The TEF is the system through which universities’ teaching quality is assessed and rated.

Loughborough – along with five other top ten UK universities – was awarded Gold, which ‘recognises institutions that deliver consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students and is of the highest quality found in the UK’.

Almost 300 universities, colleges and alternative providers of higher education took part in the TEF – led by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) – receiving a Gold, Silver or Bronze award at the end of the assessment (or a provisional award for those who do not yet have sufficient data to be fully assessed).

Universities were assessed by an independent TEF panel of academics, students, education experts and employers on their performance across three broad areas: Teaching Quality, Learning Environment, and Student Outcomes. 

Loughborough scored highly on its retention and progression of students to highly skilled employment or further study. Student satisfaction with teaching, assessment and feedback, and academic support were also notably above the sector benchmark.

The TEF Gold award winners in the Complete University Guide 2018 top ten are: Loughborough, Cambridge, Oxford, St Andrews, Imperial College London and Lancaster.

Speaking about Loughborough’s ‘Gold’ award, the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Robert Allison, said: “It is great to see Loughborough is one of the ‘Golden Six’ elite UK universities, recognised through this award as having the highest teaching quality in the country.

“To discover that we not only met, but significantly exceeded the demanding standards set out by the TEF – scoring notably above the rest of the sector – makes the ‘Gold’ award even more significant.”

Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said: “Students invest significant amounts of time and money in their higher education. They rightly expect a high-quality learning experience and outcomes that reflect their potential.

“The UK already has a high bar for quality and standards, which all universities and colleges must meet. But the TEF judges excellence above and beyond this, clearly showing the highest levels across the sector.

“The TEF measures the things that students themselves say they care about: high-quality, engaged teaching and a supportive, stimulating learning environment which equips them with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their potential, and then to progress to a good job or further study.”

In total 39 UK universities were given a Gold TEF award. Loughborough’s full TEF submission is available to read on the University website. For more information on the TEF visit www.hefce.ac.uk.