Teach First partnership with leading teacher training providers

20 January 2011

 

LJMU will be working with North West Lead Regional Provider, The University of Manchester. 

The 14 universities, who secured the opportunity to work with Teach First following a competitive process led by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) and Teach First, are all leading Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers.

The tender process saw both existing and new providers, who are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted, bid to provide the ITT for the 2011-2014 cohorts of Teach First teachers. The successful universities, which were drawn from across England, demonstrated their capacity to train increasingly large numbers of Teach First teachers and their commitment to a partnership with the charity.

The university training partners will begin work with the Teach First teachers in their region from the start of the six-week ‘Summer Institute’ in June, until the completion of their PGCE and award of QTS after a year. The teachers also have the option of working towards a Masters qualification with selected universities commencing during their second year of training. Teach First’s move into the primary sector, which will see it roll out a bespoke primary training model in London, the East Midlands and the West Midlands, saw it target universities that possess a wealth of primary education expertise to train up to 50 new teachers. The charity’s expansion into the primary sector comes on the back of a successful three-year pilot scheme and extended consultation with primary heads and leading primary education experts.

Kate Johnston, Dean of the Faculty of Education at LJMU said:

“The selection of Liverpool John Moores University as a partner with the University of Manchester to continue to run Teach First’s Initial Teacher Training programme in the North West of England confirms LJMU’s position as a key player in teacher education in the region. Our most recent OfSTED inspection recognised that we provide outstanding, innovative experiences for trainee teachers and our engagement with “Teach First” is an example of this. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Teach First and schools on Merseyside and beyond and to supporting of the outstanding young graduates on the programme who make such a massive positive contribution to the wellbeing of schools and children in the region.”

Speaking on the appointment of the university training providers, Amanda Timberg, Director of Leadership Development at Teach First, said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with these 14 exceptional and highly regarded ITT providers, not least as we prepare to expand our work into the North East of England and further into primary education. Teach First’s training must be of the highest possible standard to make sure we get the very best out of our teachers, helping them to develop the skills to unlock the potential and raise the aspirations of their students, enabling them to achieve regardless of the circumstances."

Teach First is an independent charity which works to improve the life chances of children from the most deprived backgrounds. In the short term it does this by recruiting exceptional graduates to teach and lead in schools in challenging circumstances across the country. In the long term Teach First is creating a movement of leaders who are committed to influencing systemic change in education, from both inside and outside the classroom.

For more information visit http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/TFHome/index.aspx