This study examines the rise of excellence in (Further Education) FE and the resulting effects on its construction and measurement in two colleges in the North West of England. The expansion of excellence is being driven by the government's desire to improve economic prosperity through increased educational success. Whilst excellence is portrayed as being first-class, robust and achievable on the one hand (DfE 2016), there is a darker side. This study exposes the tensions and stresses caused by the requirement for outstanding teaching acting as a warning to HE as it prepares for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).