Leeds Trinity's PRES results show what strong PGR feedback practice looks like

By Student Voice AI

Updated Mar 23, 2026

On 26 February 2026, Leeds Trinity University announced best-ever results in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES). The university says its overall satisfaction score reached 88%, above the 83% sector average cited in the announcement. For institutions already reviewing PRES 2025 or UKRI's refreshed expectations for postgraduate research support, this matters because it shows which parts of the PGR experience are moving most clearly in feedback and benchmarking.

What has changed in Leeds Trinity's PRES results

Leeds Trinity says it recorded its highest ever ratings for research skills, professional development, responsibilities, support, and progress and assessment. According to the announcement, the university placed in the top 25% of participating institutions for each of those themes. It also says it ranked among the top-performing institutions for postgraduate researchers' confidence in completing their degree on time.

The strongest movement appears in the areas institutions can actually act on. Leeds Trinity reports improvements in 10 of the 11 measures within development opportunities, alongside gains in support and progress-related measures. The announcement frames that as evidence of a stronger research culture, but also as part of a wider institutional push tied to strategic goals including research degree awarding powers.

"These are exceptional results for Leeds Trinity University and a clear reflection of the vibrant, nurturing environment we provide."

Professor Martin Barwood, Director of Postgraduate Research Studies, Leeds Trinity University

This is a local result within an annual Advance HE survey, not a new national methodology or regulatory change. Leeds Trinity notes that PRES covers institutions in the UK and Australia, so the significance here is practical rather than policy-based: one provider is showing where its PGR experience has strengthened, and doing so through a benchmarked sector instrument.

What this means for institutions

First, universities should not read a strong PRES outcome as a communications story alone. The Leeds Trinity announcement is useful because the improvement is not confined to one headline score. It spans research skills, support, progress and assessment, and development opportunities. That is the kind of pattern that suggests a more joined-up PGR experience rather than one successful intervention.

Second, this is a reminder that postgraduate research feedback needs to be broken down into operational themes that doctoral colleges, supervisors, and quality teams can act on. If confidence in completion, professional development, or support improves, leaders should know which supervisory practices, training offers, or communications changes contributed, and whether those gains are shared across disciplines and cohorts.

For student experience teams and PVCs, the practical task is to connect benchmarked survey results to visible follow-through. Institutions that can show how PGR feedback informs researcher development, assessment processes, and support services are in a stronger position for enhancement work and for demonstrating that student voice is taken seriously beyond the annual survey cycle.

How student feedback analysis connects

At Student Voice AI, we think results like these are most useful when institutions go beyond quartiles and analyse the open-text behind them. High PRES scores tell you where performance is strong, but they do not tell you which parts of supervision, research culture, skills development, or administrative support students are actually responding to.

That matters even more in PGR settings, where cohorts are smaller and issues are often highly contextual. A structured read of comments can separate themes such as supervision, belonging, progression, and development opportunities, then connect them to local action plans. Our Student Voice AI + evasys + Advance HE for PTES & PRES 2025 post shows how that kind of open-text analysis is already part of mainstream postgraduate survey practice, and our student comment analysis governance checklist is a useful companion for teams tightening their process.

FAQ

Q: What should institutions do now if they want to learn from Leeds Trinity's PRES results?

A: Benchmark your own PGR results theme by theme rather than relying on overall satisfaction alone. Then review open comments and local doctoral feedback to identify two or three specific actions around development opportunities, support, completion confidence, or assessment processes, with named owners and a clear follow-up plan.

Q: Is this a sector-wide PRES change, or a local result?

A: It is a local result. Leeds Trinity published the announcement on 26 February 2026, and it relates to the university's performance in the annual PRES run by Advance HE. The announcement says the survey covers institutions in the UK and Australia, but it is not a new national methodology change or regulatory requirement.

Q: What is the broader implication for student voice in postgraduate research?

A: The main implication is that strong PGR feedback practice needs more than a headline score. Institutions get more value from PRES when they can attribute results to specific elements of the research experience, analyse the open-text that explains them, and show postgraduate researchers what changed in response.

References

[Leeds Trinity University]: "Leeds Trinity University achieves best-ever results in Postgraduate Research Experience Survey" Published: 2026-02-26

Request a walkthrough

Book a free Student Voice Analytics demo

See all-comment coverage, sector benchmarks, and reporting designed for OfS quality and NSS requirements.

All-comment coverage with HE-tuned taxonomy and sentiment.
Versioned outputs with TEF-ready reporting.
Benchmarks and BI-ready exports for boards and Senate.

Prefer email? info@studentvoice.ai

UK-hosted · No public LLM APIs · Same-day turnaround