THE UNIVERSITY of Worcester, one of the UK’s biggest educators of teachers, has been praised as “exceptional” and rated Outstanding by a large team of His Majesty’s and Ofsted inspectors, in what a former Secretary of State for Education described as “simply the best”.
The University of Worcester’s education of future primary and secondary teachers has been given the highest possible grade with inspectors stating that, along with its partners, the University creates “a learning community that places children at the heart of everyone’s endeavours”.
The Rt. Hon. Justine Greening, prominent campaigner for social mobility, former Cabinet Minister and Secretary of State for Education, said: “Providing the very best teacher training for the next generation of teachers is crucial for giving children the best start at schools all over the region.
“Outstanding education only happens with outstanding teachers, which is why Worcester’s teacher training matters so much.”
She added: “It is simply the best teacher training in Primary and Secondary that the University Worcester provides according to this report by His Majesty’s and Ofsted Inspectors.”
Catriona Robinson, Head of the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester, said: “We are very proud of our exceptional trainees, our wonderful early career teachers and our excellent, committed partner schools and Trusts. We hope this report will lead to many more people coming forward to train with us so that, in turn, they can experience the joy of making the difference for children as a truly top teacher.”
Worcester MP Robin Walker, Chair of the Education Select Committee and a former Schools Minister, added: “High quality teacher training is essential to ensuring that pupils can learn and achieve and there is ample evidence to show that well trained teachers make a huge difference to outcomes.”
He added: “This outstanding rating from Ofsted confirms that Worcester is one of the leading centres for teacher training in the country and that the experience it supports is both exceptional and child centred.”
The University of Worcester and its teacher training partnership, which includes nearly 500 schools across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, the Black Country and Birmingham, has received the very best ‘Outstanding’ mark possible. The Ofsted report is arguably one of the most glowing on teacher training for Primary and Secondary teachers this century.
The official report opens: “Trainees benefit from an exceptional learning experience at Worcester University. This experience instils in them a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference to the lives of the children in the communities they serve.”
The Inspectors repeatedly praise the University’s staff, school mentors and leaders for their work on vital aspects of teacher training including, trainees learning how to teach children to read; managing behaviour; maintaining good mental health; safeguarding; catering for children with special educational needs and every other essential aspect of becoming a teacher, including managing workload.
The Inspectors conclude: “By the end of their experience at Worcester University, trainees are exceptionally well prepared to enter the teaching profession.”
This work by local schools and the University benefits everyone involved and has a truly beneficial impact at scale. The Inspectors commented: “The ITE (Initial Teacher Education) primary partnership is a learning community that places children at the heart of everyone’s endeavours.”
The inspection result makes Worcester the only university in the West Midlands – and only the second in the Country – whose primary and secondary teacher training programmes have been rated Outstanding post pandemic. The University of Worcester is one of the largest as well as the best teacher educators in the Country, educating 777 trainees and working with 471 schools at the time of inspection.
Professor David Green CBE, DL, the University of Worcester’s Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive said: “Thanks to the brilliant, inspiring work of university staff and partners, Worcester has been officially recognised as one of the very best institutions at which to train to teach in the whole of the UK. There is a desperate teacher shortage across the country. I hope this outstanding report will encourage many more people to come forward to train to teach, confident in the knowledge that Worcester and our wonderful school partners will provide exceptional support to enable them to become first-rate, confident, successful professionals and the truly inspiring teachers the country’s children need and deserve.”
The University of Worcester has been educating professionals to work in schools for over 75 years, since being established as an Emergency Teacher Training college in 1946 to tackle the teacher shortage after the Second World War. Trainees spend half their studies teaching classes in nearly 500 placements schools stretching from Somerset to the Black Country and Birmingham.
Ann Jordan, University Provost and former school leader, said: “Teacher training is in our DNA at Worcester. We believe passionately in the ability of education to transform lives. We know that a great teacher can shape who we are; can open our minds; help us to learn about the world and importantly, about ourselves. As Albert Einstein said: “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
“We are incredibly proud to have achieved Outstanding in our latest Ofsted inspection and are grateful to our very many partners in schools, early years setting and colleges with whom we work. We could not have achieved this without them. Training the best teachers requires outstanding partnerships and we are committed to building on this success.”
Commenting on the University’s Primary provision, the Inspectors said: “The university is an exciting and inspiring place for trainee primary teachers to study.”
And on its Secondary provision, they wrote: “Leaders across the secondary phase have established a truly high-quality provision. From subject tutors to subject mentors, everyone has an unequivocal understanding of their role in helping to develop trainees.”
The Inspectors also praised the way the University teaches trainees to manage classrooms, commenting: “All trainees are well prepared to manage pupils’ behaviour. In the primary and secondary phases, this aspect of the course is exceptional.”
Across all the phases of education inspected, the Inspectors found that at the University of
Worcester “Leaders pay serious attention to transforming trainees into passionate teachers determined to raise the aspirations of the pupils, students and learners they teach.”
