More than 40 colleges have been ranked for their HE provision in this year's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ratings, published today.

The TEF was introduced to encourage high-quality teaching in universities and colleges, and good outcomes for students. In the first TEF results last year, some 106 FE colleges were included, with 14 achieving gold status – the top grade. The ratings are valid for three years.

And in the latest version of TEF, 46 more colleges were recognised. Two specialist land-based institutions – Myerscough College and Sparsholt College – achieved gold status, with 24 awarded silver, 15 bronze, while four received a “provisional” rating, valid for one year.

The TEF awards are decided by an independent panel of experts comprising students and academics. Drawing on national data combined with evidence submitted by each college, the TEF measures excellence in three areas: teaching quality, the learning environment, and the educational and professional outcomes achieved by students.

As well as the colleges, more than 20 higher education institutions were included in the 2018 results of the exercise.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said he will work closely with the TEF team to ensure that the metrics and the assessment work well for colleges which "tend to have more part-time and older students who are working whilst learning."

He added: "Today’s TEF results confirm what we already knew - that colleges up and down the country are delivering high quality higher education which matches the best. These results show that students in colleges have great teaching, academic support and outcomes. This shows that their student experience is first class."

What the ratings mean

• Gold: "for delivering consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. It is of the highest quality found in the UK"
• Silver: "for delivering high quality teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. It consistently exceeds rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education"
• Bronze: "for delivering teaching, learning and outcomes for its students that meet rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education"
• Provisional: "providers that meet rigorous national quality requirements but which do not yet have sufficient data to be fully assessed may opt-in for a provisional award"

Colleges: how they fared

Abingdon and Witney College - silver

Askham Bryan College - bronze

Barnet & Southgate College - bronze

Barnfield College - bronze

Bath College - silver

Bishop Auckland College - bronze

Boston College - bronze

Bridgwater and Taunton College - silver

Bromley College of Further and Higher Education - silver

Brooklands College - silver

Burnley College - silver

Bury College - silver

Central Bedfordshire College - silver

Chichester College - silver

Derby College - silver

Dudley College - provisional

Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College - silver

East Riding College - silver

East Surrey College - bronze

East Sussex College Group - provisional

Fareham College - bronze

Grantham College - silver

Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education - silver

Guildford College of Further and Higher Education - bronze

Herefordshire and Ludlow College - silver

Holy Cross College - bronze

Leeds City College - bronze

Macclesfield College - provisional

Morley College Limited - provisional

Myerscough College - gold

New College Durham - silver

Northumberland College - silver

Peter Symonds College - silver

Petroc - silver

Preston College - bronze

Riverside College - silver

Runshaw College - silver

South & City College Birmingham - bronze

South Thames Colleges Group - bronze

Sparsholt College - gold

Stoke On Trent College –bronze

The Oldham College- provisional

The Trafford College Group - silver

Tyne Coast College - silver

West Nottinghamshire College - silver

Yeovil College - bronze