University to show off its links with schools
Sam Twiselton
A Lancaster university’s links with local schools will be put under Government scrutiny.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb is visiting the University of Cumbria’s Faculty of Education at the Lancaster campus on Monday.
The trip has been organised to showcase the faculty’s acclaimed Learning Partnership model which develops ways of working with schools, academies, local authorities, private companies and professional organisations across the region and internationally.
Dean of the Faculty of Education, Dr Sam Twiselton said: “We are extremely proud of the Learning Partnership model and are delighted to have this opportunity to demonstrate its value and success to the Minister for Schools.”
She added: “The University of Cumbria is at the forefront of innovation in teacher education and this is just one example of our developmental work within the sector.”
During his visit to the area the minister will have a chance to tour one of the university’s partner schools.
He will also officially open a new joint modern foreign languages facility in Dallam where University of Cumbria teacher training students will be based throughout their course from later this year.
The aim is to keep the students in a school environment throughout their studies so that once they graduate as newly qualified teachers and enter the profession, they will have developed the extra confidence and skills to go straight into a class.
MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron will accompany the minister.
He said: “I want the minister to take away from here, the first class model we have between our university and our schools and spread the model across the country.”
He added: “It’s vital that the Government sees what we do here has a potential blue-print for other school partnerships with higher education.”
The University of Cumbria is one of Britain’s newest universities, but its history dates back more than 150 years.
The new institution was formed in 2007 from Cumbria Institute of the Arts, St Martin’s College in Lancaster and the Cumbrian campus of UCLan.
The main Lancaster campus houses the former St Martin’s college which is England’s largest provider of Initial Teacher Training courses in primary education and a key provider of secondary training.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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