The Woodlands Centre, Chorley

EDGE Hill, in partnership with Lancashire Local Education Authority, has been awarded £1.3 million to fund an innovative scheme to support teachers' professional development.

The new programmes will benefit nearly 2,500 teachers in primary and secondary schools across the county over the next three years.

Edge Hill is already a significant provider of continuing professional development (CPD) to teachers from Lancashire and other areas, through courses based at its campus at Woodlands, Chorley.

But this new money, from the Teacher Training Agency, will allow it to offer more closely targeted in-service training to meet individual teachers' needs.

Head of Education at Edge Hill, Robert Smedley, said: "Working with Lancashire Education Authority we will be able to deliver accredited continuing professional development courses specifically designed for the needs of the schools in Lancashire and their teachers."

There are several innovative features to the way the new programmes will be developed and delivered.

Mr Smedley said: "We intend to set up a helpline so that teachers in schools in Lancashire will be able to ring up to get information about the courses we offer but also to tell us about their needs.

"Because we are specifically linked with Lancashire we can find out what the teachers and schools need, look at their developmental plans for the coming years and try to link what we provide with where they are wanting to go."

Targeting teachers' needs

In addition, new ways of delivering the training will be explored. Mr Smedley said: "Schools are very busy environments and staff time is valuable. It is therefore essential that any CPD work undertaken is effective but at the same time efficiently delivered.

"With this in mind it is our aim to provide teachers with e-learning opportunities, provide opportunities for follow-up work and reflection via the web and provide flexible assessment systems that take into account the busy lives of teachers.

"We will also provide accreditation for various aspects of work undertaken as part of staff development and ensure that opportunities are relevant to national needs and the needs of the school and individual."

It is hoped the scheme will help improve teacher retention rates. Mr Smedley said: "Keeping teachers in the industry is a problem nationally and what we are hoping to do is improve that situation by targeting the needs of teaching staff."

Information on CPD courses at Edge Hill is available by ringing 01695 584262 or visiting the Edge Hill website at www.edgehill.ac.uk

Mark Flinn

The QAA assessed a number of courses run by the School of Education, including BA (Hons) Education and Literacy, BA/BSc Education Studies, the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Degree Supervision, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning Support and Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Clinical Practice.

It awarded top marks in every aspect - adding up to the maximum possible score of 24/24.

The inspectors praised the "enthusiastic and committed" staff team, and the "dynamic, responsive and contemporary" curricula, and said the courses reflected well the changing nature and demands of students and wider professional concerns.

They described the teaching and learning strategy as "effective and innovative" and said students considered Ormskirk a "friendly, supportive and caring environment which gave them confidence to engage in their academic work."

Edge Hill's commitment to widening participation and well-exercised quality management and enhancement systems were also praised.

Director of Academic Affairs and Quality Management, Mark Flinn, said: "This judgement puts Edge Hill at the very top of the provision in Education Studies programmes and is a fitting testament to the quality of our tutors, the learning resources available and the hard work of our students.

"Furthermore, it builds on our other excellent subject reviews in recent years. Organismal Biosciences achieved a score of 23 out of 24, and the areas of Nursing and Midwifery and Psychology 22 out of 24.

"Edge Hill also receives consistently high ratings from student support and guidance and learning resources."