Britain's elite universities are failing to achieve teaching excellence, official rankings have revealed, as the Government publishes its first major assessment of teaching standards in higher education.

More than half of Russell Group institutions – traditionally considered to be the best in the country – did not score a gold rating after entering the new Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

Instead, a number of newer universities, including former polytechnics, have been awarded the highest standard in terms of teaching, learning and potential employment outcomes for students.

The University of Portsmouth, Coventry, De Montfort University and Bangor are among those awarded gold status, despite sitting further down in traditional university league tables.

Professor Dominic Shellard, vice chancellor of De Montfort, said the results illustrated “a real watershed moment for British universities”.

“To me, the TEF really demonstrates the passing of the old guard and the ushering in of a new hierarchy,” he told The Independent.

Overall, 295 universities, colleges and alternative education providers took part in the new ranking system, with 26 per cent gaining a gold award, 50 per cent rated silver and 24 per cent achieving bronze.

These figures exclude institutions that received a provisional award because there was not enough data for a full assessment.

Of the 21 Russell Group universities that took part, just eight (38 per cent) were given a gold rating, including Oxford and Cambridge; 10 (48 per cent) were awarded silver and three (14 per cent) achieved a bronze.

The Russell Group said it does not believe the TEF measures “absolute quality”, however, and that would-be students need clear guidance about what the results mean and how they should be used.

The TEF was introduced by the last government in a bid to gain more evidence about teaching and learning in UK universities, with proposals to link quality to tuition fee increases.

Universities that choose to enter are assessed on a range of measures, including student satisfaction, drop-out rates and whether students go on to employment or further study after graduating.

Differences between institutions, such as entry qualifications and subjects studied, were taken into account by an independent panel, which decided the final awards.

QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Show all 10 1 / 10 QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Cambridge University Flickr (Mihnea Maftei) QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Oxford University Picture: Getty QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions University College London University College London (Getty Images) QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Imperial College, London Imperial College, London Flickr/Andrew Crump QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Kings College London Kings College London iStock QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Edinburgh University Edinburgh University expects staff to report to their department whenever they leave the office Getty QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Manchester University Manchester University Rex QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions London School of Economics London School of Economics Rex QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions University of Bristol University of Bristol Ben Birchall/PA Wire QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Warwick University Warwick University Flickr/Nicholas Smale

De Montfort University is one of 59 institutions to score gold under the new system.

The arts-based university ranks in 82nd place according to The Complete University Guide tables, and 70th place in the Times Higher Education Rankings for 2017.

“We’ve been rewarded for engaging with students more extensively,” said Professor Shellard.

“For a long time, league tables have assessed universities on their longevity and social standing, but I think the big thing about the TEF – which is what the Russell Group don’t like – is it takes into account the diversity of your applicants.”

“I think a lot of the top dogs will have to rethink their approach.”

A number of highly regarded universities have been criticised for their lack of diversity within undergraduate applications in recent years.

Last year, the former Prime Minister David Cameron accused Oxford University of “not doing enough to attract talent from across our country”, noting that the institution had accepted just 27 black British students in a single year.

Professor Shellard said the TEF awarding body had praised his university for having “outstanding support for students”, including a high ratio of student councillors and mental health support, as well as a high teaching standard.

“It’s quite clever of the Government to do this – they’ve recognised that people will really judge institutions on whether it’s worth them spending the tuition fees.”

The Queen's Speech - what is it?

A gold award means that a university is of the highest quality found in the UK, providing “consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students”, while the silver award was given for consistently exceeding “rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education” and bronze was given to those that meet these national requirements.

Those awarded a bronze or higher – all institutions that took part besides those rated provisional – are now set to be able to raise tuition fees, which currently stand at around £9,000, in line with inflation in 2018/19.

Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), said the fact that some of the results seemed “suprising” suggests the TEF is working.

“The TEF would have comprehensively failed if it had simply replicated existing hierarchies,” he said. “It was always designed to do something different to other league tables and rankings – namely, to show where there are pockets of excellence that have been ignored and to encourage improvements elsewhere.

“I visit around 50 universities a year so know the gold ratings have been hard won by committed staff and students and are very well deserved.”

Of those institutions scoring gold, a small number are recognised for achieving top marks across all six assessment categories, including the University of Buckingham, which has been awarded with a “double positive” rating.

