Regional centre status for University

The University’s School of Education has been named as the West Midlands Regional Centre for the Cambridge Primary Review (CPR), an independent enquiry into the condition and future of English primary education.

A launch event for the regional centre will take place at the Walsall Campus on Monday, 7 March 2011 from 1.30pm to 4pm. West Midlands teachers will be sharing ideas for curriculum planning and the event will focus on communication, creativity and mapping.

The West Midlands Regional Centre will focus on collaborative activities between the 14 West Midlands local authorities, and will be co-ordinated by Senior Lecturer Diane Swift.

Diane said: “The University of Wolverhampton is thrilled to be supporting such powerful ambitions for primary education. OFSTED recognised the quality of the School of Education’s Primary Partnerships in a recent report, and we look forward to helping our partners, primary teachers and education professionals to share ideas and resources.”

The Cambridge Primary Review is the most comprehensive enquiry into the condition and future of English primary education for over 40 years. Launched in 2006 under the direction of Professor Robin Alexander of the University of Cambridge, the review is now in its dissemination and networking phase, supported by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.

The CPR National Primary Network was set up as a direct response to requests from teachers and others following the publication of the review’s final report, Children, their World, their Education.

The aim of the Network, of which the West Midlands Regional Centre is a part, is to support and influence local and national policy development through exemplifying excellence in learning and teaching, empowering teachers and children and improving the quality of primary education experienced by the nation’s children, especially those who suffer disadvantage.

Further information on the CPR is available at www.primaryreview.org.uk

ENDS

For media inquiries please contact Vickie Warren in the University of Wolverhampton Media Relations Office on 01902 322736 or v.warren@wlv.ac.uk or Richard Margrave at The Cambridge Primary Review on 07789 692360 or Richard@margrave.co.uk