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