University of the West of England

Initial Teacher Education inspection report

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Provider address Department of Education Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY

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Unique reference number Inspection number Inspection dates Lead inspector 28 February–4 March 2011 Anne Looney HMI achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. www.ofsted.gov.uk Reference no. 080190

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Introduction

1. This inspection was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspectors, supported by a team of specialist inspectors in accordance with the Framework for the Inspection of Initial Teacher Education (2008-11).

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Introduction

2. The inspection draws upon evidence from all aspects of the provision to make judgements against all parts of the inspection evaluation schedule in the framework. Inspectors focused on the overall effectiveness of the training in supporting high quality outcomes for trainees and the capacity of the partnership to bring about further improvements. A summary of the grades awarded is included at the end of this report.

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Key to inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate

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Explanation of terms used in this report

Attainment is defined as the standard reached by a trainee at the end of their training. Progress is judged in terms of how well a trainee has developed professionally from their starting point to the standard reached at the time of the inspection or at a suitable review point. Achievement is judged in terms of the progress made and the standard reached by a trainee at the time of the inspection or at a recent assessment review point.

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The provider

3. The University of the West of England is a well-established provider of initial teacher education. It offers a range of programmes leading to qualified teacher status (QTS) for those wishing to teach in primary and secondary schools and a variety of qualifications for those teaching, or planning to teach, in the further education (FE) sector. There are undergraduate and postgraduate routes for both early years and primary age ranges. Secondary provision is offered in nine subjects. Trainees within the FE sector undertake either pre-service or in- service training, with the latter constituting the majority group. Further details on the provision in each phase are given in the relevant sector of this report.

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The provider

4. There has been significant restructuring at the university and a new Department of Education has been created. This brings together, under one head of department, the former Department of Primary, Early Childhood and Education Studies and that of Secondary Education and Lifelong Learning. This is facilitating greater cross-phase collaboration. The partnership is geographically wide but the department has particularly strong links with schools in Bristol. The university is a sponsor of three of the eight academies in the city and a trustee of all three trust schools. At FE level, the university is a key partner in the University of the West of England Federation, which is a strategic partnership between the university and FE colleges in the south west region.

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A commentary on the provision

5. The following are particularly strong features of the provider across all of its initial teacher education programmes.

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A commentary on the provision

 The high level of reflection exhibited by the trainees and their willingness to engage with up-to-date research and to involve themselves in peer and/or collaborative learning.  The strong partnerships which underpin all programmes and which demonstrate the provider’s active involvement with the local and regional educational communities, the recognition of local and regional needs and the effective use made of partners to support all initial teacher education remits.  The commitment of the provider to the continuing professional development of all partners.

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A commentary on the provision

6. There are particularly strong features in some programmes that could be applied to other programmes or aspects of the provision.

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A commentary on the provision

 The very effective and systematic analysis of data to inform decision making and plan for improvement found in the primary and secondary programmes.  The robustness of the quality assurance process pursued by secondary leaders to ensure that mentors are of consistently high quality.  The rigour with which equality of opportunity and diversity are promoted in all university-based programmes, although less consistently so in partner FE colleges.

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A commentary on the provision

7. The following recommendation should be considered to improve the quality of the outcomes for trainees.

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A commentary on the provision

 In order to accelerate the rate of trainees’ progress, the provider should ensure that trainees are set targets at all stages of their development which are specific and challenging and which secure the best possible progress towards the next stage.

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Context

8. The University of the West of England offers two three-year pathways to QTS in primary initial teacher training: the BA (Hons) in Early Years Education and the BA (Hons) in Primary Education. The university also offers a one-year postgraduate programme in primary education leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Education or a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. The postgraduate training route provides training for early years, primary later years, and primary later years with French or Spanish. At the time of the inspection, there were 451 undergraduate trainees and 90 postgraduate trainees on roll.

