Teaching, learning and assessment

Speak to our team of experts

Teaching, learning and assessment are central to student experience, outcomes and institutional reputation. We help universities strengthen academic delivery through timetabling and teaching space management, quality assurance, academic administration, curriculum development and pedagogy. Our expertise helps institutions deliver their education strategies, optimise resources and respond effectively to regulatory and student expectations.

We help you to

Translate education strategy into effective academic delivery
Shape and diversify the curriculum to meet future student and institutional needs
Streamline academic administration and operations to improve efficiency and consistency
Strengthen quality assurance to enhance standards, compliance and continuous improvement
Optimise timetabling and teaching space to maximise capacity, utilisation and student experience
Enhance pedagogy and learning resources to improve teaching quality and student outcomes.

Get in touch

Claire Taylor

Claire Taylor

s.c.taylor@sums.ac.uk

Principal Consultant
View Claire’s profile
SUMS Consulting team

SUMS Consulting team

Meet our senior HE consultants
Meet the rest of the team

Member stories

Informing Curriculum Transformation at Bournemouth University

SUMS was asked to produce five briefing papers for Bournemouth University on a range of topics to inform its Curriculum Transformation programme: 

  • Portfolio Size and Shape 
  • Delivery Modes and Models 
  • Academic Calendar 
  • Module Credit Framework 
  • Timetabling. 

Each paper included a short review of Bournemouth’s current approach, provided a series of case studies highlighting the breadth of sector practice, evaluated how different approaches could impact on OfS’ B conditions and posed a series of provocations to stimulate internal discussions.  

Improving Teaching Quality at City St George’s

SUMS delivered two parallel projects for City St George’s in 2025/26 relating to teaching quality. One strand of work focussed on best practice in the assurance of teaching quality across the sector, whilst the second strand focused on supporting an internal programme of work to understand teaching quality through lenses such as governance, data, quality assurance and staff development. We facilitated workshops, reviewed internal practice and provided critical friend support to internal programme leaders. 

Understanding Teaching Space Utilisation in the Irish HE Sector

SUMS has been working with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in Ireland since 2023 on a sector wide project to understand how teaching space is utilised by its publicly funded teaching universities. This includes both an audit of teaching space as well as the collection of booked and actual space occupancy. In 2025/26, SUMS led an additional strand of work called the Impact Workstream. We delivered a series of education session to upskill the sector and worked with the 16 HEIs to assess their current use of space and maturity of related operations. Each HEI then had to write an Action Plan for improvement which SUMS reviewed. 

Frequently asked questions

SUMS combines deep higher education expertise with broad consulting capability, bringing perspectives from across the university rather than focusing on a single professional function. We understand how academic operations, teaching, timetabling, space, quality and strategy connect, drawing on experience across many universities to deliver practical, joined-up solutions that work in the wider institutional context.

  • Sector reach: we deliver 40–50 projects each academic year for 25–30 universities, engaging a further 20 through benchmarking and best-practice activity.
  • Expertise: two permanent team members and ten associates bring specialist knowledge and experience.
  • Insight: our sector knowledge underpins maturity models that provide practical benefits to members and clients by allowing them to benchmark their current positions and identify practical routes to improvement.

Our approach is evidence-based, strategically informed and grounded in a deep understanding of the higher education sector. We combine data, benchmarking and sector insight with a holistic view of the university, considering academic, operational, student, workforce, technology and estate implications together. Our work is student-centred and outcome-focused, connecting improvements in teaching, learning and assessment to institutional priorities and the wider student experience. We engage stakeholders across academic and professional services, as well as a range of students, ensuring that different perspectives inform our recommendations and build ownership for change. Above all, we are practical and implementation-focused, translating evidence and insight into realistic, prioritised actions that deliver sustainable improvement.

Speak to our team of experts

Our senior HE consultants bring proven solutions, sector insight and hands-on support. Whatever your challenge, we’ll help you find the right way forward, quickly and confidently. 

Speak to our experts

How can we support you?

Looking for something else?

Explore our other services  Access ready-made HE solutions