The learning environment is supportive and teaching strategies are andragogical, drawing on innovative and diverse approaches to teaching and learning. The learner is expected to grow in confidence and self-awareness, to take responsibility for her personal and professional development. She then emerges into the practice arena as a life-long learner; confident, competent and accountable for her own practice as a midwife meeting the challenges of contemporary practice.

The course has a modular structure, allowing for breadth and depth in knowledge and skills acquisition. It consists of blocks of study followed by blocks of clinical practice and is composed of approximately 50% theory and 50% clinical placement.

Clinical placements:

Students of this course benefit from a variety of clinical placements, something not always offered on similar courses elsewhere, which is highly advantageous to the developing midwifery practitioner.

Our placements include: working in a midwifery team; case holding practice; smaller midwifery units in hospital and community; a regional midwifery unit. Clinical placements are selected to match the course philosophy and the student’s needs. Students are encouraged to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to the development of clinical skills.

The course is being revalidated for 2007 and the new modules will appear here shortly. The number of students accepted on the course directly reflects the number of job vacancies that exist for midwives, as stated by NHS Trusts.