Student survey success for the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group

The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group has placed in the top three Higher Education organisations in Yorkshire for Overall Student Satisfaction, according to the latest National Student Survey (NSS) results.

Students from both Selby College and Wakefield College, which form the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, claimed they were satisfied with the quality of their degree-level course – resulting in the Group achieving a score of 90% for Overall Student Satisfaction.

This places the Group significantly above its designated benchmark of 77%, securing it third place in the rankings within Yorkshire.

The response rate from final year undergraduates was 78%, with the Group scoring above the England average and sector average across in the majority of the 27 questions within the survey.

“The latest National Student Survey results have revealed we are in the top three in Yorkshire for Overall Student Satisfaction, placing us comfortably ahead of many larger, more established higher education institutions in the region. More and more students are choosing to study locally as opposed to taking the conventional route of carrying out higher education at a university, and these results are testament to this. Our stimulating mix of technical, commercial and creative degree-level programmes are in line with recognised quality standards, meaning students can receive the same quality of education and support at a Further Education College, whilst benefitting from reduced accommodation and travel costs,” said Clare Hagerup, director of higher education at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group.

The Group scored well above the national benchmark in a number of areas including teaching, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, academic support, organisation and management, learning community and student voice.

The National Student Survey provides higher education learners the chance to review and feedback on their experience including the teaching of their course, access to resources and equipment and student voice.

“The survey is the ultimate seal of approval for higher education institutions, so I’m delighted that our offering has placed so highly both regionally and nationally. Student satisfaction is an extremely important factor for our learners and our higher education teams work incredibly hard to deliver high-quality teaching in a supportive environment where our learners can thrive – enabling them to progress onto fulfilling careers and, in some cases, the highest levels of academia,” said Sam Wright, Principal and Chief Executive at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group.

Both Colleges offer a variety of degree-level programmes, including Foundation Degrees, Full Degrees, Higher National Certificates/Diplomas, Top-Up Degrees and Teacher Training, validated by some of the region's most well-established universities.

They cover a wide range of subject areas including Animal Management, Art & Design, Business, Construction, Childhood Studies, Digital Technologies, Education, Engineering, Health & Wellbeing, Music, Performing Arts, Public Services, Social Science, Sport and more.

The Group also provides a variety of Access to Higher Education courses which are designed to provide learners with the relevant knowledge and study skills they require if they’ve been out of education and want to successfully complete a degree course.