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Key strengths

the strong, responsive leadership which ensures that self-evaluation involves all partners and is based on the rigorous analysis of data on trainees’ outcomes over time the effective and efficient use of resources to achieve good and improving outcomes for trainees the high level of reflection exhibited by trainees and their positive response to the wide range of up-to-date and innovative training opportunities the rich diversity of the extended partnership that ensures trainees benefit from a wide range of training experiences the high level of support from school-based trainers and their commitment to working in close partnership with the university

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Recommendations

10. In order to improve trainees’ progress and attainment, the provider should:

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Recommendations

 provide more consistent and focused feedback on assignments so that trainees know what to do next to improve their learning  in feedback and assessment on school placements, improve consistency in the quality of feedback given to trainees on how well they are meeting the learning needs of all pupils and focusing on pupils’ progress in lessons.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

11. Trainees’ attainment is good and improving. In each of the last three years, over three quarters of trainees were judged to be good or better. There has been a marked trend of improvement in the attainment of both undergraduate and postgraduate trainees over the last two years. That trend is predicted to continue. The commitment of the provider to ensure that all trainees receive personalised training and support is clear. Trainees from under-represented groups achieve in line with their peers and there are no significant differences in outcomes for different groups. Current trainees benefit from working with expert practitioners who are knowledgeable in their field and from the opportunities to experience good practice in local schools. As a result, most gain in self-confidence and make good progress towards their challenging targets.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

12. Trainees are equipped with a thorough understanding of the attributes needed to become a successful teacher. The commitment of the partnership to effective primary and early years practice is leading to increasingly innovative opportunities for trainees to gain high quality teaching experiences. As a result, trainees say they are becoming confident in working with pupils with a range of abilities as well as gaining specific experience in the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and reading. Trainees are able to manage the behaviour in lessons and are developing well as reflective practitioners who benefit from the many regular opportunities to learn from each other.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

13. Recruitment and selection are effective and contribute well to the good attainment achieved by the large majority of trainees. Data show that completion rates for undergraduates in 2010 were broadly in line with the national average. Partnership schools play a significant role in interviews, and a commitment to social justice and equality of opportunity pervades the recruitment process; ways are often found to accept trainees from non- traditional backgrounds who demonstrate the potential to be good teachers. Partnership representatives endorse this approach and acknowledge the high quality of trainees and of those taking up posts in their schools.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

14. Expectations are high and trainees are keen to do well. They are well supported by school-based trainers who show a commitment to working in close partnership with the university in order to ensure trainees have every opportunity to make progress during their school placements. For their part, trainees take full advantage of the good range of teaching opportunities provided by schools. Visiting tutors provide good professional advice and help trainees to reflect on their practice. However, the feedback given to trainees on how well they are meeting the learning needs of pupils and focusing on pupils’ progress in lessons is not of a consistently high quality.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

15. Central training is characterised by the expert teaching by well-qualified and capable professionals, many of whom are current practitioners from within the partnership. The training programme is securely informed by current educational research and agreed best practice. The training also offers good opportunities for trainees to reflect upon their most recent teaching experiences. Course leaders are committed to providing high quality personalised education and training and are role models of good reflective practice. They are very responsive to trainees’ evaluations and, as a result, improvements have been made in the taught programme and in the organisational structure of the undergraduate programme. For example, trainees can now gain valuable first-hand experience of teaching reading and phonics in partner schools that are more representative of the rich diversity of the partnership.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

16. Trainees audit their skills as part of the induction process and at regular intervals throughout their training. The progress trainees make in developing their English skills is particularly well monitored, while the professional studies programme provides opportunities for them to develop and hone their knowledge and understanding of, for example, assessment for learning. Although detailed comments are provided by the university tutors on all written assignments, feedback does not always show what trainees need to do next so that they can take more control of their learning.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

17. Provision across the partnership is of good quality. The provider takes every opportunity to share best practice by drawing on the expertise and diversity of its partner schools and stakeholders. As a result, it possesses a clear and accurate knowledge of the community it serves and uses this information creatively to provide trainees with a breadth of high-quality learning experiences. For example, growing numbers of trainees gain first-hand experience of working with pupils from minority ethnic groups, or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or with English as an additional language. The provider also maintains excellent communications throughout the partnership so that school-based trainers have a very good understanding of their role and are well trained to support trainees’ progress.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

18. The provider’s creative and careful deployment of resources has led this year to postgraduate trainees receiving more focused support from their personal tutors. This has contributed to a significant acceleration in the progress trainees are making, with the result that current assessment data indicate that 57% of trainees are now on track to be outstanding by the time they complete their training.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

19. All trainees receive their entitlement to high quality training. There have been no reported incidences of harassment, bullying or intimidation. Trainees gain extensive experience of teaching pupils of different faiths, ethnicities and ages, and those with different disabilities, and this ensures that they are very well prepared to teach in a diverse society. Trainees are confident that any issues they have are dealt with promptly, sensitively and with an attitude of care. The careful allocation of resources has resulted in the provider being able to support some individual trainees with challenging circumstances to maintain and succeed in their school-based placements.

