Bath-based Norland College has once again been awarded a ‘Gold’ rating for the standard of its teaching, in the latest government-backed rankings of teaching quality in higher education.
Norland College, which is one of the smallest and most specialist independent higher education institutions in the UK, has been providing bespoke early years higher education for 127 years.
It has once again achieved a TEF (Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework) Gold rating, the highest standard possible, in the national assessment of undergraduate teaching.
The TEF Gold rating, which aims to help students make more informed choices about where to study for their degrees, will be valid for the College for the next two years.
A key component of TEF is the National Student Survey (NSS), which gathers undergraduates’ opinions about their course, and takes into account factors including the learning environment, student experience, and opportunities for employment on graduation. Completion rates and achievement are also considered with the TEF assessment.
Dr Janet Rose, Principal at Norland College, said: “We’re extremely proud to achieve a gold TEF award at Norland College for the second year in a row.
“This award is in recognition of the hard work of our academic and student support team, who consistently strive to make sure the experience our early years students receive is the highest possible quality.”
Mandy Donaldson, Vice Principal, Head of Academic Services and Registrar at Norland College, commented: “We are particularly proud of this award as it is based on feedback from our students, along with their retention rates and achievements.
“Above all, we’re pleased to be able to offer Norland College students with the rarest of prospects for graduates – guaranteed and well paid employment opportunities with children and families.”
Norland offers a three-year full-time BA (Hons) degree in Early Years Development and Learning.
The degree is integrated with the prestigious Norland Diploma, which runs alongside the degree and for one year afterwards, enabling students to put theory into practice.
Norland students are also taught an array of value-added specialist skills, from emotion coaching to security training and skid pan driving.