STUDENT SATISFACTION WITH COLLEGE HIGHER EDUCATION MAINTAINED

Caption: Two students at their graduation ceremony smiling

Students have provided continued endorsement for higher education provision at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) in a national survey with ratings in 2021 significantly above benchmark for its teaching, assessment, student voice and learning community.

Results from the National Student Survey (NSS), published today, show that around nine out of ten students continue to be satisfied with their experience of higher education at NWSLC, against a backdrop of declining satisfaction for all measures across nearly 400 UK universities and colleges in a year where overall satisfaction fell by eight points to 75 per cent.

The college’s HE provision was particularly noted for teachers’ ability to explain their subject and the fairness of assessment and marking. NWSLC was highly rated as a learning community in which students feel that they belong. Students also reported that it was clear where the college had acted on feedback to make improvements.

The NSS, the largest of its kind in the UK, is managed by the Office for Students (OfS) and gathers students’ opinions on the quality of their courses which helps to inform prospective students’ choices, provides data that supports universities and colleges to improve the student experience, and supports public accountability. Every university in the UK and many colleges take part in the NSS and response rates are consistently high with a 69 per cent response rate recorded this year.

Higher education students at NWSLC rated the college particularly highly on measures relating to the student voice and their experience of the learning community with 84 per cent satisfaction recorded for both, 16 points ahead of benchmark. NWSLC achieved above benchmark ratings for its assessment and feedback, academic support, and the learning opportunities offered to students. The college’s rating for overall satisfaction, at 87 per cent, was 14 points higher than the benchmark.

Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive at NWSLC said, “We are delighted that our students continue to rate us highly for our HE provision, and we have worked hard to avoid the dip in overall satisfaction seen by so many organisations during a challenging year.

“Our students have really risen to the challenge of maintaining a focus on their studies despite the coronavirus lockdown and our staff have consistently worked to support them above and beyond normal expectations, keeping them on track and helping them to complete their qualifications. We are very proud of the whole team that has worked so hard to maintain the learning experience for our HE students.”

NWSLC offers an extensive range of Higher National Certificates (HNCs), Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) that can be converted into full degrees with a further year of study at university. The college works closely with its partner universities Coventry University, the University of Warwick, and the University of West London to deliver a range of foundation degrees and bachelor’s degrees. Specialist provision for the automotive sector is available through the MIRA Technology Institute.

For more information on higher education at NWSLC and the clearing process visit the college website nwslc.ac.uk.