Goldsmiths, University of London

Initial Teacher Education inspection report

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Provider address Lewisham Way New Cross London SE14 6NW

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Unique reference number Inspection number Inspection dates Lead inspector 9−13 May 2011 Joanna Beckford-Hall 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. Goldsmiths, University of London is an established provider of primary and secondary initial teacher education (ITE) in South East London. The provider works in partnership with over 200 schools across London, Essex and Kent. It offers a range of postgraduate courses and one undergraduate course leading to qualified teacher status (QTS). The primary provision offers a one-year postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) route specialising in training to teach one of three age groups. At the time of the inspection, there were 180 trainees studying primary courses. Secondary provision includes a three-year undergraduate course − the BA (Hons) in design and technology − and a one- year PGCE route in nine subjects. A flexible PGCE route is offered in four subjects. Currently there are 394 trainees studying teaching in the secondary phase.

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A commentary on the provision

4. The following are particular features of the provider and its initial teacher training programmes:

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A commentary on the provision

 the outstanding contribution of Goldsmiths to widening participation in initial teacher education and enabling all trainees to become exceptionally well prepared to teach in a diverse society  the rigour in promoting and celebrating equality of opportunity and diversity as the central tenet of all training  high quality of training for modern languages  significantly improved retention on primary and secondary courses  high recruitment of trainees from many diverse groups and backgrounds  creativity and innovation, helping trainees be imaginative and take risks in teaching.

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A commentary on the provision

5. 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

 ensure that the good processes used for successful placement transition in secondary provision are mirrored in the effective transfer of primary trainees into school placement two  ensure that the overarching strategic action planning in the primary phase is modelled and adapted for the secondary phase.

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A commentary on the provision

6. The following recommendations should be considered to improve the quality of the outcomes for trainees:

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A commentary on the provision

 ensure that in primary and secondary courses, the target setting for trainees is tightly focused on improving competency in teaching and consistently accelerates trainees’ progress.

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Context

7. The provider offers one year postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) courses and trainees choose to focus on either the three-to-seven, seven-to-11 or five-to-11 age groups. The university also offers primary with modern languages routes in French, Spanish and German. Currently 58 trainees are specialising in the five-11 or seven-11 age groups and 40 are specialising in the 3-7 age group. A further 82 are following the modern languages route with 10 specialising in German, 32 in Spanish and 40 in French.

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Key strengths

trainees who have an excellent understanding of equality of opportunity and are very well prepared for, and confident in, teaching in a diverse, multicultural society well-trained and confident trainees who benefit from very strong modern languages provision the imaginative and creative approach to curriculum coverage which engages and enthuses the trainees and which they then translate into their own practice the provider’s significant contribution to the supply of teachers who reflect the diversity of, understand and are equipped to work in, urban multicultural schools strengthened programmes which are leading to measurable improvement in trainees’ ability and confidence to teach early reading and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and in managing pupils’ behaviour the quality of the support and guidance given to trainees.

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Required actions

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

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Required actions

clarify the contribution of school partners and make better use of their expertise to contribute to the trainees’ school experiences and their progress on placements build more effectively on the first school placement and university training by involving all partners in better preparation and transition into the second school placement.

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Recommendations

10. In order to improve the way it evaluate its effectiveness, plans and takes action for improvement, the provider should: strengthen the partnership so that school-based trainers are more effectively involved and influential in contributing to, evaluating and steering programme design.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

11. Most trainees make good progress from their starting points and the proportion of trainees judged to be good or better has been consistently high over a three-year period. The attainment of modern languages trainees is particularly high and has risen over time. Trainees are reflective, proactive and articulate. They plan interesting lessons and take risks in order to promote learning which engages the learners and encourages creativity. Trainees recognise the relationship between strategies which engage children in their learning and good behaviour. They have a very good understanding of equal opportunities issues and are confident in using and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity to enhance learning. They demonstrate a good understanding of special educational needs and/or disabilities and the need to plan learning which caters for individual needs. Subject knowledge in the core subjects and in the relevant

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

modern languages is good and has been enhanced through audits, booster group work and close monitoring. At this stage, the use of assessment, particularly in informing pupils’ learning during and between lessons, and the deployment of other adults to promote learning, needs development.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

12. Many trainees decide to come to Goldsmiths because of its reputation in the local area, the emphasis on diversity and creativity and the opportunity to specialise in teaching a foreign language. The programme meets the desire of many to teach in an urban, diverse context. As a result, the courses are heavily oversubscribed. Recent improvements have strengthened the selection procedures, many of which now involve school colleagues, and ensure that trainees who are best suited to the course are selected. The selection and initial support for modern languages trainees are outstanding and enable them to make rapid progress.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

13. Relatively high proportions of trainees come from, and return to teach in, the local area. The university aims to ensure that trainee groups reflect the diversity of the local population in terms of age, disability and ethnic diversity. Action taken to remove potential barriers has resulted in higher than average recruitment from under-represented groups. In addition, the university analyses the reasons for non-selection and is taking steps, in liaison with the provider’s educational studies undergraduate programme, to enhance English and mathematics skills at an earlier stage. Retention and completion rates for men and for minority ethnic trainees have been a cause for concern and the university has taken rigorous action, such as earlier identification and addressing of individual and group needs. As a result, there have been marked improvements during the current year in both completion and attainment for

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

these groups of trainees. 14. Trainees are tracked from interview to final placement and this shows that most make good progress. This is because the quality of training and assessment is good. The programmes are well planned so that theory and practice are well linked and supported by an improved emphasis on the Standards, which are referenced throughout all aspects of the programme. Subject knowledge concerns identified at interview are followed up quickly, and developed through initial and ongoing audits. Assignments provide good opportunities to deepen the learning and there is a well-planned set of directed activities which are completed during school placements. These are sharply focused on linking theory and practice and on aspects such as extended schools, which trainees might not otherwise cover.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

