• University scores top grade in primary and secondary teacher training
• Warwick praised for work with Coventry and Warwickshire schools and colleges

Teacher training at the University of Warwick has been graded as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in its latest inspection report. The University’s Centre for Professional Education (CPE) offers qualifications in primary and secondary teaching of which both were ranked outstanding across the board.

The courses were scrutinised on the basis of overall effectiveness, outcomes for trainees, quality of training & leadership and management. In addition, the University’s provision for early years and further education (FE) teacher training were ranked as good, with the exception of leadership within FE which was classed as outstanding.

The inspectors’ report highlights the contribution that the University makes to teacher supply and to the school and college improvement agenda in the local area. Dr Adam Boddison, Director of the Centre for Professional Education during the inspection period, said: “This is a wonderful end of term report for the University of Warwick. It demonstrates that high quality teacher education can have a direct impact on learner progress in the classroom. Colleagues across CPE, the Centre for Lifelong Learning and the wider school/college partnership have worked incredibly hard in recent years to achieve this result.”

A team of eight of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and eight Ofsted Inspectors conducted six days of inspections across June and November including 85 lesson observations in 40 schools and colleges. The report states praised how the University and the schools and colleges worked together: “The partnership has a clear and ambitious vision for sustained excellence and is clearly focused on further improving high quality provision and outcomes for trainees and pupils in schools. The partnership harbours no hint of complacency or excuse.”

Matthew Connor-Hemming, assistant headteacher (external relations) at Blue Coat CofE School & Music College said: “A significant number of teaching staff initially trained at Warwick, and have since benefited from the continued professional development provided through engagement with initial teacher training and other outreach programmes. The impact of this engagement, and the involvement of our staff in the collaborative approach to partnership which the CPE promotes, has been profound, particularly in developing exceptional learning experiences for our pupils.”

Dr Fergus McKay, Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning, said: “This is a great accomplishment and I would like to take this opportunity to praise the FE teacher training and admin support team in the Centre for Lifelong Learning and colleagues in our partner colleges for their hard work.”

You can find out more about the wider activities of CPE here:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cpe/

For further details please contact:

Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Policy, University of Warwick,
Tel UK: 024 76523708 office 07767 655860 mobile
Tel Overseas: +44 (0)24 76523708 office +44 (0)7767 655860 mobile/cell
Email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk Twitter @peterjdunn

PR1 5^th January 2016 PJD