The West Midlands Consortium (WMC) was established as a School Centred Initial Teacher Training provider (SCITT) in 1993 at Thomas Telford School (TTS), the Lead School for the Consortium. Design &Technology (D&T) was introduced in the first year and Physical Education (PE) added the following year. The D&T route was validated by Roehampton University and PE by the University of Wolverhampton. In 1999, Information Communication Technology was added to the subject areas and validated through Roehampton University (RU). The WMC works in close collaboration with Staffordshire University and the PGCE programme is now validated by them.
The WMC is currently based in 31 schools across the West Midlands region and linking with eight Local Authorities. Partnership has been carefully developed to ensure a high level of provision across a wide diversity of schools in each subject area. The Consortium partnership includes a CTC, 3 Academies and a number of Specialist Schools including Sports, Technology, Performing Arts, Business and Enterprise and Science.
A major aim for the Consortium is to ‘grow its own’ teachers to help with the recruitment of able teachers in key subject areas such as D&T. There is a strong pattern for the recruitment, progression and retention of trainees through QTS to their First Destinations within the Consortium. The Training and Development Agency’s (TDA) allocation targets have been successfully met across the Consortium for the last four years. D&T has an allocation of 12 places per year and offers training across the four Design and Technology Association’s four specialisms. The WMC's statistics demonstrate an exceptionally high success rate with a below average withdrawal rates and level of fail. A very high percentage of trainees, over the past five years, have been in post ready for the start of the academic year immediately following their graduation from the PGCE programme.
There is a long tradition and a very high level of WMC trainees gaining teaching posts within the Consortium’s group of schools. Quite a number have gained promotion within these schools. This indicates the high level of support and commitment given by the Consortium along with the Professional Tutors and Subject Mentors in schools. The Consortium frequently receives requests from other schools to join the partnership, especially where former trainees gain promoted posts within their subject areas.
D&T recruits from a wide age range, often with applicants having gained experience of working in industry or commerce; there are also students who come directly from university.
Teaching of the PGCE is based at Thomas Telford School where there are excellent D&T studios and workshop as well as general teaching facilities including a dedicated ICT suite.
The last Ofsted inspection, in 2007/08, awarded WMC a Grade 1 ‘Outstanding’ for its Management and Quality Assurance.
The WMC has been involved with the GTP for 8 years. The WMC was successfully validated by the Training and Development Agency as an Employment Based Initial Teacher Training (EBITT) provider at the first attempt. The WMC currently has an allocation of 19 places on the GTP. These are allocated across a wide range of subject areas from the TDA’s Priority and non-Priority subject groups. Typically, about 17 WMC partnership schools have Graduate Trainees at any one time.
The WMC receives a high level of applications based on personal recommendations along with the reputation of WMC and Thomas Telford School.
The Consortium has a Virtual Learning Environment which is used to provide easy access to course materials, handbooks, pro formas, assignment guidance etc.
Application Forms and details about the post can be obtained from The Director of Teacher Training, Alan Fowler, West Midlands Consortium, Thomas Telford School, Old Park, Telford, TF3 4NW.
Tel: 01952 200000
Closing date for applications is Friday 19 February 2010