HE/FE NEWS
Student-voted reviews see University of Bath rank top for work experience
Early careers experts Higherin have uncovered the top universities for work experience and placement support in 2026/27. The rankings were based on over 5,000 real student reviews of available university resources related to work experience and the support provided to students. The University of Bath took the top position as the best uni for work experience with a score of 4.83 out of a possible 5 points. Students voted for Bath due to the high levels of support available for its students and the number of work experience resources.
One student commented about the University of Bath: “My university had a dedicated placement team for my degree subject. They provided sessions on each stage of the application process. I also attended a few mock interviews with them. They also put me in touch with a previous successful placement student.”
In second place was Manchester Metropolitan University with a score of 4.80. Closing out the top three was the University of Nottingham with 4.68 out of 5, scoring particularly well on the number of resources available to students. Oliver Sidwell, Co-Founder of Higherin, said: “It’s a truly difficult time for graduates. Our recent data has uncovered that some graduate positions are receiving over 1,000 applications, so it’s never been more important to stand out from the crowd.”
“One of the best ways to do this is work experience”, he continued. “A university that supports and helps students to find internships and placements can really impact a potential student’s decision of which uni they go to.”
University of Huddersfield lecturers contribute to textbook supporting primary teaching students
Two University of
Huddersfield lecturers have lent their expertise to a new textbook written to support primary teaching students in developing their subject knowledge beyond literacy and numeracy.
The book, Developing Subject Knowledge Across the Primary Curriculum, is designed to support
undergraduate students on primary teaching courses, such as those offered at Huddersfield.
These students have a significant breadth of subject knowledge to cover, and alongside a focus on literacy and numeracy, must develop subject knowledge across the curriculum.
Matt Borg, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education, and Dr Marc Turu Porcel, Subject Leader in Initial Teacher Education, who both teach students on primary teaching courses, have contributed a chapter on the Sciences to the new book. The book is designed to offer both breadth and depth for deep subject knowledge learning and includes information on subject knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and the links between them.
Mr Borg commented: “Primary science can feel daunting, especially for those who didn’t study it beyond GCSE. This chapter is about changing that. We want teachers to feel genuinely confident in the subject, not just equipped to get through a lesson. The knowledge matters, but so does knowing how to teach it well so all learners can access this important subject.”
Dr Turu Porcel, who is part of the University’s Huddersfield Centre for Research in Education and Society (HudCRES), added: “Science education in primary school matters enormously and so does teaching it well. What I love about this chapter is that it respects both the research and the reader. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in classrooms for years, it meets you where you are and gives you something real to take away.”
St Mary’s University sets out community-led model for new London School of Medicine
St Mary’s University has outlined plans for a community-centred approach to medical education and training, following a roundtable discussion with local people, community and health partners aimed at shaping the curriculum and placement model for its new School of Medicine.
The Twickenham-based institution’s Social Accountability Framework will guide how and where medical students are trained, with an emphasis on local health priorities and addressing health inequalities across south-west London.
The School’s first cohort will start in
September 2026 and will be based at the University’s Twickenham campus. From Year 1 onwards, students will undertake placements across GP, hospital, and community settings, learning through delivering care to those most in need. The model has been designed to ensure that medical training reflects the wider societal factors that influence health outcomes, including housing, employment, biases, and access to health services. The framework has been developed through ongoing engagement with local communities and is intended to embed co-creation into the School of Medicine’s long-term approach. Community members will continue to contribute to decisions on teaching, placement opportunities and priorities as the programme develops.
June 2026
Professor Sonia Kumar, Founding Executive Dean of Medicine at St Mary’s University, said: “This is a School with the local community at the heart of its teaching. The aim is to train doctors whose education reflects the priorities of the communities they will go on to serve.” Professor Samira Ben Omar, Professor of Inclusive Practice and Lead for Inclusion and Communities at St Mary’s, said the framework places lived experience at the centre of medical education.
“This approach brings the voices of local people and communities into curriculum development right at the start of our journey,
and we are committed to ensuring they remain a critical part of the conversation as the School of Medicine grows,” she commented. The Social Accountability Framework roundtable brought together community organisations, NHS partners and people with lived experience to discuss what matters most to local populations, and how medical students should be prepared for learning in both community and clinical settings. Community contributors at the event included Fatuma Favell-Clarke, a Parent and Carer, Trustee of SEND Parent Carers in Wandsworth, social worker and mental health professional at The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and Roger Smith, chair of the Hounslow Respiratory Support Group.
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