This was a project supported by the University’s teaching and development fund to develop M level courses for new teachers. The project included focus groups and interviews with new teachers and identified a range of factors which inhibited these teachers from taking M level courses. It was suggested that future provision needed to be

• firmly rooted in classroom and school based issues
• integrated as far as possible in the normal cycle of teachers’ professional development
• flexible in time so that teachers do not need to visit the university week by week
• flexible in qualification outcome so that teachers can receive credit for completion of part of the degree
• collaborative so that teachers need to observe and report on the practice and opinions of other teachers
• make use of new technologies where appropriate

Several options for developing course were discussed and a new route through the M Level programme developed.