UK Quality Mark for Yeovil College

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has confirmed the quality and standards of provision at Yeovil College (the College) following its review in May.

A team of QAA reviewers visited the College and judged that its academic standards, the quality and enhancement of its student learning opportunities, and the quality of information about its learning opportunities all meet UK expectations.

The review identified two examples of good practice, comprising:

• the relevance and currency of curriculum delivery achieved through the extensive support for professional development and updating of teaching staff

• the extensive opportunities for students’ professional development provided by employers’ widespread engagement in curriculum delivery and employability support.

The review made a number of recommendations for improvement, including:

• establish secure institutional oversight of the College’s process for the approval of new programmes

• revise the wording of the procedures for appeals and complaints in order to ensure clarity of terminology

• establish more effective editorial control of public information on the College’s website.

Yeovil College Director of Higher Education, Paul Bailey, said: ‘We are all delighted that the QAA reviewers have been so positive about all elements of the provision here at the Yeovil College University Centre, and we’re proud that we can now be recognised as the best provider of university level education in the region.

‘This recognition is great news for people in Yeovil, Somerset and beyond who always had an ambition to study for a degree but thought they would have to travel – they don’t! We offer degrees locally, and you can be sure that they are of the highest quality.’

QAA’s Higher Education Reviews are carried out by experts from other universities and colleges. Every review team includes a student reviewer, because QAA believes that students should be partners in the quality assurance of their education.

The team that reviewed Yeovil College comprised Dr Glenn Barr (independent reviewer), Tessa Counsell (Cornwall College), Dr Dave Dowland (Trinity Laban) and Bhavika Patel (student reviewer, University of Keele).

A successful review means that the College can display the QAA Quality Mark, indicating to UK and international students that it meets national requirements for standards and quality.