University News Last updated 14 May 2013
As part of national reforms to help end disadvantage in schools, Birmingham City University is to create a new generation of passionate teachers who will go into low income communities to inspire young people in the classroom.
This comes following news that Birmingham City University has won a prestigious contract to be the West Midlands regional provider for the pioneering education charity, Teach First.
The University was recognised for achievements as one of the leading providers of primary and secondary teacher training in the UK, training more teachers than any other university in the West Midlands. Due to the University’s capacity to be able to train large numbers of students; it is anticipated over 185 students from the Teach First cohort will be taught at the institution this year on the Initial Teacher Training course, with numbers rising over the next two years.
Janet Hoskyns, Head of School of Education at Birmingham City University, said: “We are thrilled to have won this tender as it fits so well with our own mission to support and work with local schools, ensuring that the highest possible standards of education can be modelled.
“We have an excellent track record in this area, having worked with Teach First on a smaller scale previously. This will offer us additional opportunities and we look forward to playing a much bigger part in the whole programme.”
In order to achieve Qualified Teacher Status, the accreditation needed to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales, students need to need to complete a period of initial teacher training (ITT). Birmingham City University’s ITT courses cover the entire range of school phases from early years to post-compulsory education, at every study level from undergraduate to PhD.
Reuben Moore, Acting Director of Leadership at Teach First, said: “All our providers share Teach First’s passion and purpose to address educational disadvantage. This partnership will deepen our relationship with schools; tailoring the ITT to the needs of the pupils and allowing schools to contribute to and inform our training.
“We believe that by having an increased accountability for the training of our teachers we can make an even greater impact for the pupils and schools we work with. We will be continuing to work in close collaboration with education professionals who are already delivering great work in schools to end educational disadvantage.”
Teach First is a charity that works to ensure that all children, regardless of their family income, receive a first class education. The charity partners with some of the country’s leading universities to train inspirational primary and secondary school teachers. They recruit, train and support graduates as teachers to work in schools in low income communities.
Since launching in 2002 the charity has successfully placed more than 3,700 teachers in schools across the UK, who have gone on to teach and inspire more than 400,000 young people in disadvantaged communities. In 2012 the organisation was ranked third in The Times list of the Top 100 graduate employers, proving that teaching is a hugely popular career choice for graduates.