University of Northampton given Gold rating for teaching excellence
New Social Enterprise Gold Mark holder The University of Northampton has recently achieved a second Gold – it was given the Gold Award in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework – the highest rating possible, which places it among the elite of the UK’s higher education institutions.
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) has been introduced as the only official table which recognises high-quality teaching that better meets the needs of employers, business, industry and the professions, in addition to guiding students on the best places to study.
The official judgement by the Government’s review states: “Based on the evidence available, the TEF Panel judged that the University of Northampton delivers consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. It is of the highest quality found in the UK.”
The Government looked at official data and details of what the University provides to its students, and found the following to be “outstanding”:
- Levels of employment or further study for our graduates;
- Assessment and feedback;
- A personalised student experience;
- Academic support;
- Our approach to involving students in research, scholarship and professional practice – particularly research in the community and sector-leading work focused on social enterprise.
University of Northampton Vice Chancellor Professor Nick Petford, pictured, said:
“This rating by the Government is confirmation that the University of Northampton is one of the finest teaching institutions in the UK, offering our students an experience that many promise but few can deliver. Our staff and the students who have studied with us – both in the UK and overseas – can take pride today in this outstanding achievement. We may be one of the youngest universities in the UK – but are officially one of the best.”
“It is particularly pleasing to be recognised as a sector leader in social enterprise, something we have been building on strategically since 2010. Our promise now is to build on this recognition of teaching excellence and continue to deliver our mission to transform lives and inspire change.”
The Government asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to implement the 2017 TEF exercise. Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said: “Students invest significant amounts of time and money in their higher education. They rightly expect a high-quality learning experience and outcomes that reflect their potential. The UK already has a high bar for quality and standards, which all universities and colleges must meet. But the TEF judges excellence above and beyond this, clearly showing the highest levels across the sector.”
“The TEF measures the things that students themselves say they care about: high-quality, engaged teaching and a supportive, stimulating learning environment which equips them with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their potential, and then to progress to a good job or further study.”
The TEF results and the evidence used in the assessment can be found at www.hefce.ac.uk. The TEF awards will also be published on Unistats and the UCAS website, alongside other information, to help inform prospective students’ choices.
You can find out more about The University of Northampton’s Gold Award on its dedicated webpage.