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Grade: 1

20. Senior leaders’ drive for continuous improvement is based securely on rigorous and accurate self-evaluation which is effectively embedded across the partnership and recognised as an essential vehicle for accelerating trainees’ acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding. Leaders at all levels analyse data and use the outcomes of their analysis creatively to find solutions to problems. As a result, the provider is able to identify a marked improvement in trainees’ outcomes, particularly in the current cohorts. Retention, successful completion and employment rates have also continued to improve.

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Grade: 1

21. Improvements to the procedures for monitoring trainees’ overall progress are having an impact on the quality of feedback, targets set for trainees and trainees’ rates of progress. Crucial to the success of the partnership are the excellent relationships between the university and schools. The monitoring of partnership schools is also robust and, when necessary, schools are deselected where concerns arise.

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Grade: 1

22. The university is highly effective in anticipating and responding to external change at national and local levels and trainees are provided with a very good understanding of national priorities. For example, the provider has responded creatively to ensuring primary trainees receive high quality training in the teaching of phonics and reading and has ensured that trainees’ professional development remains up to date. The impact of this training can be seen in trainees’ lesson planning and in their good grounding in primary subject knowledge.

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Grade: 1

23. Improvement plans are communicated effectively across the partnership. At the same time, information about trainees’ previous experience and development needs is more consistently shared with both class teachers and mentors in schools prior to placement. Senior leaders use evidence to identify key issues and take action to further improve outcomes. An example of this is the need to improve the quality of feedback to trainees to ensure that more complete their training with good or outstanding outcomes. In response to this, there has been a change to the structure of the personal tutoring system that is enabling undergraduates to keep the same tutor for two years and for postgraduates to be supported in smaller groups to discuss their progress and development, which is already having an impact.

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Context

24. The secondary programme offers routes leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Education or a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education in art and design, business education, design and technology, English, geography, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages and science. At the time of the inspection, there were 196 trainees. The provider currently works in partnership with around 120 schools, including a small number of sixth form and FE colleges.

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Key strengths

 the high quality recruitment and selection procedures that attract trainees with the personal characteristics and prior experiences that enable them to develop quickly into good and often outstanding teachers  the extensive and flexible range of subject knowledge enhancement programmes and pre-course tasks that ensure trainees make rapid progress prior to, and from, the start of the course  the high level of coherence between all aspects of training and the shared commitment to peer learning and innovative cross-curricular approaches that help trainees to develop into highly reflective and creative teachers  the strength of the partnership, which provides very effective support both for initial teacher education and for the professional development of staff in schools, and the commitment the university shows to working with a diverse range of schools in the region  the excellent use of human resources that ensures trainees are very

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Key strengths

effectively supported, retention rates are high and that all groups of trainees have equal opportunities to achieve  the commitment of mentors and senior professional tutors who provide trainees with excellent guidance, enabling them to make good progress and fulfil their potential as teachers, and the strength of the quality assurance by the provider which ensures that the quality of that school- based training remains high  the insightful use of stakeholder views and the sophisticated analysis of information about the quality of provision and trainee progress to inform decision making and plans for action that lead to strongly improving outcomes for trainees  the provider’s up-to-date knowledge of innovations in education, underpinned by its own research-based practice, which enables trainees to develop into highly employable teachers who meet the needs of the local, regional and national educational communities.

