Norland scores well above average in every category in the National Student Survey
15 July 2021
Norland, one of the smallest higher education providers in the UK, has once again outperformed most universities in the UK in the National Student Survey (NSS), the benchmark for measuring the quality of universities from the students themselves.
The world-famous higher education provider scored significantly above the national average in all categories, including teaching, resources, support, assessment and feedback, learning opportunities, the learning community and student voice. Most notably given the practical focus of the degree course, Norland achieved an exceptional 98% satisfaction rate for providing students with opportunities to apply their learning, well above the national average of 76%. A high student response rate of 90%, compared to the national average of 69%, ensured survey results are an accurate reflection of the Norland student experience.
The NSS result follows a golden summer for the specialist early years institution. In June, Norland was named best university in the UK for enhanced graduate outcomes at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), beating many other universities to win the top spot. This award continues an outstanding success rate at the WUSCAs, with Norland winning the Independent Higher Education award in 2019 and coming a close second in 2018 and 2020.
Norland also holds a TEF Gold rating – the highest standard possible – in the national Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework assessment of undergraduate teaching. In 2019, Norland was granted taught degree awarding powers by the Privy Council, becoming the smallest undergraduate degree awarding institution in the UK, and the third degree-awarder in the city of Bath.
Norland Principal, Dr Janet Rose, says: “We are extremely proud of our team for achieving strong results in the National Student Survey, despite the challenges of a global pandemic. This year’s results – alongside our TEF Gold award for teaching standards and our WUSCA award for enhanced graduate outcomes – is testament to the hard work of our academic, student support and professional service teams, who consistently strive to make sure the experience our students receive is the highest possible quality.”
Mandy Edmond, Vice Principal, Head of Quality and Standards and Registrar, added: “We are particularly proud of the NSS ratings as these are based specifically on feedback from our students, and how satisfied they are with studying at Norland and the support they receive. This year’s results demonstrate that we continue to perform strongly in all areas, in spite of the difficulties of offering a highly practical course during COVID-19, and we have outperformed most universities while doing so. Above all, we’re pleased to be able to offer Norland students with the rarest of prospects for graduates – 100% guaranteed employment opportunities with children and families.”
In June, Norland was delighted to announced that it can now take international students from all around the world for the first time in its history, having been granted a student visa sponsorship licence by the UK government. This licence means that Norland can now sponsor international students under the Student visa route, enabling students of all nationalities to benefit from the exceptional training and outstanding career opportunities it offers.
Established in 1892 by early years pioneer Emily Ward, Norland is dedicated to providing high quality specialist early years training and higher education in order to cultivate exceptional early years practitioners. Fully qualified graduates, known as Norlanders or Norland Nannies, benefit from their own dedicated employment agency, the Norland Agency, which places them in nanny and maternity practitioner positions around the world and provides them with lifelong career support.
