Students at Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form, who are taking part in its innovative Pre-Teaching programme, have been learning about the importance of Ofsted in education.
Following on from the success of its inaugural pre-professional programme for Medicine, Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form has since launched similar programmes for Teaching, Journalism and Law. These programmes are designed to help dedicated students gain a better insight into their preferred profession and prepare them for applying to university in their second year.
The Pre-Teaching group have met regularly through the year, to learn more about the roles of a teacher in primary, secondary and tertiary education and how they differ. They’ve also learnt about classroom management and dyslexia and other learning difficulties.
In their most recent session, the students met with College Principal Lyn Surgeon to find out more about Ofsted and its role in education. As an Ofsted Inspector herself, the Principal was able to give students real examples of good and bad practise and explain in detail the important role that Ofsted has in improving the standards of education in the UK.
Sue Wilkinson, who leads the Pre-Professional Teaching programme at the College said, “So far the students have taken part in a number of sessions with guest speakers, all aimed at giving them a preview of some of the issues they will come across if they are interested in joining the profession. In addition, the majority of the students now have a placement in local schools or in college to give them some voluntary work experience. This will give them a real insight into the day to day working life of a teacher and help guide them in the decision as to whether the profession is right for them. All this preparation should be a great advantage to them when it comes time to apply to university.”
