Norland awarded TEF Gold for a third time

Norland has received a Gold award — the highest standard possible — in the latest national assessment of undergraduate teaching in the UK. Despite being one of the smallest degree-awarding providers in the UK, Norland is one of only 26 providers to achieve Gold in all categories in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023, putting it in the top 11% nationally. 

The 2023 award is the third consecutive TEF Gold rating for Norland in the government’s national assessment of undergraduate teaching excellence in UK higher education, published today by the Office for Students.

Norland achieved Gold across all three rating categories – an overall Gold rating as well as Gold for student experience and Gold for student outcomes. Its continued achievement of the top accolade demonstrates that Norland consistently provides all its students with the highest quality teaching, experience and outcomes to be found in the UK.

In total, 46 providers have been awarded TEF Gold, having secured a Gold rating in at least two categories. Of these, Norland is only one of three specialist higher education providers to achieve TEF Gold (outside the creative arts), making this a particularly special achievement for the 131-year-old early years centre of excellence.

Dr Janet Rose, Principal, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have received TEF Gold for a third time. We’re so proud to have national recognition that we are a high quality, higher education provider that offers a wealth of opportunities and an enriching student experience so that our graduates can go on to be the very best graduate nannies that they can be. Our focus on excellence and employability means our graduates enjoy one of the highest average graduate salaries in the UK and numerous job opportunities around the world.”

Norland’s third TEF Gold rating and continued recognition for providing the highest quality of undergraduate student experience and outcomes in the UK, coming after four years of holding degree awarding powers, is another significant step towards Norland’s ambition to become the first specialist early years university in the world.

The TEF awards are decided by a national body of experts appointed by the regulator who assess and rate higher education providers for excellence against a set of requirements for student experience and student outcomes. 228 universities and higher education providers took part in the 2023 TEF exercise and the ratings will last for four years.

The panel considers a combination of evidence provided by the institution and its students as well as national data about how many students continue and complete their studies, student satisfaction levels (measured by the National Student Survey) and graduate employment outcomes.

Vice Principal, Head of Quality and Standards and Registrar, Mandy Edmond, said: “The reason TEF Gold is so special to us is because of the way that it’s assessed. The Office for Students look at our data for the last four years. They look at how satisfied our students have been and then look at a written submission that puts the context around all that data.

“It is a holistic assessment of not only how well our students do, but how satisfied they are with the experience that we provide for them as students at Norland. Our students are highly satisfied with the experience they get at Norland and that they do really, really well while they’re at Norland, and in their future careers.”

The award continues an outstanding year for the 131-year-old early years centre of excellence. In April, Norland was named the UK’s top Small or Specialist Institution at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), its third WUSCA win and the sixth year in a row in the top two. In 2021, Whatuni named Norland the best university in the UK for enhanced graduate outcomes, beating many much larger universities to the top spot for the special award. It also holds the current Independent Higher Education Award for the most Inspiring Course and a Heist Award for the Best Prospective Student Journey/Experience.

To find out more about TEF and the Norland award, visit norland.ac.uk/tef-gold