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Recommendations

26. In order to improve trainees’ progress and attainment further, the provider should:  continue to enhance the effectiveness of all school-based trainers by ensuring widespread formative and summative use of the trainee grade characteristics. Promote the consistent and targeted use of the recently developed prompts and support materials and set challenging written and verbal targets through the highest quality feedback.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

27. Trainees’ attainment is consistently good and there has been a marked trend of improvement over the previous three years. The proportion of trainees with outstanding attainment has risen from 23% to 40% while the proportion of trainees with satisfactory attainment has fallen from 18% to 9%. Moreover, attainment is improving across the full range of subjects. The overwhelming majority of trainees make good progress towards challenging targets. As a direct consequence of the very high quality of all aspects of the provision, retention is high and employment rates, including the proportion of trainees who take up post in partnership schools, are strong.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

28. Trainees often express a joyful enthusiasm about entering the teaching profession. They are deeply reflective and very keen to develop their subject knowledge and the skills they need to teach it. Frequently, they demonstrate their strong interpersonal skills through a confident classroom presence. They are resilient when managing behaviour in challenging environments and recognise the importance of working in different school settings. They learn exceptionally well from each other and value working collaboratively within and across their subject specialisms. The trainees’ lesson planning is detailed, and imaginative activities are increasingly well matched to individual pupils’ needs; including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities they are particularly successful in responding to the misconceptions that pupils often make. Trainees are now better at medium-term planning and are also

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

beginning to apply their good knowledge of a range of teaching and learning strategies more consistently in lessons. Trainees make very confident, often innovative, use of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance their teaching.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

29. The provider actively recruits trainees from a wide range of backgrounds and in most cases, meets its recruitment targets. There are very good systems in place to attract high quality trainees to subjects in which there is a shortage of teachers. Some subjects receive a very high number of applications. There are excellent longer-term strategies to increase the recruitment of under- represented groups. Notably, these have involved working with around 60 black and minority ethnic Year 10 students, who received training at the university, undertook a two and a half day placement in a partnership school and then participated in an educational conference.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

30. Very good use is made of a range of interview activities in order to identify suitable candidates. Interviews regularly involve colleagues from partner schools as well as subject specialists. The information collected from interviews, subject knowledge audits and pre-course subject knowledge enhancement opportunities is used very well to ensure that trainees are set challenging targets and make rapid progress from the outset. Partnership schools rightly view trainees as highly employable. Many ex-trainees work in local schools, including those in challenging circumstances. They often make quick progress in their careers and many become subject mentors.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

31. The coherence between central- and school-based training is very good. Trainees are often inspired by excellent internal and external speakers who contribute to the professional studies programme and subject sessions. These routinely include experienced practitioners from partnership schools, contributors with a national reputation in education and research and prominent individuals from a wide variety of subject associations and examination boards. Trainees value sharing their experiences with other trainees through the professional seminars and enjoy collaborating with trainees from other subjects. The provider’s commitment to innovative cross- curricular working and creativity through multi-disciplinary approaches has a positive impact in developing the trainees’ deep understanding of their own subjects and their wider role as teachers. Trainees consistently say that subject leaders are excellent. They are passionate about their disciplines and model the

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

best practice in their approaches. Increasingly, subject sessions provide imaginative exemplification of how ICT can enhance subject teaching and pupils’ learning.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

32. Assessment procedures are highly effective. They ensure the systematic monitoring of the trainees’ progress and the setting of increasingly sharp developmental targets. Regular high quality verbal and written feedback from university and partnership staff helps trainees to achieve their full potential. Wisely, the provider is now focused on ensuring that all trainers offer personalised guidance that challenges more trainees to move from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ grade outcomes. To this end, there are several well-devised strategies being implemented across the partnership which have been developed collaboratively with partnership schools. These include ensuring that effective use is made of the trainee grade characteristics as assessment tools, that appropriate intervention strategies meet the needs of trainees at particular stages in their development and that all mentors provide feedback of the very

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

33. Resources are deployed very effectively so as to have the maximum impact on improving outcomes for trainees. Teaching rooms are well equipped and are used successfully to model best practice in how to create stimulating learning environments. Trainees make excellent use of the provider’s educational resource centre and the virtual learning environment. They also regularly develop their own websites and on-line learning communities that enable them to share resources and discuss ideas. Excellent care and guidance from subject leaders, personal tutors and school staff mean that trainees feel exceptionally well supported. Regular visits from subject leaders and link tutors are used very effectively to support trainees, monitor and review provision, provide training and moderate judgements through frequent joint observations. Additional support visits are enacted when necessary and these ensure prompt

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

interventions for trainees at risk of underachieving or failing.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

