University of Cumbria in discussions with University College London to support delivery of Initial Teacher Education in the region

Last week, University of Cumbria (UoC) hosted a two day visit for colleagues from IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society to discuss how the partnership might work in practice.

During the visit, which took place on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 January, colleagues from UoC and UCL, explored how the partnership could draw on the capacity and capability of both organisations, in relation to high quality teacher education including ITE. 

Director of University of Cumbria’s Institute of Education, Dr Ruth Harrison-Palmer said: “This unique collaboration opportunity presents us with an exciting route to continue to provide our county and communities with quality teachers to equip our young people with the skills and confidence to thrive.

“It was great to host UCL colleagues last week where we discussed how we can challenge and learn from each other by bringing together teacher education from each organisation, to strengthen the work of both.

“Working together, each organisation would benefit from the partnership, as would the schools and partners we work with across the regions in which we operate. 

“UCL shares our core mission and values, they are an internationally recognised and world leading institution and we are intent on maximising the benefits of a partnership approach, not least for Cumbria and our wider communities.”

UCL's IOE was named number one for Education in the QS World University Rankings by subject for the ninth year in a row in 2022.

Professor of Education at IOE, Professor Clare Brooks said: “We are very pleased to be working with the University of Cumbria as we scope the potential for a strategic partnership, focused on developing teachers and teacher education.

“We have been involved in initial teacher education for 120 years now and we’re interested in how really exciting partnerships like this one can help us to develop our practice and understanding of ITE going forwards. 

“University of Cumbria has got such a great base in the region, it’s got a great understanding of what Cumbria needs, and what Cumbria wants, and we’re really excited to be working with colleagues around that.

“Our ambition is for such a partnership to develop and support exceptional quality teacher education for all, but particularly for the benefit of Cumbria, its young people and communities.”

With a long history of training tomorrow’s teachers, if you walk into a school in Cumbria and north Lancashire, there’s a very high chance you will meet a University of Cumbria-trained teacher. The same is true of east London where the percentage in some boroughs is an impressive 70% as a result of the University of Cumbria’s specialist teacher training campus based there.

Dr Ruth Harrison-Palmer concluded by saying: “As one of the largest providers of teacher education in the UK, with a strong reputation that spans more than 100 years, from Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside to St Martin's College in Lancaster, University of Cumbria has a long and rich legacy of training teachers.

“And I’m really excited to see what the partnership might bring, not just for the institute of education, but for the wider university as whole.”

Watch Dr Ruth Harrison-Palmer discuss the collaboration opportunity.