Leeds College of Building Achieves Silver Rating for Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)

Leeds College of Building received an overall ‘Silver’ rating from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)  – the national scheme for excellence run by the Office for Students (OfS).

The TEF encourages higher education providers to improve and deliver exceptional teaching, learning, and student outcomes by assessing and rating universities and colleges. Providers receive an overall rating as well as two underpinning ratings for student experience and student outcomes. 

Leeds College of Building achieved an overall Silver rating, with Silver also awarded for student experience and student outcomes.

The ratings reflect degrees of excellence above the OfS’s high-quality minimum requirements. Silver represents that “the student experience and outcomes are typically very high quality, and there may be some outstanding features.”

The assessments evidence the extent to which a provider delivers an excellent experience and outcomes for its mix of undergraduate students and across the range of its undergraduate courses and subjects.

Chris Tunningley, Leeds College of Building Assistant Principal for Adults & Higher Education, said:

“We’re thrilled to receive the second highest possible rating for our higher education provision from the TEF. These ratings showcase the excellent quality of our courses, which will positively inform students when they choose what and where to study.

“The rating is especially rewarding given our relatively new University Centre (UC) status, achieved due to our rapidly expanding higher education numbers. With over 90 students currently studying degree apprenticeship programmes with us, we look forward to even more graduation ceremonies next year.

“Our higher education students are fantastic ambassadors for graduate careers in the construction industry. Alongside vital craft and trade skills, the sector desperately needs higher-level professionals to help innovate across specialisms, from advanced construction techniques to sustainability.”

Over the last five years, higher-level courses have grown to represent a significant proportion of the Leeds College of Building provision.  Approximately 80% of delivery in the new University Centre now covers Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeships, Higher, and Degree Apprenticeships in subjects such as Building Services Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, and Construction Architectural Technology. 

The TEF Silver rating comes only months after the Leeds College of Building University Centre achieved Highly Commended at the West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards 2023 for Training Provider of the Year.

Leeds College of Building celebrated another significant milestone this year after launching a Construction Quantity Surveyor Degree Apprenticeship with applicants from BAM and JN Bentley Ltd. Created with franchise partner the London South Bank University and with full accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Building, the programme is the first degree apprenticeship starting at Level 5 offered at the College’s University Centre.

Find out more about exceptional higher education courses at the next Leeds College of Building Open Event on 19 October (5 – 7 pm, North Street Campus) or visit: 
www.lcb.ac.uk/find-a-course/higher-education-courses.