University receives good Ofsted report for teacher training

Birmingham Newman University has been recognised by Ofsted as a good provider of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) following its most recent inspection.

The Ofsted inspection took place in March 2024 and found that in the Faculty of Education, Primary and Secondary ITE demonstrated a good outcome in all three inspected categories; overall effectiveness, quality of education and training, and leadership and management.

The inspection said that for primary teacher training the university supports "trainees’ well-being as a central part of the university’s work, and "staff offer appropriate and wide-ranging support for any trainees who struggle and the pastoral offer is comprehensive. Trainees appreciate and value this. They feel listened to and part of the Birmingham Newman family."

For the secondary programme, the Ofsted report stated that "The ITE secondary programme is securely based on a vision of ‘changing lives, shaping futures’. The university has designed a course that models and teaches high ambition, inclusive practice, and secure subject knowledge."

Dr Joanne Hill, associate dean at Birmingham Newman University said: "The Ofsted report findings are a reflection of the hard work staff at Birmingham Newman University put into their work to support our trainee teachers.

“Our staff and partners in schools and colleges go the extra mile to ensure we have great qualified teachers, and the Ofsted report shows how much we aim to ensure our trainees get the best experience on and off campus."

This accolade comes after Birmingham Newman University was named ‘number one in the UK for full-time student satisfaction’ in the 2023 National Student Survey, which gathers students’ opinions on the quality of their courses and enjoys consistently high response rates, while also being ranked first in England for social inclusion.