Success in Ofsted inspection - Primary teacher training graded ou
Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:53:00 GMT
Initial teacher training was successfully inspected by Ofsted earlier this year. Our primary teacher training, both undergraduate and postgraduate, was found to be outstanding in every single category and our secondary and further education teacher training to be good with outstanding features.
Jonathan Glazzard, Course Leader for the primary teacher training courses said; ‘We are delighted with the outcomes of the inspection for the primary provision. Our success can be attributed to both the dedication demonstrated by our students to their courses and to the fantastic work done within our partnership schools. Our mentors provide student teachers with fantastic support, which enables them to achieve the very best outcomes in their teaching placements. Successful initial teacher training provision is based on robust and genuine partnerships and the Ofsted report celebrates the strengths of our partnership and the outstanding professional attributes demonstrated by our trainees. ‘
Dr Roy Fisher, Head of Department, Initial Teacher Education, School of Education and Professional Development, said of the result; "These results are a strong endorsement of what we already knew about the excellent initial teacher education work for the Primary, Secondary and Lifelong Learning sectors of education that is undertaken by the University's School of Education and Professional Development. They confirm the high quality, not only of the work undertaken by the School, but also by our many partner schools and colleges, and, of course, by the trainee teachers who go on to enrich the profession."
The Dean of the School of Education and Professional Development, Professor Christine Jarvis said; 'We were delighted by the outcome of our Ofsted inspection. It is a tribute to the excellence of our staff, our students and our many partners in primary secondary and further education. It is a clear endorsement of the quality of teacher education at this University, that sits alongside our superb position in the National Student Survey, and in The Guardian League Tables.'
Overall, Ofsted found that these were particular features of the University and its initial teacher training programmes;
- the outstanding use of human and physical resources, including staff development and professional formation, which aids understanding and learning by staff, trainees and their learners
- the outstanding anticipation of, preparation for and response to national and local changes which benefit staff, trainees and partner institutions
- very competent managers and very dedicated staff who model good practice and promote trainees’ progress
- very effective academic and pastoral support which motivate more able trainees and sustain the involvement of those trainees at risk.
In the primary initial teacher training report, which covers both undergraduate BA(Hons) and postgraduate (PGCE) training, they found these particularly strong features;
- the commitment and drive of the course leader and the partnership in ensuring trainees make at least good progress
- the assessment of the ongoing needs of trainees which ensures high levels of support and personalised training and that trainees make at least good progress
- the partnership's success in ensuring trainees are very well prepared to teach phonics and early reading in ways that capture the imagination of pupils and ensure their progress
- the partnership’s ability to draw on ‘best practice’ and resources to extend the learning opportunities of trainees in contrasting settings and contexts
- the partnership’s challenging of more-able trainees and the impact of this work on the pupils they teach
- the very good professional attributes displayed by trainees and their commitment to their courses
- trainees’ very clear understanding of the diverse nature of pupils and their commitment to inclusivity.
The report also highlights some of the highly creative teaching methods employed in the course which led to the course being rated first in the country for initial teacher training in both the 2010 and 2011 National Student Surveys. The courses remain open for applications for 2012 entry.
