Teaching excellence of Study Group’s university partners recognised by Office for Students
Gold ratings are awarded to six of Study Group’s English university partners by the Office for Students in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Three partners are conferred gold for each of the assessed categories: “overall”, and the two underpinning ratings, “student experience” and “student outcomes”.
Delivered by the Office for Students, TEF is an English scheme “that aims to encourage higher education providers to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that students care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies.”
With resultant gold, silver and bronze classifications, students can assess universities with confidence in the quality of their chosen higher education and expected outcomes. Separately from the TEF, it is important to note that UK universities reach rigorous independently assessed teaching standards.
Triple gold universities
As international education specialists, Study Group provides strategic partnership to more than 50 universities around the globe. In England we deliver a range of support for universities, including recruitment, teaching and support for international students in preparation for their degree studies at our partner institutions.
Our partners Teesside University, Kingston University, London and University of Huddersfield are among only 26 universities and colleges participating to be rated gold across all three categories.
Teesside University boasts impressive, modern facilities, being the first Adobe Creative Campus in Europe. The University’s Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Paul Croney OBE, says: “The results and feedback from the Teaching Excellence Framework are outstanding and are evidence of our commitment to place students at the heart of everything we do.
“To achieve gold across three categories is a superb result and demonstrates to our students that they will receive everything they need to excel and flourish during their time at Teesside University.”
Offering international students career-focused courses in the world’s most student-friendly city, Kingston University is the only provider in the country to rise from Bronze to Gold, highlighting the dedication of staff and leadership to drive improvements across the University for their students.
Kingston University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Spier comments: “…the accolade signifies our enduring commitment to ensuring students receive the very best education and campus experience during the course of their degree studies, emerging ready to embark on successful careers as graduates sought after for their skills, knowledge and innovation."
University of Huddersfield, which like Teesside University is located in the north of England, has a vibrant global community on campus and is a top 20 UK university for work placements (HESA Student Record 2020/21). “We’re a gold university, and I’m absolutely delighted” declares University of Huddersfield’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan in a celebratory video that explains the achievement for students.
Gold standard universities
Our partners Durham University and Liverpool John Moores University both receive gold for their student outcomes. This award, which alongside the student experience rating underpins the overall rating, indicates that students are supported to successful degree outcomes by the university. A successful degree outcome is a student continuing their studies, completing their programme, or going on to further study, professional work within 15 months of graduating.
Coventry University, a Study Group Digital Learning partner, receives gold awards for both overall and student experience.
TEF is just one of many metrics that students can use to inform their choice of university. Released in September are a set of domestic and international rankings:
- The Guardian, and the Daily Mail UK rankings 2024
- The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
- The US News & World college rankings 2024
- The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024
Discussing the TEF ratings, Dr Ismail Musa, Global Director of Curriculum at Study Group, says: “We are thrilled to see our university partners recognised for their commitment to student outcomes, experience and teaching. To see three of our modern university partners achieving the prestigious – and rare - triple TEF gold highlights that wherever international students choose to study in England, the vocational, career-focused degrees available at modern universities offer international and domestic students every opportunity of success.
“Our partnerships with universities to build, develop and fine-tune curriculums at the international study centres we deliver thrive through collaboration with the expertise, drive and passion of our partners’ faculty teams. Congratulations to all our sector colleagues on their TEF achievements.”
Teaching Excellence Framework awards for English Study Group and Study Group Digital Learning partners
| University | Overall Rating | Student Experience Rating | Student Outcomes Rating |
| Kingston University, London | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| Teesside University | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| University of Huddersfield | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| Durham University | Silver | Silver | Gold |
| Liverpool John Moores University | Silver | Silver | Gold |
| Royal Holloway University of London | Silver | Silver | Silver |
| University of Leeds | Silver | Bronze | Silver |
| Leeds Beckett University | Bronze | Silver | Bronze |
| Coventry University | Gold | Gold | Silver |
*Some ratings are still pending, including for Study Group partners: the University of Sheffield, the University of Surrey and the University of Sussex.