WIRRAL Met College has been recognised as 'Ofsted Outstanding' for teacher training as part of its partnership with Edge Hill University.

The University was awarded the highest grade for ‘overall effectiveness’ across primary, secondary, and further education and training – inspectors judged the quality of education, and leadership and management to be outstanding.

The sector-leading news recognises the commitment of Edge Hill - the largest initial teacher education (ITE) provider in the North West and Wirral Met College - to deliver the highest quality education and support for its trainee teachers.

Wirral Met College and Edge Hill University teamed up to offer two new teaching courses from September 2023 with a focus on developing the further education workforce in Wirral and beyond.

Both institutions share a common understanding of the power of education to enhance life chances and offer opportunities for all.

During Edge Hill’s recent inspection the provision delivered at and by Wirral Met was inspected as part of Edge Hill’s provision and graded ‘outstanding’ alongside the University’s further education age phase.

Dr Helen O’Keeffe, associate dean for Faculty of Education at Edge Hill, said: "We are extremely proud of our partnership with Wirral Met College and delighted that our recent Ofsted inspection recognised the outstanding quality of our Further Education programmes delivered there and on campus at Edge Hill.

"We firmly believe in the transformational nature of education and the importance of this being available in local communities to meet local need.

"I would like to thank the college for their unwavering commitment to this partnership and to the students they serve."

Gill Banks, principal and chief executive of Wirral Met College, said: "Our strength as a provider of Higher Education courses comes from the strong partnerships we have developed with leading universities such as Edge Hill.

"Their support and engaged approach to the transformational journey of our students and commitment to the local community is evident in the quality of our educational offer.

"We are delighted to be recognised as part of the Ofsted award of Outstanding and look forward to continuing our close working partnership with Edge Hill."