In 2018 South Thames Colleges Group was awarded Bronze by the Government’s new Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF). The Bronze award is valid for up to three years.

The TEF panel judged that: “The higher education provider South Thames Colleges Group delivers teaching, learning and outcomes for its students that meet rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education”.

The panel also recognised that the College Group’s:

“curriculum is focused on the development of student employment and enterprise skills,

“strong student engagement with their studies with generous small group class contact time,

“a strong emphasis on the student voice through formal and informal mechanisms which has contributed to the development of a greater higher education community,

“and an institutional culture that recognises and rewards excellence in teaching through peer observation, appraisal and scrutiny of external examiner reports.”

This is a very pleasing acknowledgement of the quality of support provided to our HE learners and their own achievements. In this the second year of TEF it is only a minority of FE Colleges offering Higher Education that have received this type of quality kite mark.

TEF aims to recognise, reward and improve excellent teaching at Higher Education providers across the UK, and provides students with clear information about the teaching quality.