34. The provider makes very good use of comprehensive and up-to-date information about partnership schools to make thoughtful decisions about placements for trainees. Schools are chosen carefully so that trainees get a broad and balanced experience that enables them to develop quickly. The quality of mentoring across the partnership is consistently very high. Subject mentors are accomplished classroom practitioners and new mentors receive very good training. Often mentors are involved in furthering their own professional development, for example through masters’ level work on coaching. The provider is rightly committed to ensuring that the very best practice is shared widely across the partnership through the opportunities that exist for mentors to meet and work collaboratively. Excellent communication means that infrequent inconsistencies in the quality of mentoring or placement experience are dealt with quickly.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

35. The university is exceptionally well regarded by partnership schools. In many cases it is the partner of choice and its procedures are seen to be exemplary. Headteachers, senior professional tutors and subject mentors are often effusive in their praise for university staff. They say they are flexible and responsive and that they work hard to adapt their systems to best suit the schools’ and the trainees’ needs. Schools value working with trainees because they bring new ideas, contribute strongly to wider activities and enable staff to reflect successfully on their own practice. Partnership schools also say that involvement with the provider offers important professional networks through which teachers receive excellent continuing professional development.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

36. The provider has a clear commitment to promoting equality and diversity, supported by its increasingly secure analysis of information about trainees’ progress. Consequently, there are no significant differences in the achievement of trainees from different groups. Trainees say that they are exceptionally well supported. There have been no incidences of reported harassment or discrimination. Moreover, there have been several examples of where the personalised support from the provider has enabled trainees from a range of backgrounds to complete the course successfully. One returning trainee, for example, was adamant that completion was only possible because of the tireless care and sensitive interventions of university staff. Trainees have a clear understanding, as a result of excellent training, about appropriate strategies to use with diverse learners. Their first-hand experience of applying these good ideas is, as yet, more limited.

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Grade: 1

37. Self-evaluation by leaders at all levels is ongoing and incisive. It focuses clearly on securing better outcomes for trainees and/or maintaining those areas where performance is already very strong. This process is based on the regular collection of reliable data about trainee achievement that are analysed thoroughly in relation to different groups.

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Grade: 1

38. Link tutors play a central role in carrying out the regular quality assurance of school placements. They work with partnership schools to foster a culture of continuous improvement. Their first-hand intelligence, combined with a systematic surveying of trainees and school trainers, means that partnership action plans are developmental and address any variance in the quality of trainees’ placement experience.

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Grade: 1

39. In general, external examiners’ reports at subject and whole-programme level are comprehensive and evaluative. They provide leaders with detailed feedback on which aspects are working well and offer helpful recommendations for future development. The provider welcomes such scrutiny and is committed to ensuring that all external examiners are equally challenging. New external examiners, for example, are supported so that they are able to take up their roles quickly and effectively. Astutely, programme leaders are now looking at ways to focus some of the external examiners’ attentions on testing out whether, and to what extent, the provider’s actions have impacted on improving the full range of outcomes for trainees.

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Grade: 1

40. The views of a wide range of stakeholders are actively sought, welcomed and listened to. Headteachers, senior professional tutors and subject mentors state that they have meaningful opportunities to feed into partnership developments through the existing formal structures and because there is excellent two-way communication with the university. Summer meetings for senior professional tutors and subject mentors are used well to evaluate all aspects of the programme and to work on developmental projects that lead to improved provision and processes. Subject mentors have regular opportunities to review programme handbooks and influence decisions about the chronology of subject sessions. Senior professional tutors identified refinements they had made to assessment procedures and documentation that have led to better and more consistent transfer of information between placements.

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Grade: 1

41. Regular surveys of trainees’ attitudes are used successfully to inform decisions about improvements to training and to evaluate the quality of the school placement experience. This information highlights the high and growing levels of satisfaction with the overall quality of training, including those sessions focused on behaviour for learning and the teaching of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Student representatives are well trained and their role is highly valued. They are consulted about programme developments and are able to communicate their views formally through their membership of the programme’s staff-student liaison group.

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Grade: 1

42. The provider is highly responsive to changes in the local, national and international educational landscapes. It has a clear mission to make a positive social impact on education, especially at a local level and through its commitment to schools in challenging circumstances.

