Norland granted permanent degree awarding powers
25 March 2025
Norland is delighted to announce that it has been granted full and permanent taught degree awarding powers, marking another significant milestone in its journey towards achieving university title.
The award of permanent degree awarding powers – known as indefinite taught degree awarding powers (taught DAPs) – recognises Norland’s achievements since being granted taught degree awarding powers on a time limited basis by the Privy Council in 2019.
Following an extensive review by the Office for Students, Norland successfully demonstrated that it met all the criteria to be awarded indefinite taught degree awarding powers, continuing Norland’s journey to becoming the world’s first specialist early years university.
Since 2019, Norland has consistently demonstrated excellence in higher education, earning a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 and placing it in the top 12% of providers in the country to achieve the top award for both student experience and student outcomes. TEF is assessed on measures including the learning environment, student experience, student success and graduate employment opportunities.
Norland’s commitment to providing outstanding early childhood higher education and training has been recognised through multiple awards, including winning the top Small or Specialist Provider award on multiple occasions at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs). Norland received a special one-off award when WUSCA named it the top university in the UK for enhanced graduate outcomes in 2021.
Norland consistently outperforms most universities in the National Student Survey (NSS), the benchmark for measuring the quality of universities from the students themselves.
Dr. Janet Rose, Principal of Norland, said:
“We are incredibly proud to have been granted indefinite taught degree awarding powers by the Office for Students. This thrilling achievement paves the way for us to apply for university title and realise our ambition to become the first specialist early years university in the world, further solidifying our reputation as a leader in early years higher education.”
Mandy Edmond, Vice Principal of Norland, said:
“This success reflects our unwavering commitment to academic excellence and innovation and is testament to the hard work of our staff, students and graduates. Gaining indefinite degree awarding powers further demonstrates the excellence of our provision and brings us a major step forward in our journey to secure full university title.”
Norland was first granted taught degree awarding powers on a time limited basis by the Privy Council in 2019. The award of indefinite taught degree awarding powers gives Norland authorisation to grant taught degrees without a time limit with effect from 13 March 2025.
