Educational partners
We collaborate with selected partners to offer specialist courses in your local area.
What is an educational partnership?
An Educational Partnership is an agreement between the University and another organisation to collaborate on delivering a broad range of education, research and scholarly activities.
Whilst these agreements can take various forms, they share a common goal - to ensure all students have access to high quality learning and the opportunity to earn a qualification that will support their professional growth.
Why choose to study with one of our educational partners?
Completing your course at a partner institution can offer you the convenience of studying close to home. You can often study flexibly, fitting your job and lifestyle needs around obtaining your degree.
While working towards your Bath Spa University accredited qualification, you’ll get the chance to study at our partners' well-equipped facilities, which have been designed to support your success.
Different types of courses
From foundation level performing arts qualifications to MBAs, our educational delivery partners offer a wide range of courses. These can vary depending on the contract between Bath Spa University (BSU) and the partner institution.
What's a franchised course?
If you're a student on a franchised course, that means:
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you are registered as a BSU student
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your contract is with BSU
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BSU is the body that will award your degree
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BSU pays a partner institution (delivery partner) part of your tuition fee to deliver your course.
A franchised course is normally awarded by BSU and delivered by the delivery partner. It's designed, assessed and quality assured by BSU and BSU processes admissions.
Student marks are processed through Ultra as part of the Grade Journey process and outcomes are reported as part of BSU's data. Students are subject to BSU’s Academic Regulations and Assessment and Feedback policy.
BSU is legally responsible for key aspects of your academic experience and outcomes. These responsibilities cannot be delegated to our delivery partners. We also retain responsibility for a range of core student services and academic processes, ranging from registration and enrolment through to conferring your final award and issuing transcripts and certificates.
BSU retains a proportion of your tuition fee to support essential academic and regulatory functions, including academic governance; curriculum design and assessment oversight; moderation and external examining; regulatory compliance and statutory reporting; ongoing risk monitoring and escalation; and the abovementioned core student services and academic processes.
What's a validated course?
If you're a student on a validated course, that means you're registered as a student with our partner institution and enter into a direct contractual relationship with the partner institution as the lead provider and not with BSU.
Usually, a validated course is developed, delivered and assessed by our partner institution who is the lead provider. The degree is awarded and quality assured by BSU. Admissions are processed by the lead partner and reported to BSU.
Student marks are submitted by the partner to the University following the partner’s Central Assessment Board/Award Board (or equivalent).
School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
SCITTs are networks of schools that have been approved to run school-centred training. We work with a number of School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) partners to deliver a PGCE that's designed with them and for them.
Explore our SCITT partnershipsOur partners
We have a range of different educational partners both across the UK and further afield
Our UK partners
boomsatsuma, Bristol
Our education partners boomsatsuma are education innovators and unapologetic change makers. They deliver creative degree programmes in various fields – from visual effects and filmmaking, to web development and games.
Brighton Academy, Brighton
Courses at The Brighton Academy are designed to provide the performing industry with individuals who are not only talented and professionally trained, but also well-equipped, both physically and mentally, to face the challenges they’ll encounter as they break into the entertainment business.
Circomedia, Bristol
World-renowned Circomedia is a school for contemporary circus and physical theatre based in Bristol, England.
Circomedia teach circus skills alongside physical theatre, performance skills and creativity. Their professional performance venue presents thirty-six professional circus, theatre and dance shows annually, and students benefit from the chance to present their own work in this unique and stunning venue once a year.
City of Bristol College, Bristol
City of Bristol College is one of the South West’s largest further and higher education colleges.
It has a range of academic and vocational courses available to study at its metropolitan location, with five main centres across Bristol and South Gloucestershire offering top-of-the-range facilities and outstanding teaching.
Elizabeth School of London, various UK cities
Elizabeth School of London (ESL) is a higher education provider committed to offering relevant, high-quality programmes in campuses across major cities including Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester and Northampton.
*ESL are not currently accepting new students
Fairfield School of Business, various UK cities
Fairfield School of Business (FSB) is a community-based learning provider with teaching locations in London (Croydon and Luton), Leicester and Birmingham. It’s an independent, private higher education institution offering a truly diverse and multicultural learning experience.
Global Banking School, various UK cities
GBS delivers a range of vocational, undergraduate, and postgraduate programmes in banking, finance, accounting, business, tourism, and technology in the UK, Malta and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
New City College, London
New City College (NCC) is the fourth largest college group in the UK, with campuses across Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Redbridge, Epping Forest and Havering.
With deep community roots, an ability to nurture talent and a wide choice of courses for local school leavers, SEND students, adults and those looking for higher education qualifications, they help students break boundaries and think big.
University Centre Weston, Weston-Super-Mare
Situated in the sunny Somerset seaside town of Weston-super-Mare, University Centre Weston (UCW) prides itself on providing outstanding student support and being focused on helping students start and progress their careers.
Find out more on University Centre Weston
William College, London
The learning environment at William College encourages students to think critically, act responsibly, and make a meaningful impact on society.
Their campus in Stratford offers students a distinctive educational experience within the energetic heart of East London.
Our International partners
Future Education World, UAE
Future Education World is an academic centre of Bath Spa University operating in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
It offers high quality teaching across a range of disciplines following the UK campus as being a leading university for Creativity, Culture, and Enterprise. It offers an innovative and up-to-date curriculum that meets the needs of the industry and the students.
Global Banking School (GBS), Malta
GBS delivers a range of vocational, undergraduate, and postgraduate programmes in banking, finance, accounting, business, tourism, and technology in the UK, Malta and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
About the Centre for Educational Partnerships
The Centre for Educational Partnerships (CEP) at Bath Spa University oversees both UK and international educational partnerships, providing support throughout the partnership. CEP leads the development and implementation of the University's Educational Partnerships Strategy.
Some of our other key responsibilities include:
- Managing partner contracts through the entire lifecycle, from initial proposal and due diligence to renewal and teach-out
- Risk management through a dedicated Partnerships Risk Register
- Providing evidence-based advice to the Partnership Strategy Group, Partnership Delivery Group and a variety of sub-groups and supporting committees, as well as Academic Board and the Board of Governors and Academic Assurance and Partnerships Committee via University Executive Board
- Facilitating large-scale initiatives through strategic decisions, including development of new partnership models and modes of delivery
- Conducting Partner Annual Reviews and regular partner monitoring visits to provide assurance on regulatory requirement and ensure a quality student experience
- Holding regular meetings with partners and BSU stakeholders to maintain partnership health
- Supporting communication between partners and internal teams.
We report directly to the Partnership Strategy Group, chaired by Professor Kyriaki Anagnostopoulou (Deputy Vice-Chancellor). The Partnership Delivery Group is jointly chaired by Dr. Kayla Rose (Head of Educational Partnerships) and Pearl Slater (Academic Registrar).
If you'd like to find out more, have a partnership-related query, or enquire about becoming a partner, please get in touch:: edpartnerships@bathspa.ac.uk.