Wednesday, 04 May 2022
The University of Nottingham’s teacher training courses have retained their ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted following a routine inspection.
All areas of the university’s Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provisions were rated ‘Outstanding’ after seven of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector visited 11 secondary schools and seven primary schools in March 2022.
The news comes after reports that 40 per cent of institutions inspected so far under the new Ofsted framework have been downgraded – to date, in this round of inspections, the University of Nottingham is the only university to receive an ‘Outstanding’ rating.
The university’s School of Education offers three ITE courses aimed at prospective teachers: Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Primary, PGCE Secondary and PGCE School Direct.
Every year the university welcomes more than 200 prospective teachers to Nottingham, with the vast majority of those graduating going on to be employed in East Midlands schools.
Professor Volker Wedekind, Head of the School of Education at the University of Nottingham, said: “We are extremely proud to have been recognised at the highest level for our ‘exceptional curriculum taught by experts’ as well as for our passion for teaching and support for students."
Most of our qualified teachers go on to teach in schools in the East Midlands and this should provide parents, carers, school children and head teachers with the knowledge that the university provides high quality teachers locally. It’s vitally important that we retain this talent in the East Midlands to help contribute to the region’s bright future.
Professor Todd Landman, Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Social Sciences, said: “I am absolutely delighted with the Ofsted rating of Outstanding for our Initial Teaching Education programme in the School of Education. The School of Education is very highly regarded nationally and internationally, appearing in the QS Top 50, and combines its commitment to high quality education and research with its commitment to valued partnerships throughout the local and regional school system."
The Director of the ITE programme Stefanie Sullivan and her team, along with the Head of School, Professor Volker Wedekind, have provided tremendous leadership in creating the appropriate environment and supporting mechanisms for the success of the programme, which has been recognised in the Ofsted Report.
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More information is available from Professor Volker Wedekind in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham at Volker.Wedekind@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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