Sir Anthony Seldon, its vice chancellor, said: “For Buckingham, one of the country’s smallest universities, to come top in the country in the first ever TEF exercise is exceptional.”

“The TEF is an excellent and overdue exercise which will have a dramatic impact on improving the quality of teaching.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 / 50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 September 2020 A model presents a creation during the Bora Aksu catwalk show at London Fashion Week 2020 Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2020 World kickboxing champion Carl Thomas during his attempt to run a marathon while pulling a plane at Elvington Airfield near York. The attempt is raising funds for Ollie's Army Battling Against Battens, an organisation campaigning to raise GBP 250,000 to fund a clinical trial aimed at saving the sight of children with CNL2 Batten Disease PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2020 Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner speaking during Prime Minister's Questions UK Parliament/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 September 2020 People enjoying the autumn sunshine as they punt along the River Cam in Cambridge PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2020 Early morning light bathes the skyscrapers of the City of London, at the start of a week in which the UK is expected to bask in temperatures of more than 30 degrees PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2020 England celebrate after they dismissed Australia's Alex Carey to win the second ODI match of the series at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2020 Protesters outside BBC Broadcasting House in central London, as marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2020 An empty migrant dinghy floats off the beach at St Margaret's Bay after the occupants landed from France in Dover Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2020 A view of small boats thought to be used in migrant crossings across the Channel at a storage facility in Dover, Kent PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2020 EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, left, arriving from the Eurostar with EU Ambassador to the UK, Portuguese diplomat Joao Vale de Almeida at St Pancras International railway station, London, for the latest round of the negotiations on a free trade deal between the EU and the UK PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2020 Dawn over Coquet Island, a small island off Amble on the Northumberland coast PA UK news in pictures 7 September 2020 A hovercraft arrives to Southsea, Hampshire from the Isle of Wight PA UK news in pictures 6 September 2020 Forensics officers near the scene of multiple reported stabbings in Birmingham Reuters UK news in pictures 5 September 2020 Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate in Dover against immigration and the journeys made by refugees crossing the Channel to Kent PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2020 Activists take part in a demonstration against the HS2 hi-speed rail line outside the Department of Transport AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 September 2020 Peter Baker, who plays Trigger in the musical version of Only Fools and Horses, sweeps the stage of the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, after observing a 15 minute silence to show solidarity with those in the theatre industry that have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2020 Kadie Lane, right, 11, and Brooke Howourth, 11, hug on their walk to Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, for their first day of term, as schools in England reopen to pupils following the coronavirus lockdown PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2020 Extinction Rebellion protesters sitting outside The Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London PA UK news in pictures 31 August Surfers at Long Sands Beach, Tynemouth PA UK news in pictures 30 August Black Lives Matter protesters march through Notting Hill in London in the first Million People March EPA UK news in pictures 29 August A protester reacts as she demonstrates against the lockdown and use of face masks, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, outside Downing Street in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 August Caribbean soca dancers display their costumes as they promote the first ever digital Notting Hill Carnival, following the cancellation of the normal Carnival festivities due to the continued spread of the coronavirus disease, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 August Father and son team Chris and Sam Milford from historic building conservation specialists WallWalkers begin restoration work on the spire of Norwich Cathedral, which stands at over 312ft high. The first known spire was completed in 1297 PA UK news in pictures 26 August Giant waves at Seaham in County Durham, as the bad weather continues PA UK news in pictures 25 August An assistant at the Wallace Monument cleans the case which houses the William Wallace sword in the Hall of Arms room at the monument near Stirling as they prepare to re-open PA UK news in pictures 24 August Restored World War Two landing craft LCT 7074 is transported from from the Naval Base in Portsmouth to its final resting place at the D-Day Story at Southsea PA UK news in pictures 23 August Jenny Nguyen and Tony Cao, from Vietnam, pose for wedding photos on Tower Bridge in London, as it remains closed to vehicles after it was stuck open on Saturday due to a "mechanical fault". The landmark's Twitter account confirmed only pedestrians and cyclists could use it on Sunday morning PA UK news in pictures 22 August England's Zak Crawley hit 267, joining the exclusive Double Hundred club, on day two of the Third Test match against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton PA UK news in pictures 21 August Harri Teale gathers lavender during the annual harvest on the Wolds Way Lavender farm near Malton in North Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 20 August Parents and a student react after checking GCSE results at Ark Academy in London Reuters UK news in pictures 19 August Tate Modern workers hold a strike outside the gallery in London, to protest the institution's announcement that it would cut more than 300 jobs from its commercial arm, Tate Enterprises PA UK news in pictures 18 August Two rescued brown bear cubs, Mish (left) and Lucy, cool off in a pool after arriving at their new home with the wildlife conservation charity Wildwood Trust in Herne Bay, Kent. The orphaned pair, who have been living in a temporary home in Belgium since they were found abandoned and alone in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains, will be acclimatised to their new life in the country before moving to a permanent home PA UK news in pictures 17 August A level students celebrate outside the Department for Education in London after it was confirmed that candidates in England will be given grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm. The government U-turn comes just days after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson vowed there would be "no U-turn, no change. PA UK news in pictures 16 August Wasp players take a knee as Northampton Saints stand prior to kick-off in their Premiership match at Franklin's Gardens PA UK news in pictures 15 August Piper Colour Sergeant Lil Bahadur Gurung attends the VJ Day National Remembrance event, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 14 August People including students hold placards on Whitehall outside Downing Street as they protest against the downgrading of A-level results. The government faced criticism after education officials downgraded more than a third of pupils' final grades in a system devised after the coronavirus pandemic led to cancelled exams yes AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 13 August Benita Stipp (centre) and Mimi Ferguson (left) react as students at Norwich School receive their A-Level results PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2020 A train derailment near Stonehaven has left three people dead. Driver Brett McCullough, conductor Donald Dinnie, and a passenger were killed when the 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service crashed amid heavy rain and flooding BBC UK news in pictures 11 August 2020 A woman hydrates in the sun after open water swimming at the West Reservoir Centre in north London Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 10 August 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes part in an archery session as he visits Premier Education Summer Camp at Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' in Upminster Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2020 People cycle through Cambridge as the heatwave continues in Britain EPA UK news in pictures 8 August 2020 Healthcare workers take part in a protest in London over pay conditions in the NHS Getty UK news in pictures 7 August 2020 Emergency services make their way along the seafront on Bournemouth beach in Dorset on one of the hottest days of the year PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2020 Alison Murphy poses for a picture by husband Peter as she walks through a field of sunflowers in Altrincham, Cheshire PA UK news in pictures 5 August 2020 Pakistan's Abid Ali being bowled by England's Jofra Archer during day one of the First Test match at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester PA UK news in pictures 4 August 2020 The 'Timbuktu tumblers' from Kenya perform their balancing act on the Southsea waterfront as Zippos Circus reopens in Portsmouth Rex UK news in pictures 3 August 2020 Pelicans interact with a visitor in St James's Park in London PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2020 Lewis Hamilton drives with a puncture towards the finish line to win the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone POOL/AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 1 August 2020 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the FA Cup, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease Pool via Reuters UK news in pictures 31 July 2020 People enjoy the sunny weather at a Bournemouth Beach Reuters

