HE Partner of the Year

Our roots date back to 1914 and the founding of a new type of college in Stoke-on-Trent to support the city’s coal mining and ceramic manufacture and production. Originally, the Central School of Science and Technology, it became North Staffordshire Technical College in 1926.

In 1971, North Staffordshire Polytechnic was created from the merger of the College with Stoke-on-Trent College of Art and Staffordshire College of Technology, based in Stafford. Shortened to Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1988, we became known as Staffordshire University in 1992. In 2024, we evolved into the University of Staffordshire, cementing our position as a centre for learning and progression for the county, and its people.

With courses, facilities and expertise fuelling the Industrial Revolution, the College’s legacy continues today. As does our reputation for innovation: from Stafford’s hi-tech degree courses of the 1960s to the next generation education and hands-on and hyper-real experiences we offer now.

The largest of our three campuses, Stoke-on-Trent campus has benefited from over £80m investment since 2012. Outstanding facilities there include the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre, a dedicated Science Centre, pioneering Games Hub, crime scene house, drama studio, performance centre.

Always ahead of the game, the University’s presence in London on the site of the former Olympic Park seems rather fitting. Our London campus in Here East was established in 2019 to concentrate our award-winning tech and digital expertise, teaching computer science, games and cyber security.

Students are immersed in a real-world business and tech working environment. They are surrounded by innovators, disruptors, visionaries and industry-leading facilities, including the latest computer systems and software, a professionally rigged Gaming Arena and broadcasting Control Room.

Teesside University is a dynamic and modern institution, dedicated to delivering opportunity and providing a high-quality higher education learning environment, offering innovative courses taught by committed and passionate staff.

Awarded Times Higher Education University of the Year 2025 and Daily Mail Modern University of the Year 2026, Teesside University is recognised for its transformative teaching, bold innovation, and life-changing impact.

As a driver of economic growth, directly and through its partnerships, Teesside University transforms lives and economies. It’s an engine of opportunity and social mobility; serving its communities and playing a vital role as an anchor institution within the Tees Valley.

The University’s Future Facing Learning initiative equips every student with cutting-edge digital tools, while its multi-award winning £300m Campus Masterplan provides world-class spaces for learning, collaboration, and discovery.

With triple Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, Ofsted Outstanding for apprenticeships, and a mission to widen access to higher education, Teesside is setting a new standard for what a modern university can achieve.

City College Norwich’s Higher Education School champions apprenticeships as a powerful route to success. Working with leading employers, we deliver apprenticeships in partnership with CMI that combine academic excellence with hands-on experience. Our programs are designed to boost employability, develop professional skills, and open doors for apprentices in their careers. With expert support and strong industry connections, our mission is to challenge minds, inspire success, and secure futures by transforming Norfolk through learning.

Arden University is one of the UK’s fastest growing universities and a leading provider of flexible, online and blended learning, supporting thousands of students in the UK and around the world. As an established pioneer in online learning Arden University offers learners personalised academic and digital-skills support from enrolment right through to graduation. Offering online 24/7, multi-media learning materials and a leading-edge virtual classroom study portal called ilearn students enjoy exceptional flexibility.

Blended learning options also combine face to face, academic-led teaching at one of Arden University's campuses in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Nottingham and Berlin with additional self-study time online.

The university sees student learning opportunities as the key to embedding knowledge and helping to grow and develop graduates that are ready for the workplace.

A wide range of courses across specialisms in Business, Law, Psychology, Healthcare, Marketing and Computing are focussed on furthering career progression and improving career potential - many are accredited from UK professional bodies, and all are internationally recognised.

Arden University's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes also offer flexible entry requirements and course costs help to give a more accessible choice, especially for students who are returning to education.

Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) is a modern, inclusive institution that provides high-quality, career-focused education. With campuses in High Wycombe, Uxbridge and Aylesbury Vale, the University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across disciplines including nursing, aviation, art and design, business, and creative media.

Building on more than 130 years of educational heritage, BNU takes a practice-based approach to teaching with student engagement and employability at its heart. Through industry-informed teaching, hands-on learning and work placements, the University equips students from all backgrounds with the skills and confidence needed to succeed in their chosen careers.