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Grade: 1

43. University staff are highly knowledgeable in their fields and are frequently active in their local and national educational communities, networks and associations. There is a strong commitment to research-informed practice that benefits trainees and partnership schools. As a result, there is a vibrant community of colleagues from partner schools who engage enthusiastically with the very wide range of professional development opportunities that the university offers. Trainees also thrive in this critically reflective environment which successfully broadens their educational thinking. For example, they are knowledgeable about current issues, such as the implications of the recent education White Paper, and have considered maturely what developments such as the English Baccalaureate might mean for their respective subject areas.

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Grade: 1

44. An exceptional feature of the provider is its innovative promotion of peer learning, creativity and extensive opportunities for trainees to work on exciting cross-curricular projects. Inspectors noted many successful examples of these initiatives, such as those focused on ‘The Bristol Blitz’, ‘Chepstow Castle’ and ‘Reading the City’. These stimulating multi-disciplinary projects bring trainees from different subject backgrounds together, frequently demonstrating the value of learning outside the classroom, and often have a wider impact within partnership schools.

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Grade: 1

45. The provider sets itself challenging targets for improvement that focus on trainees’ outcomes. The very well formulated secondary improvement plan draws on information from a full range of stakeholders and external sources. The ensuing priorities are astute and inform all aspects of the provider’s work. The plan is a living document; it is revisited regularly and monitored closely. All subject disciplines have their own action plans that draw down from the secondary improvement plan. These are consistently very detailed, include programme and subject level priorities and have clear success criteria that are often expressed in quantifiable and measurable terms. This area has been supported by the provider’s better and more rigorous use of a range of data and information about trainee achievement. The discernible impact of the provider’s successful actions can be seen in the improving levels of attainment,

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Grade: 1

increased rates of progress, continuing high retention across courses and the strong employment record.

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Context

46. At the time of the inspection, a total of 347 trainees were enrolled on university-validated FE courses. Twenty-eight trainees were enrolled on the one-year, post-compulsory education and training programme which leads to a Postgraduate Certificate of Education or a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. These trainees obtain teaching practice experience through placements in FE colleges. The university also operates in partnership with six colleges of further education to provide part-time in-service training over two years leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, a Certificate in Education (Learning and Skills) or a Certificate in Education (Skills for Life). Some 319 trainees are currently enrolled on these part-time courses and they attend on one evening each week. Most part-time trainees are already employed in FE and training; those who are not, undertake placements. All four

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Context

part-time qualifications are endorsed by Lifelong Learning UK and satisfy the Secretary of State’s requirements for FE teachers. Two new partners have joined the partnership recently, one extending the university’s provision on a regional level to improve access to university teacher training. The second new partner has enabled the university to strengthen and extend its local urban links to meet workforce development needs in the immediate area.

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Key strengths

 the strong development of professional practice and reflection to provide high quality teachers in the FE and training sector  the good support and feedback provided for trainees by their tutors and mentors on their coursework and lesson observations which help them to improve  the use of peer learning by trainees to extend their range of experience  the involvement of the university with its local community and in local and regional research initiatives to develop teacher training and widen participation. The use of a wide range of FE colleges and training organisations to develop trainees’ professional practice  the strategic planning and development of the partnership to respond to local needs  the commitment of the university to the continuous professional development of its own staff and those from partner colleges.

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Required actions

48. In order to improve trainees’ progress and achievement in the part-time in- service programmes, the provider must:  strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of key components of training such as lesson observation, training and tutorials.

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Required actions

In order to ensure that trainees’ progress is accurately measured, the provider must:

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Required actions

 improve the clarity of the grading system so that all partners measure trainees’ progress and potential consistently.

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Recommendations

49. In order to improve trainees’ progress and achievement, the provider should:

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Recommendations

 set clear, specific and challenging targets that take account of all aspects of the training and support the accurate monitoring of trainees’ progress  ensure that all mentors are trained in the observation of teaching and learning.

