In the circumstances it was not surprising that colleges would struggle to provide continuing high quality teaching, the association said.

BBC: Colleges protest at new inspections

They allow communities of practitioners and stakeholders to copy, adapt and share their resources legally and freely, in order to support high-quality and locally relevant teaching and learning.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

Last week, the county saw Rhyl High school placed in special measures after Estyn said the quality of teaching was significantly below average for Wales.

BBC: Rhyl High School

"To be ranked third in the UK confirms the research and teaching excellence that takes place here, and clearly demonstrates the high quality, distinctive student experience we offer, " she said.

BBC: University of Bath ranked third in Sunday Times guide

The Council of Great City Schools, a research and policy group that represents large districts, commissioned a study that found districts making the most progress had stable leadership, high academic goals for students, quality professional development for teachers and data analysis that helped alter teaching.

WSJ: City Schools Gain in Reading, Math

At the heart of almost all of these issues is the problem of scale: of finding ways to make high-quality educational resources--whether it's brilliant teachers, innovative lesson plans or inspiring new teaching methods--reach not just a handful of students in a single classroom but hundreds of millions of students around the globe.

FORBES: Magazine Article