(1)The OfS may assess, or make arrangements for the assessment of, the quality of, and the standards applied to, higher education provided by English higher education providers.
(2)But the OfS must assess, or make arrangements for the assessment of, the quality of, and the standards applied to, higher education provided by—
(a)institutions who have applied to be registered in the register for the purposes of determining whether they satisfy any initial registration condition applicable to them relating to the quality of, or the standards applied to, higher education provided by them (see section 13(1)(a)), and
(b)registered higher education providers for the purposes of determining whether they satisfy any ongoing registration condition of theirs relating to the quality of, or the standards applied to, higher education provided by them (see section 13(1)(a)).
(3)Where there are one or more sector-recognised standards, an assessment under this section of the standards applied—
(a)must relate only to the standards applied in respect of matters for which there are sector-recognised standards, and
(b)must assess those standards against sector-recognised standards only.