Dozens of colleges in England have received a Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) award this year, the Office for Students has announced.

The award measures excellence in higher education teaching. To be considered, the providers must meet demanding national quality requirements.

The institutions are given rating of gold, silver or bronze, or a provisional award if there is not enough data for a full assessment.

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TEF: Going for gold

Of the 25 further education colleges given a new grade this year, three received provisional awards, 12 received bronze, eight received silver and two – Riverside College in Cheshire and Loughborough College, Leicestershire, which were both previously rated silver – received gold.

East Sussex College Group saw its rating rise from provisional to bronze and Reaseheath College in Cheshire improved on its bronze rating in 2018 to receive silver this year.

The City of Liverpool College saw its rate fall from gold to silver, while The Trafford College Group, dropped from silver to bronze.

Students deserve 'quality teaching' 

Professor Sir Chris Husbands, chair of the TEF assessment panel and vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, said: "I never cease to be moved by the quality of work undertaken across the sector, whether in large multi-facility universities, specialist institutions or further education colleges.

“The assessment of hundreds of universities and colleges, using the expertise of the TEF panels, has laid a solid foundation for the next phase of the TEF, which will follow the independent review." 

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, highlighted the importance of teaching quality to students. 

“All students, no matter what, where or how they study, deserve high-quality teaching that helps them to achieve good outcomes in higher education and leaves them well-prepared for life after graduation," she said. "Students consistently say that teaching quality is central in determining whether they receive value for money.

“All providers registered with us must deliver well-designed courses that provide a high-quality academic experience. Since its introduction, the TEF has helped to drive improvements in the student experience and outcomes, successfully focusing universities and colleges more sharply on achieving excellence in what they offer to students."

New TEF awards for colleges

• Bishop Auckland College, North East – Bronze
• Bishop Burton College, Yorkshire and the Humber – Bronze
• The Bournemouth and Poole College, South West – Bronze
• Cambridge Regional College, East of England – Bronze
• City College Norwich, East of England – Bronze 
• East Surrey College, South East – Bronze
• East Sussex College group, South East – Bronze
• Fareham College, South East – Bronze 
• Leeds City College. Yorkshire and the Humber – Bronze
• Lincoln College, East Midlands – Silver
• Loughborough College, East Midlands – Gold
• Macclesfield College, North West – Provisional
• Morley College Limited, London – Provisional
• Nelson College London Limited, London – Silver
• New City College, London – Silver
• Reaseheath College, North West – Silver
• Riverside College, North West – Gold
• Shrewsbury Colleges Group, West Midlands – Bronze
• South Essex college of further and higher education, East of England – Bronze
• Swindon College, South West – Silver
• The City of Liverpool College, Merseyside –  Silver
• The Oldham College, North West – Silver
• The Trafford College Group, North West – Bronze
• Unified Seevic Palmer’s College, East of England – Silver
• Yeovil College, South West – Provisional