University Ƶ shines with TEF Gold
The University Ƶ achieves the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023.
We are delighted that the University Ƶ has been awarded the highest overall rating of ‘Gold’ in the (TEF) 2023.
The University Ƶ’s ‘Gold’ rating confirms the sustained and consistent nature of our outstanding offer to students and ranks us amongst the top universities in the UK for teaching. Out of 227 Higher Education Institutions, 51 received a ‘Gold’ rating, 125 received ‘Silver’, 48 received ‘Bronze’ and 3 ‘Requiring Improvement’.
TEF Gold Explained
What is the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)?
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS) that aims to give students a clear and independent indication of quality in the areas that they care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies.
The TEF does this by assessing and rating universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for quality and standards.
Universities and colleges that take part in the TEF receive an overall rating as well as two underpinning ratings – one for the student experience and one for student outcomes.
What do the ratings mean?
The ratings reflect the extent to which a university delivers an excellent experience and outcomes for its mix of undergraduate students and across the range of its undergraduate courses and subjects.
We are delighted to announce the outcome of the University Ƶ’s TEF 2023 submission: The TEF panel has awarded us a ‘Gold’ rating overall.
‘Gold’ is the highest possible rating. This means that the University Ƶ has demonstrated the highest-quality teaching standards and that our student experience and outcomes are typically outstanding.
Additionally, the panel considered the aspect ratings to be as follows – Student Experience: ‘Gold’ (i.e. consistently outstanding) and Student Outcomes: ‘Silver’ (high quality, regularly exceeding the baseline quality expected).
How is the TEF calculated?
An independent group of academics, students and employers assess universities. This assessment is based on core metrics and a submission from each university. Students are also able to submit their views on their educational experience at their institutions.
The results of the TEF will be valid for four years until August 2027.
Summary of our TEF Gold rating
We are overjoyed to have received such fantastic feedback in the summary of student experience and outcomes that was provided to us by the Office for Students. Below is a summary of headline findings from both aspects and the respective features of excellence.
Student Experience (Gold)
Summary of outcomes: the student academic experience is typically outstanding.
Outstanding quality features include:
- Teaching, feedback and assessment, which has been embedded and tailored towards students
- Innovation, research-based teaching and employer engagement being embedded within courses
- Support for staff professional development and excellent academic practice is embedded across the provider
- A supportive learning environment, where students have access to a wide and readily available range of outstanding quality academic support tailored to their needs
- Physical and virtual learning resources are tailored and used effectively to support outstanding teaching and learning.
There are also some very high-quality features including:
- Good practice in course content and delivery, students being actively engaged and committed to learning, and learning being tailored to students
- Embedded engagement with its students, leading to continuous improvement to the experiences and outcomes of its students.
Student Outcomes (Silver)
Summary of outcomes: student outcomes are typically very high quality.
There is one very high-quality feature:
- Very high rates of successful progression for the provider’s students and courses
There are also some outstanding quality features including:
- Embedded outstanding teaching, feedback and assessment practices that are highly effective and tailored to supporting its students' learning, progression, and attainment
- Clear articulation of the range of educational gains the provider intends its students to achieve, and why these are highly relevant to their future ambitions
- Approaches to supporting students to achieve educational gains are evidence-based, highly effective and tailored to its students and their different starting points.