By Kunal Chan Mehta, FSB’s Public Relations Manager – 14 Jul 2025
In a sector where student trust is earned rather than assumed, FSB has emerged as a formidable force in private Higher Education. In the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS), FSB achieved a standout 94% teaching satisfaction score (with an impressive 94.8% response rate) – firmly positioning it not just as an alternative provider but as a credible and confident contributor to the national higher education landscape.
Yet it is not simply the numbers that draw attention. It is the story behind them. Where many institutions focus on headline-grabbing singular metrics, FSB’s NSS 2025 results paint a more consistent picture of academic quality and student support, with an overall positivity score of 92.2%, significantly higher than both the national average of 82.7% and many top-ranking universities.
From assessment and feedback (93.6%) to learning opportunities (93.4%) and academic support (92.1%), FSB’s outstanding positivity performance suggests more than short-term satisfaction – it reflects a cultivated culture where teaching quality, organisational rigour and responsiveness to student voice operate in equilibrium.
“Too often, conversations around higher education become polarised — Russell Group v everyone else or public v private. Our results indicate that integrity, rather than institutional type, determines quality,” reflects Mr Mohammed Zaidi, FSB’s CEO. “At FSB, our students are neither passive recipients nor statistics on a dashboard; they are our partners in a shared academic journey.”
The FSB Model
A central pillar of FSB’s approach is structured accessibility. In contrast to models driven purely by scale or expansion, FSB has purposefully prioritised student support structures, course coherence and transparent assessment frameworks.
That deliberate strategy is evident in sector-beating scores such as 97.3% positivity in the question: “How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?” – one of the highest recorded scores nationally in this positivity area.
Dr John Pomeroy, FSB’s Principal, said: “We have never believed in excessive growth for its own sake. Quality must precede quantity. Additionally, our emphasis on clear marking criteria, prompt feedback and sustained academic support ensures FSB’s students leave not just with a degree but with the confidence and skills to lead in their chosen sectors.”
National Conversations and Local Commitments
In an increasingly globalised higher education market, institutions can sometimes lose sight of local responsibilities. FSB has taken a different path: maintaining strong roots in its communities while benchmarking itself against national and international standards.
Giedrius Zilionis, FSB’s Vice Principal, comments: “What truly matters is sustained evidence – not slogans. Our NSS 2025 results show that our students trust us because we earn that trust daily: through fair recruitment, transparent teaching practices and constant improvement. As we grow, our challenge is not merely maintaining these standards but raising them further.”
FSB Student Voices
While teaching satisfaction headlines attract attention, student engagement is where long-term credibility is forged. FSB’s 89.2% score in the ‘Student Voice’ category reveals a student body that feels heard and valued.
Georgiana Camelia, FSB’s Student Union President, explains: “It’s not just about having a say; it’s about seeing that say turn into action. Whether it’s refining learning services or introducing new support services, our students know their feedback is central to the institution’s thinking. That’s what makes these NSS results authentic – they weren’t achieved by chance – and our Student Union works diligently to ensure this”
FSB’s leadership remains focused not on complacency but on continuous reinvention. Plans are already in motion for enhanced AI learning platforms, expanded student wellbeing initiatives and further learning and teaching innovation.
“We see ourselves as custodians of student ambition,” adds Katarzyna Czech, Trainee Dean of Learning and Teaching. “That requires humility, listening and consistent delivery. Our NSS 2025 results affirm we are on the right path – but the work never stops.”
With national attention now turning towards private and alternative providers and their role in shaping the future of UK higher education, FSB presents a national model that is at once ambitious and grounded – proving that structured, ethical and student-driven learning can thrive outside of traditional university walls.
The National Student Survey (NSS) captures the views of final-year undergraduate students regarding the quality of their academic experience. The 2025 survey was independently conducted by Ipsos, commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS), to ensure impartiality and sector-wide reliability.
For any questions, please contact the author, Kunal Chan Mehta, at kunal.mehta@fairfield.ac.
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