The Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL)

Currently in development.

About the HEEL

The Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) will be an online, freely accessible, searchable database of evaluations focused on access, success and progression interventions.

By enabling providers to share their evaluation plans and findings, the HEEL will support knowledge exchange, foster collaboration, and support the dissemination of evaluation evidence on what works to reduce inequalities in higher education. It will also help identify trends in evaluation approaches across the sector.

Meeting Regulatory Requirements

The HEEL will support higher education providers in meeting the Office for Students’ requirements to publish evaluations conducted as part of their Access and Participation Plans (APPs). In doing so, it will provide a transparent and practical way to support regulatory compliance while promoting sector-wide learning.

Access and Submission

The HEEL will be developed in close collaboration with the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) and will be freely available to all users – both HEAT members and non-members. Users will be able to browse and search evaluations using a range of filters. 

Providers will be able to submit evaluation plans and results through a dedicated submission portal on the HEAT system. Submissions will follow a structured process similar to current HEAT functionality, requiring users to:

• Create a HEAT login (via the HEAT support desk)
• Complete tabs covering key areas such as intervention description, evaluation details and findings

Some fields will be mandatory to ensure consistency, while others will allow for optional detail.

HEEL digests

To support further insight and learning, TASO will produce regular HEEL digests: short summaries that highlight key trends, patterns, and descriptive data from the evaluations submitted. These digests will be available through both the HEEL and TASO websites.

What’s next

In the longer term, TASO plans to use the evidence submitted to the HEEL to inform future updates to our evidence toolkits. This integration won’t happen for some time, and further details will be shared on the methodology for selecting and reviewing evidence in due course.

HEEL webinar

Watch our recent online consultation webinar where we provided an overview of the development of the HEEL.