“But I think it is far from perfect and I think hard work needs to be done to improve the quality of the exercise so that it is a true and fair measure of teaching quality.”

Many reputable universities will be disappointed with their results, he added, since the framework is an “incredibly important tool” used by potential applicants overseas.

“The TEF is far from a perfect assessment of teaching and learning,” Mr Hillman added. “While it tells us a lot of useful things, none of them accurately reflects precisely what goes on in lecture halls.

“I hope university applicants will use the results in their decision making but they should do so with caution, not least because the ratings are for whole universities rather than individual courses.”

Madeleine Atkins, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which published the results, said: “Students currently invest significant amounts of time, and indeed money and incurring debt in their higher education. They are quite right to expect a high quality academic experience.”

The assessment “measures the things that students themselves say they really care about”, she said.

The three Russell Group universities to be handed a bronze award were the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the University of Liverpool and the University of Southampton .

The acting director of the Russell Group, Dr Tim Bradshaw, said: “Our members provide an outstanding student experience where teaching is enhanced by access to world-class research and facilities.

“This is a trial year. We need to recognise that developing a robust TEF that is truly reflective of the UK's excellent higher education sector will take time.

“TEF does not measure absolute quality and we have raised concerns that the current approach to flags and benchmarking could have a significant unintended impact.

“Applicants need clear guidance about what TEF results mean and how they should be interpreted to aid decision-making.”