Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) welcomed senior representatives from the Department for Education to present its plans to provide Initial Teacher Training (ITT) degrees from September 2024.
Juliet Chua CB, Director General for Schools Group of the Department for Education and colleagues visited ARU to meet Vice Chancellor Professor Roderick Watkins and Director of Initial Teacher Training, Jenny Fogarty to discuss ARU’s plans to become a full provider of ITT.
ARU was ranked in the top 10 best UK universities for Education courses in the 2023 Guardian university league table and the Government representatives were keen to learn more about ARU's existing courses and the development of its curriculum to now include teacher training programmes.
Following their successful bid to the Department for Education as part of the ITT Market Review in 2022, ARU will launch ITT in September 2024. As the only new Higher Education Institution to be accredited, the team from the DfE were keen to learn more about the steps ARU are taking to prepare for training the next generation of teachers as it develops the new BEd (Hons) Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
ARU plans to offer ITT qualifications at its campuses in Chelmsford and Cambridge, as well as at ARU Peterborough.
ARU already works with SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training) providers across the region to train hundreds of teachers within schools across the East of England every year. ARU provides the academic Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) qualification, while the trainees achieve their QTS with the school-based providers. The new accreditation will allow students to achieve the QTS qualification at ARU as part of their course.
ARU will continue and build on these existing partnerships, with school placements being a key element of the new courses.
Jenny Fogarty, Director of Initial Teacher Training at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Juliet Chua and her team to ARU to discuss our ambitious plans for Initial Teacher Training. The discussion covered important issues such as how we are developing an innovative curriculum fit for 21st century classrooms, our collaborative approach working alongside partner schools, and our role in supporting the sector recruit and retain excellent teachers who are passionate about making a difference to children's lives.”
