Top grade for teacher training

An Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) inspection has placed secondary teacher training at Edge Hill among the best in the country.

The Ormskirk based higher education institution was awarded grade 1 for its Management and Quality Assurance for Initial Teacher Training in secondary education. This latest review means that Edge Hill is officially a grade 1 provider of teacher training for both the primary and secondary sectors.

The Government?s education watchdog also awarded grade 1 for training in Religious Education and grade 2 for Information Communication Technology.

Edge Hill?s Dean of the Faculty of Education, Robert Smedley is delighted with the outcome of these recent inspections: "I always welcome official recognition of the quality of our teacher training programmes, but to have achieved the best grade for both primary and secondary education is particularly pleasing. "

Edge Hill is the largest provider of secondary initial teacher training in the country and enjoys an enviable reputation for quality in all its training programmes.

The report on the inspection highlighted several areas of good practice. It said: "The college has, since the last inspection, made very good progress in promoting minority ethnic recruitment. Targets for minority ethnic recruitment have been exceeded."

Partnership work with schools was also praised: "At the heart of the partnership is a group of good, effective schools providing very good placements and consistent support for trainees. Many of the schools in the partnership are becoming increasingly involved in teacher training through their work with the college." ENDS