Outstanding Teacher Training at Cambridge

The publication of the 2011 Ofsted inspection report into the Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) at the Faculty of Education has concluded that the course is outstanding on every one of 22 inspection criteria, and uniquely, offered no recommendations for consideration or further action. The inspectors reported that the Cambridge PGCE ensures "high quality training is immersed in research and current practice enabling trainees to become critically reflective practitioners and employable classroom teachers." The Cambridge PGCE is built on the Cambridge Model of School and University Partnerships for the provision of initial and continuing teacher education and training, which the inspectors identified as a key feature of the course, "based on positive relationships, mutual respect, high expectations, a pursuit for excellence and a detailed and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of teaching." Mike Younger, Head of Faculty, said "This is a remarkable outcome, and testimony to the quality of the partnership between the Faculty and local schools. " "It is the fourth successive inspection, going back to 1997, in which the Faculty of Education has been confirmed as an outstanding national provider of ITET, and we are delighted on behalf of our colleagues, trainees and partnership schools in the region with whom we work." The Faculty of Education provides early years (3-7 years), primary (5-9 and 7-11 years) and secondary (11-19 years) qualified teacher status (QTS) programmes at postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE) level.