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Recommendations

In order to strengthen leaders’ assessment of performance and improvement planning, the provider should:

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

50. The large majority of trainees successfully complete their courses and there are no significant differences in attainment across partner colleges or for trainees from different backgrounds. Data for the attainment of trainees on the pre- service course for two consecutive years show an improvement over this period with 89% of trainees judged to be good or better in 2009/10 compared to 86% in the previous year. Data for the attainment of trainees following the in- service programme are only available for the last year’s cohort, when 88% of trainees were judged to be good or better and of these, 27% were judged as outstanding.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

51. The large majority of trainees achieve well and make good progress. Their training programmes pay good attention to their current skills and experience. University and college staff provide good support to extend trainees and to develop those where more support is required. Trainees’ progression into employment and further study is good. Many of the trainees following the in- service course make good progress to further study, often at the university. Many subsequently develop their college employment by taking on course tutoring and mentoring roles. 52. Trainees make good progress in developing their professional practice. Many have strong reflective skills which they use very effectively to relate theory to practice and to apply learning to lesson planning and classroom management. Trainees generally meet the needs of their own students well but do not always identify all learners’ needs sufficiently or provide appropriate differentiated

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

activities in lessons. Good modelling of practice by trainers encourages trainees to experiment with strategies for teaching and learning. This is particularly appreciated by trainees on the pre-service course, who are generally new to teaching.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

53. Recruitment and selection processes are thorough. The very low rates of withdrawal from all programmes indicate successful and appropriate recruitment practices. Careful attention is given to the initial assessment of all trainees and their suitability to teach. Recruitment and selection arrangements for trainees on the pre-service course have been strengthened to include a greater emphasis on the initial assessment of individual needs and a trainee’s potential to become a successful teacher. The learning needs of in-service trainees are carefully assessed through the recruitment and selection process and additional support are identified for them. However, tutors do not always monitor whether the trainee has taken action to meet any identified needs. The university does not set recruitment targets for any particular group but it monitors recruitment and attainment by different types of trainees.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

Recruitment to the in-service programmes has broadened in recent years with the addition to the partnership of a large local urban college. The university continues to recruit from a diverse range of FE and training organisations.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

54. Trainees across the partnership, including those employed by outside training organisations, receive good formal and informal support from their tutors and mentors which helps to develop their professional practice and their confidence. Most mentors are specialists in the same subject area as their mentees. Trainees on the in-service course initiate these arrangements by requesting mentoring from a member of staff with whom they work and whom they respect. Effective formal arrangements are in place for observations of teaching practice and tutorials. These provide strong support which helps trainees to identify their relative strengths and areas for improvement and plan their development. The formal arrangements are supplemented by regular informal support, freely given by mentors and tutors and greatly valued by trainees.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

55. Trainees receive constructive feedback on their coursework and teaching which helps them to improve. Links between feedback and individual action planning are strong in at least one partner college but this is not consistent across the partnership. The targets set for some trainees are imprecise and for some, progress against targets is not monitored closely enough to ensure they develop their skills in a timely and appropriate way . Targets do not always stretch and challenge the more-able trainees sufficiently.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

56. Many trainees extend their learning and their professional practice by observing their peers and by visiting organisations outside their own area of expertise. However, in the part-time, in-service provision, these initiatives are not always planned and extension opportunities are not taken up by all trainees, even those with narrow experience. Trainees also value, and benefit from, the series of guest lectures facilitated by the university and offered across the partnership which give them the opportunity to extend their knowledge of the FE and training sector and to visit other partners.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

57. The university has carefully planned the deployment of resources to make best use of them and to develop the partnership to meet local and regional needs. It regularly reviews and monitors the effectiveness of the deployment. Good professional development is offered to university trainers and to those from partner colleges. College staff often develop their own professional practice which, in turn, benefits their trainees. However, some mentors and trainees are not routinely provided with the appropriate allowances of time to study or mentor and not all have been trained.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

58. Most groups of trainees consistently make good progress and successfully complete their courses. Although the collection and analysis of data on different groups of trainees is relatively recent, they do not indicate significant differences between partner colleges or settings. Most trainees have the opportunity to acquire a satisfactory breadth and range of teaching experience while on their programmes. Trainees demonstrate a good awareness of equality and diversity and safeguarding in relation to their own positions as trainees and in their teaching roles. However, the routine promotion of equality and diversity to their own students and the use of differentiated learning materials in their own teaching are not always fully developed. Very good support is provided for the welfare and well-being of individuals and groups of trainees. The university shows good awareness of the potential challenges of

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

the academic aspects of the course for some in-service trainees, and the potential difficulties of developing confidence and professional practice for some pre-service trainees who are new to teaching, and takes appropriate action to overcome these challenges.

