Higher education students give first class review in national survey
Higher education students at Bishop Auckland College have given a first class review of their courses in a nationwide survey.
Pictured (l-r) are: Katy Dixon, Charli Davy, of Shildon, and Paige Dawson, of Byers Green - both aged 21 and recent completers of the college’s BA (Hons) Sociology & Criminology degree - and Lee Phillips.
The college has smashed the average sector scores for all areas including teaching, learning opportunities, organisation and management, assessment and feedback, academic support, student voice and learning resources.
Nearly 350,000 undergraduates across the country took part in The National Student Survey, commissioned by the Office for Students and carried out by Ipsos.
They were asked 27 questions and the college received an overall average score of 92.4% - well above the UK average of 80.9% - from its higher education students.
More than 96% said their course was intellectually stimulating, developed the knowledge and skills they think they will need for their future and that tutors were good at explaining things and made the subject engaging.
Seven questions scored 100%, including the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth, challenging you to achieve your best work and the quality of library resources.
Lee Phillips, who leads higher education and quality at the college, said he was delighted at the survey results: “We hear anecdotally on an almost daily basis the positive feedback from our higher education students, half of whom go on to achieve first class honours.
“But it is so gratifying for all our staff to get these official national survey results, which are further evidence of the positive impact that access to top quality higher education here at the college brings to our local community and beyond.”
Carol Door, from Bishop Auckland, (pictured) has just completed her BA (Hons) in Integrative Counselling Practice and is enrolling on the Masters in Psychotherapy Studies in September. She said her time at the college had been “totally transformational”.
Carol, 47, added: “I never thought I would be able to do what I do, be in the world the way I am and build a better life for myself whilst helping others do the same.
“I have set up a private counselling practice and am currently looking at other options as my passion is to work with substance misuse. I now have options in life to do what I love and am passionate about.”
The college offers a wide range of higher education programmes, from Level 4 HNCs and Level 5 HNDs to a number of full honours degrees and a groundbreaking Masters in Psychotherapy Studies. Find out more here.
News of the high student satisfaction rates for the college’s higher education provision comes just months after Bishop Auckland College was rated the second best performing apprenticeship provider in the country, and best in the North East, in data published by the Department for Education.
It also follows a report after an inspection by matrix Standard - an international quality standard for information, advice, and guidance (IAG) services – which found that the proportion of full-time students gaining positive destinations (employment or education progression) was up from 86.3% in 2020-21 to 93.6% of 2022-23 completers.
Katy Dixon, Higher Education Development Coordinator, added: “I’m so proud that this year’s HE student feedback continues to reflect a positive picture of studying with us, especially with the number of students choosing to complete their higher education experience with us growing year on year.
“To be higher than the sector average in all areas is fantastic and is testament to the hard work and dedication to excellence of our entire college community. Thanks to all our students who took part in the survey.”
The full NSS survey results are available here.
