National Student Survey 2016 results released this summer reveal that Moorlands College scored 92% satisfaction for Personal Development, meaning that we are ranked joint 12th out of the 371 institutions with registered undergraduate students.

In addition to the Personal Development ranking, Moorlands College scored highly for student satisfaction (91%), which is joint 35th out of the 371 institutions. Other scores included 93% satisfaction for Teaching, which was slightly higher than other top universities such as the University of Oxford. Additionally, Academic Support scored 85% for satisfaction, ranking us joint 101 alongside the University of Cambridge.

Moorlands ensures that as well as striving academically, our students aim to grow in character and understand their role in ministry, allowing for personal development to take place.

An essential aspect of an undergraduate degree at Moorlands is that the students take a module called ‘The Effective Christian Leader’, where a Self Understanding paper is written and it reflects on their testimony and personality.

Simon Howling, a second year student, said the following regarding this piece of work: “Writing this paper has had a big impact on my growth in ministry. Before writing the essay, I thought that if I just buried my problems deeper enough, then they would just stay out the way, but in reality, they never do. The Self Understanding essay gives us a chance to face these problems and reflect on what has shaped you into who you are. This has helped me in my ministry as I can encourage people to face their past problems, rather than run from them; handing them over to Christ is the only way to be set free.”

When discussing the recent results, Ian Kirby, Vice Principal (Academic) at Moorlands College, shared:

“I am thankful to God with the outcome of the National Student Survey. We recognise that there are a couple of areas to reflect on, but the students clearly recognise that we are making such a difference in their development. It’s a particular privilege to be the first, independent Christian college like ours to participate in the survey, and to see that we can hold our heads high as we compare ourselves to colleges and universities across the country. The overall results are a clear testimony to the hard work of staff and their passion for the work of training and equipping students.”