University of Chester celebrates “outstanding” verdict on tacher training courses

Aug 12 2010 Chester Chronicle

THE Faculty of Education and Children’s Services at the University of Chester is celebrating an “outstanding” outcome of its recent Ofsted inspection of initial teacher training.

Her Majesty’s Inspectors focused on all the teacher training programmes the university offers and concluded that the primary phase teacher training programmes are “outstanding”, graded 1.

The secondary programmes are graded “good” with outstanding features.

Initial teacher education for the further education system in partnership with the university’s Associate Colleges of Warrington Collegiate and West Cheshire was graded as “good”.

Particular features of the provision offered include:

High levels of academic and pastoral care for trainees resulting in high levels of achievement.

Effective central and school-based training and very good use of school and college based colleagues to deliver training.

Key strengths in the primary phase include: Innovative, determined and highly effective leadership and management of the primary phase with a clear focus on improving communication, strengthening partnership with schools and raising attainment.