St Mary’s University, Twickenham (SMU) has been ranked the best university for Education in the Daily Mail University Guide 2024. This follows The School of Education retaining its Ofsted Outstanding rating in all categories for Primary and Secondary Initial Teacher Training earlier this year.
Speaking about the University, the Daily Mail University Guide said, "In a city dominated by large – occasionally impersonal – universities, St Mary’s offers an individual experience, reflected in its consistently excellent scores in the National Student Survey.”
The Daily Mail ranked St Mary’s No. 1 out of 51 universities for Education courses. St Mary’s has been rated as Ofsted Outstanding for its teaching courses since 2011, retaining the status in 2019, and again in June 2024. The Ofsted report earlier this year found that at SMU trainee teachers “benefit from first-class levels of support from university staff from the point of application” and that, “The curriculum places a strong emphasis on current, credible research, which shapes all aspects of training and mentoring.”
This year sees St Mary’s climb 10 places in the Daily Mail’s overall university ranking to 68th in the country. St Mary’s also ranked in the Top 10 for Student Support and Teaching Excellence.
Speaking on the Daily Mail University Guide findings, St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony McClaran said, “Huge congratulations to the School of Education for being named the top provider in the country for their subject area! St Mary’s was founded in 1850 to train teachers, and I am delighted that we will be rated the top university in the country for this when we celebrate our 175th anniversary in 2025. It is also great to see St Mary’s recognised as a top institution for Student Support and Teaching Excellence. This is a true reflection of the outstanding work our academics and professional services team do to provide our students with the best possible experience across the board with us.”
Commenting on the Daily Mail’s ranking Head of School of Education at St Mary’s, Dr Jane Chambers, said, “I am thrilled with the news that St Mary’s has been recognised for the quality of its Education programmes. The education lecturers at St Mary’s are leading lights in offering students an exceptional quality of teaching and learning. This is not only seen in our students’ outcomes, who go on to flourishing careers educating our next generations, but also in the values of St Mary’s University that they carry with them – excellence, generosity of spirit, inclusivity and respect.’’
The Daily Mail University Guide also ranked St Mary’s 4th in the country for Sport Science. Students regularly have practical classes in the state-of-the-art gym and Performance Education Centre (PEC) on campus, which includes a free weights area. Other world-class facilities used by students include an environmental chamber and biomechanics labs.
St Mary’s is renowned for its sporting excellence, with fourteen SMU athletes selected to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. So far, St Mary’s alumni have won one Gold and four Bronze medals across triathlon, rugby and para-cycling events in Paris. St Mary’s athletes have won gold medals at each Olympic Games since Beijing 2008.