Words by Puddles the Monkey
A model by Time Higher Education of what the new Teaching Excellence Framework could look like reveals the best teaching universities in the UK.
THE has created the first data analysis of teaching excellence based on the government’s planned TEF methodology. In order to be accurate about universities’ performance, their analysts have used benchmark measures to take in to account things like entry qualifications, subject mix and ethnicity. These are intended to reduce the effects of selectivity and reveal a more truthful idea of the value added to students during their time at university.
The results could turn current league tables on their head.
A surprising result
| Relative TEF rank | Absolute TEF rank | University name | Absolute overall score | Relative overall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Loughborough University | 92.8 | 100.0 |
| 2 | 13 | Aston University | 84.8 | 97.9 |
| 3 | 45 | De Montfort University | 64.1 | 93.9 |
| 4 | 15 | Swansea University | 83.6 | 93.7 |
| 5 | =22 | University of Kent | 77.5 | 91.8 |
| 6 | 34 | Coventry University | 70.2 | 91.4 |
| 7 | =10 | Keele University | 87.3 | 89.3 |
| 8 | 12 | University of Surrey | 86.4 | 86.3 |
| 9 | =2 | University of Bath | 93.3 | 84.7 |
| 10 | 7 | Lancaster University | 88.9 | 84.1 |
The full list and analysis can be found here on the Times Higher Education website.
The whole table is divided in to three broad categories – the top 20 to 30 percent will be labelled as “outstanding”, the middle 50 to 60 percent will be “excellent” and the bottom 20 percent will be classified as “meeting expectations”.
Unlike the THE World Rankings which places Oxbridge and Russell Group universities highly, the model TEF framework has surprising results. The University of Oxford comes in 28th place, while Cambridge comes in 12th. Imperial College London which ranks 3rd now appears in 37th place. Although no Russell Group university appears in the “meets expectations” category, only one in five of the top “outstanding” universities belong to a Russell Group member and none appears in the top 10.
“Our analysis shows how challenging it could be for universities that have built their reputations on research strength alone,” Says John Gill, editor of the Times Higher Education.
The Midlands shine
Instead of the Oxbridge/London “Golden Triangle“, it’s the midlands that really shine in the new analysis. The top three universities are Loughborough, Aston and De Montfort, with Coventry in 6th place and Keele in 7th – meaning that the midlands dominates the top 10. The north of England also does well, with Lancaster coming in 10th place Durham in 16th and Leeds in 25th.
De Montfort, Sussex and Cambridge come top for benchmarked graduate destinations, while Aston, Chichester and Bishop Grossesteste have the best rates for course completion (meaning their students are the least likely to drop out). Meanwhile Keele, Winchester and Loughborough score highest for student satisfaction.
“The government’s intention with the TEF is to highlight and reward the universities that deliver for students, and to tackle those that focus on research at the expense of teaching,” says Gill.
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