Two colleges have received gold medals recognising their outstanding higher education provision in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework ratings.

Sparsholt College and Myerscough College both received the highest possible rating, meaning they deliver “consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes”.

They are among 46 colleges to have received recognition for the quality of their HE provision in this year’s ratings.

“Outstanding teaching, excellent support and progression to further study or employment are the cornerstones

“Outstanding teaching, excellent support and progression to further study or employment are the cornerstones of Sparsholt and these are the criteria we are proud to be judged against,” said Sparsholt principal Tim Jackson (pictured above left).

The Hampshire college offers land-based HE provision accredited by the University of Portsmouth.

The TEF award “demonstrates that the expert teaching teams, outstanding resources and facilities deliver outstanding outcomes for our students,” Mr Jackson added.

Alison Robinson (pictured above right), Myerscough’s principal, said its rating was a “testament to the quality of our talented teaching staff and the excellent programmes we offer”.

The college, in Preston, offers degrees in the land-based and sports sectors, accredited by the University of Central Lancashire.

‘’Our students graduate not only with a qualification that is highly industry relevant, but with the skills they need to forge a successful career in their chosen field,” Ms Robinson said.

David Hughes, the chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said the results “confirm what we already knew, that colleges up and down the country are delivering high-quality higher education which matches the best”.

The TEF awards were introduced by the government to measure the quality of teaching and learning at HE institutes. Fourteen FE colleges have achieved gold status last year.

Institutions can be ranked gold, silver or bronze, based on an independent panel’s assessment of official data, including retention rates, employment outcomes and student satisfaction, along with a detailed statement from the provider.

In addition to the two gold medals, 24 colleges received silver medals and 15 received bronze medals.

A further five received provisional awards, meaning they meet national quality requirements but don’t yet have enough data to be fully assessed.

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