7 (quality) and B8 (standards). It concluded that the College has credible plans to deliver higher education that meets quality expectations and aligns with sector-recognised standards. You can read the full report here:
Student Protection
As a registered provider with the Office for Students, we have a Student Protection Plan in place. This plan sets out the steps we would take to protect students’ interests in the unlikely event that a course, campus, or institution change becomes necessary – for example, if a course were to close or change significantly. The plan outlines the measures we would implement to ensure students can continue their studies with as little disruption as possible. You can view or download our full Student Protection Plan here: Add link to Student Protection Plan
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
The OfS delegates responsibility for collecting and managing data on the higher education sector to HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), which acts as the designated data body in England. HESA plays a vital role in supporting the OfS’ regulatory functions by gathering, processing, and publishing comprehensive data on higher education providers.
Higher education providers are required to issue HESA’s Student Collection Notice to students at the start of their studies. This notice explains what personal data is being collected, how it will be used, who it may be shared with, and outlines students’ rights under data protection law
You can view the latest version of the HESA Student Collection Notice here:
www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/notices
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED)
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted
Laine Theatre Arts’ Level 6 Diploma provision is inspected and regulated by Ofsted under the Further Education and Skills framework, which covers post-16 vocational education and training providers in England.
Ofsted evaluates the quality of teaching, leadership, apprenticeships, and learner outcomes in further education using a four-point scale from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘Inadequate.’ As students on the Level 6 Diploma Course at Laine Theatre Arts receive Dance and Drama Awards (DaDAs) funded by the Department for Education. This provision is inspected by Ofsted to ensure high standards in vocational training and learner progression.
Laine Theatre Arts was last inspected by Ofsted in 2023. You can read the full report here: reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/38/50012
The University of Portsmouth (UoP)
BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (3-year) | BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (L6 Top Up)
Laine Theatre Arts has enjoyed a close collaborative partnership with the University of Portsmouth since 2019, benefitting from the University’s reputation for excellence in the field of Musical Theatre Research.
Building on its longstanding reputation for excellence in vocational performing arts training, Laine Theatre Arts designs and delivers two full-time BA (Hons) degree courses in Musical Theatre:
- BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (3-year): a three-year undergraduate course
- BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (L6 Top Up): a one-year top-up course which allows students to convert vocational qualifications gained at level 5 (such as the first two years of the Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre validated by Trinity College, London), into a formal degree qualification.
This is facilitated through a formal validation partnership with the University of Portsmouth, which ensures the maintenance of rigorous academic standards and robust quality assurance processes and secures national recognition for the qualifications awarded.
Our courses are part of the School of Film, Media and Creative Technologies at the University of Portsmouth. We work alongside a dedicated academic team from Theatre (Drama and Performance) department, and benefit from the support and guidance of specialist link tutor Ben McPherson: composer, lyricist, reader in Vocal Theatres and author of Singing Utopia: Voice in Musical Theatre (Oxford University Press, 2024).
Laine Theatre Arts and the University of Portsmouth have a shared commitment to ensuring that each student has an outstanding experience of higher education. The partnership is grounded in mutual respect, a continuous exchange of best practices, and a recognition of each institution’s unique strengths – collaborating where alignment adds value, while honouring distinct approaches where appropriate.
Trinity College London (TCL)
www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/PPAD
Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre
The Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre is a three-year fulltime qualification, awarded and regulated by Trinity College London. This qualification is aligned with Level 6 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework, equivalent to a UK’s bachelor’s degree. It offers formal recognition of the performance skills and professional knowledge developed during vocational training in the performing arts and is designed to ensure students graduate with the skills necessary to gain employment in the professional performing arts.
The Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre has been carefully developed with guidance from experienced professionals within the theatre industry to ensure the qualification prepares students for employment in the sector in a way that is both rigorous and relevant. Students will:
- Acquire advanced technical and performance skills in musical theatre
- Deliver professional, creative, and consistent work, supported by critical reflection and industry awareness
- Develop key employability skills—such as professionalism, self-promotion, and business knowledge
The Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre is approved for Dance and Drama Award (DaDA) funding – a UK government-funded grant-based scholarship scheme designed to provide support to students based on talent and financial need. You can read more about DaDA Funding here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/dance-and-drama-awards-guide
The Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT)
The CDMT is the UK’s leading quality assurance and membership body for fulltime professional training in dance, drama, and musical theatre. Founded in 1979, the CDMT serves as the national benchmark for quality in performing arts education and is the primary point of reference for anyone seeking information on education, training, and assessment in the performing arts in the UK.
It functions as the central resource and advocate for institutions, students, employers, and policymakers, by:
- Accrediting professional training providers in dance, drama, and musical theatre to ensure high standards of education and student support.
- Validating awarding organisations that offer recognised qualifications in the performing arts.
- Administering the Recognised Awards Scheme for pre-vocational and recreational performing arts schools.
- Providing Quality Assurance for full-time vocational training courses.
- Providing guidance to prospective students and parents about reputable schools and qualifications.
- Advocating for the performing arts education sector, working with government bodies, industry, and education providers.
- Promoting best practice in training, assessment, and student welfare across the sector.
- Publishing a directory of CDMT-accredited schools and validated awarding bodies- cdmt.org.uk/book/cdmt-guide-2025/
- Supporting the professional development of teachers and training institutions.
Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) runs a free, independent and impart
You normally need to have completed the process outlined in the Student Complaint Policy before you complain to the OIA. Laine Theatre Arts will send you a letter called a “Completion of Procedures Letter” (COP letter) when you have reached the end of the relevant internal processes and there are no further steps you can take internally. You will have 12 months to complain to the OIA, normally from the date the COP Letter was issued. This is a strict deadline and it’s worth remembering that the longer you wait to complain to the OIA, the more difficult it can become to put things right.
You can find more information about making a complaint to the OIA, what it can and can’t look at and what it can do to put things right here: www.oiahe.org.
Get in touch with the OIA:
- Call: 0118 959 9813
- Email: enquiries@oiahe.org.uk
- Website: www.oiahe.org.uk
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