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Grade: 2

59. Due to the recent implementation of a new system for collecting and analysing data, there is not yet a recorded track record of sustained improvement. Differentiated attainment data for full-time pre-service trainees, which have now been available for the last two years, show an improvement in outcomes.

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Grade: 2

60. The partnership is strong, well supported and well established. It is characterised by careful strategic planning and development based on meeting local and regional needs. Recent changes in the membership of the partnership have been well managed and based on a strong rationale connected with the provider’s wider links with all its partners. Good training links have been developed with a wide range of local organisations, including the police, the National Health Service and private training providers. The university has worked to widen participation, by, for example, developing a part-time in- service Skills for Life training programme and by incorporating a large urban college with good community links into the partnership. Very good, timely support is provided for new partners to enable a swift and successful transition into the partnership. The range of placements for trainees on the pre-service

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Grade: 2

course is being widened to strengthen potential employment opportunities and to extend their experience.

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Grade: 2

61. The university is an active member of a number of local and regional groups in the FE and training sector. It has taken the lead on a number of research projects to improve the development of its teacher education and to respond to change. A recent project on diversifying the FE workforce has raised awareness of the challenges faced in this sector and has focused the university’s attention on ways that it might further widen participation. Other recent research into mentoring has highlighted the need for mentors to receive appropriate time and training for their role. The university has identified this as an area for future development.

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Grade: 2

62. Self-evaluation is careful and considered. It is based on a range of information, including course and annual reviews, effective discussion at the well-attended programme action group meetings, moderation reports and responses by trainees to surveys. College and university staff, as well as trainees, contribute to the process. Self-evaluation is effective in identifying areas for improvement and developing an appropriate action plan but the evaluation of actions taken is sometimes insufficiently focused on trainee outcomes. Colleges are consulted and involved in the process but the university’s self-evaluation does not take sufficient account of the colleges’ own self-assessments or their individual arrangements for the quality assurance of training. For some trainees, identified actions for improvement or development are not followed through and completed.

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Grade: 2

63. The university has good arrangements for moderating and tracking trainees’ coursework and attainment. However, on the part-time in-service programme, there is no routine monitoring and evaluation of the quality of some of the key components of trainees’ experience, such as training sessions, the observation of professional practice and tutorials, to ensure that all trainees, at whichever partner college, are receiving training of a consistent quality. The use and application of the grading system for trainee progress are not clear to all partners, leading to differing assessments of trainees’ progress during the course.

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Grade: 2

64. The university has improved its collection and analysis of data and has just introduced a new data system. However, information from the analysis of such recent data is not yet useful enough to enable the university to sharply focus its improvement planning. Added to this, there has been a significant increase in trainee numbers due to the addition of two colleges to the partnership and no significant data are yet available from these.

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Annex: Partnership colleges

The partnership includes the following colleges:

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Annex: Partnership colleges

Gloucestershire College Hartpury College Stroud College City of Bristol College Yeovil College Filton College

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Summary of inspection grades 1

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is satisfactory; grade 4 is inadequate.

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Overall effectiveness

How effective is the provision in securing high quality outcomes for trainees? 2 1 2

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Overall effectiveness

Trainees’ attainment How well do trainees attain? 2 2 2 Factors contributing to trainees’ attainment To what extent do recruitment / selection arrangements support high quality outcomes? 2 1 2 To what extent does the training and assessment ensure that all trainees progress to fulfil their potential given their ability and starting points? 2 1 2

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Overall effectiveness

To what extent are available resources used effectively and efficiently? 1 1 2 The quality of the provision To what extent is the provision across the partnership of consistently high quality? 2 1 2

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Overall effectiveness

Promoting equalities and diversity To what extent does the provision promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and eliminate harassment and unlawful discrimination? 1 1 2

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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

To what extent do the leadership and management at all levels have the capacity to secure further improvements and/or to sustain high quality outcomes? 1 1 2

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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

How effectively does the management at all levels assess performance in order to improve or sustain high quality? 1 1 3 How well does the leadership at all levels anticipate change, and prepare for and respond to national and local initiatives? 1 1 2

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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

How effectively does the provider plan and take action for improvement? 1 1 2

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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

1 The criteria for making these graded judgements are in the Grade criteria for the inspection of ITE 2008-11; Ofsted November 2009; Reference no: 080128. set out in the guidance ‘Complaints about school inspection’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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