Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) is the top art school in the UK as it has been awarded Gold by the Teaching Excellence Framework in recognition of its outstanding quality of teaching at its university-level campus in Hartlepool.

The northern art school joins the University of Newcastle as the only full-time HE providers in the north east achieving gold, putting them in the top 20 percent in the UK.

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) was introduced by the Government to recognise and reward high quality teaching in higher education (HE) and to encourage a stronger focus on the quality of teaching in HE, giving students the best possible information about where quality teaching is highest and where students have achieved the greatest results.

CCAD was awarded Gold for consistently delivering outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students and the specialist art and design college is now one of the highest quality HE education institutions found in the UK.

Universities, colleges and alternative providers of higher education voluntarily took part in the TEF and were rated Gold, Silver or Bronze. Valid for three years, the awards are based on detailed evidence and national data submitted by HE providers, with the TEF measuring excellence in three areas: teaching quality, the learning environment and the educational and professional outcomes achieved by students.

The TEF awards, which were decided by an independent panel of experts including academics, students and employer representatives, found that at CCAD, ‘a very high proportion of students progress to highly skilled employment or further study, notably exceeding the College’s benchmarks.’

The northern arts school also demonstrated ‘outstanding levels of satisfaction with assessment and feedback, and high levels of student satisfaction with teaching and academic support.’

Martin Raby, Principal, Cleveland College of Art and Design, said: “CCAD welcomes the TEF award. We pride ourselves on enhancing and empowering student learning and teaching through a community of collaborative practice and through this, creating confident, independent student practitioners.

“It is fantastic that TEF has armed students with the tools to judge quality teaching for all institutions who offer degrees, whether they have the word university in the title or not, as we are one of the best institutions in the country at enabling our students to adapt to the changing economic role of creativity and innovation.”

Following its decision to award Gold to CCAD, the TEF Panel highlighted in particular the college’s evidence of:

· Outstanding employment outcomes linked to an effective strategic focus on exceptional education for creative careers

· Impact on student outcomes and satisfaction arising from the College’s encouragement of staff to maintain their professional practice, and from close links to the creative industries

· A range of initiatives to engage the student voice, with excellent practice in responding to issues raised by students

· Investment in dedicated teaching, learning and working spaces for creative students, which enhance all aspects of the student experience

· Personalised learning, supported by a rigorous engagement with student progression, with particular emphasis on transition.

Pat Chapman, Head of Employability and External Relations, added: “This result recognises the outstanding outcomes and student experience that come from studying at a specialist school of art with great links to the creative industries.”

Professor Chris Husbands, Chair of the TEF assessment panel and Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The Teaching Excellence Framework results offer – for the first time – an overview of teaching excellence across the entire UK higher education sector. It has been a privilege to chair this ambitious and ground-breaking assessment.

“Alongside the headline results, we are publishing all the data and submissions, and statements of the assessors’ findings. Taken together, this is a set of material on teaching excellence which goes further than has been possible for any other university system in the world.”

Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, 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.”

North East full-time TEF table looks like this: