YORK St John University says it has come third out of 130 universities in England when it comes to the proportion of academic staff with a teaching qualification.

It said that of its 345 academic staff members, 83 per cent had a teaching qualification, placing it in the top three alongside the University of Huddersfield and Teeside University, according to data released by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Professor Karen Stanton, vice chancellor at York St John University, said: “Providing a high quality student experience is at the heart of everything we do at York St John and we place great value on the teaching expertise of our academic staff.

"I am delighted that these figures reflect our enduring commitment to teaching and learning.”

HEFCE chief executive Madeleine Atkins said: "Teaching qualifications are important to students and they are increasingly central to institutions’ strategies for improving learning and teaching.

"With this in mind, HEFCE has been working for several years to improve the data available on the qualifications and standing of academic staff across the higher education sector."