15. The course has been revised and resources targeted to provide additional input where trainee confidence is weakest, such as in the teaching of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, behaviour management and phonics. The early reading toolkit is a very valuable tool in helping trainees to develop their own understanding whilst also enabling them to observe and gain experience in teaching early reading and phonics. As a result, trainees’ competence and confidence in these aspects are rising.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

16. The threading of issues, such as teaching pupils for whom English is an additional language, and diversity, throughout all parts of the course is a strength of the training, as is the cross-curricular element which includes Carnival week. Resources have been well targeted to enhance the effectiveness and impact of this work. Thematic weeks are very well planned and enable trainees to explore issues such as individual differences and develop skills such as team working. They enable trainees to see how wider themes can be translated into practical teaching and learning. Trainees are also very positive about the parts of the course, particularly in foundation subjects, science and modern languages, when tutors model good teaching by enabling trainees to take part in practical hands-on learning. Trainees value these approaches as they help build their understanding and confidence and also provide them with

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

strategies and ideas to use in their own teaching.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

17. The involvement of schools in the partnership was identified as a weakness at the last inspection. A key driver in improving this has been the enhancement of the role and scope of university-based tutors who provide direct links with, and are highly regarded by, the schools. This vibrant and enthusiastic group, some of whom have current or very recent school experience, are now an integral part of the university team and are involved in staff meetings and training. As a result, they play a vital and increasingly effective role in providing consistency and quality assurance.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

18. School-based training, assessment and support are generally good and moderation systems strong. College and visiting tutor feedback on trainees’ teaching is generally of a high quality. The documentation to support placements is clear and underpins expectations, for example through the weekly diary, feedback forms and assessment pen portraits with associated guidance. Class teachers and trainees use the assessment pen portraits to highlight strengths and areas for improvement and there is good evidence of helpful weekly meetings with sharp targets for improvement. However, the quality of school colleagues’ feedback and training varies: most is good and sometimes better but there are examples of less effective feedback. This is exacerbated by the relatively low take-up of training for class teachers who mentor trainees. In addition, there are missed opportunities to strengthen the transition between placements. Much of the responsibility for ensuring progress

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

is placed on trainees and therefore is dependent on the level of their perception and willingness to assert their needs.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

19. Equality of opportunity, together with understanding and celebrating diversity, permeates every aspect of the course and strongly underpins the core values of the university. The diversity of the trainees reflects the local area and the course enables trainees to learn about themselves and others. They demonstrate a confident understanding of diversity and equality issues. They value and learn to understand individual differences and needs and, as a result, they learn to recognise and seek to reduce barriers to learning. Headteachers value this attribute very highly.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

20. Pastoral care is excellent. Tutors are accessible and proactive and there is a strong emphasis on personalised learning so that all trainees and their individual strengths and weakness are well known. Tutors provide a rapid response, both when problems arise and to head off potential difficulties. This is supported by a culture of openness, where trainees feel encouraged and confident to speak up and also because of improving use of data to track the progress of individuals and groups. Individual support and booster work is well targeted to address needs and the impact of this work is seen in the rising rates of completion and the increasing numbers of trainees who successfully complete the QTS skills tests relatively early in the course. Tutors are alert and sensitive to issues around school placements, for example, the placement of trainees from particular ethnic groups in some localities or the need for trainees

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

who are carers to be matched with placements which are reasonably close to home.

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Grade: 2

21. The university’s capacity to improve further is good, as indicated by the consistently good outcomes, improvements in attainment for targeted groups and the positive impact of actions taken to improve the completion rates for men and trainees from minority ethnic groups.

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Grade: 2

22. Senior leaders work well to ensure there is sharply focused strategic leadership with clear direction and purpose. There are well-designed systems to enable careful analysis of a range of qualitative and qualitative evidence to inform self- evaluation. This includes good use of external and benchmarked information such as the national survey of newly qualified teachers, data on trainees’ attainment and external examiner reports. Feedback from trainees is detailed and influential. Trends in trainee attainment are analysed closely in relation to the achievement of particular groups both overall and against groups of QTS Standards and, as a result, the university is alert to addressing or seeking to understand any concerns quickly. Some of the detailed analysis and evaluation work is at a relatively early stage of development; nonetheless, the quality of evaluation is improving and the university has an accurate knowledge of its

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Grade: 2

23. In addition to the overarching evaluation, there are systems to gather information during the year and amend the course accordingly if required, for example by requiring all trainees to teach a sequence of science lessons during the second placement. Now that the university and visiting tutors are an integral part of the team, they are more able to carry out their quality assurance role in schools and the moderation role supports this process well. Small group work, such as the literacy partners’ initiative, provides valuable input from school colleagues into the evaluation process. However, regular and systematic feedback from school partners is not gathered or used to inform self-evaluation of the quality or impact of provision, either in school or in university.

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Grade: 2

24. Tutors are influential and lead national debate in primary modern languages education and in aspects of equality and diversity. The response to the Rose Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum was timely and imaginative so that the university built on what were already strengths in imaginative cross- curricular provision. The response to national initiatives, namely phonics and early reading, provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and behaviour management, has been rigorous and thorough, especially in the case of early reading, and has resulted in much needed improvements in all of these aspects. The university is responding quickly to possible changes in the direction of initial teacher education by exploring different types of partnerships with schools and seeking to develop closer links by designing professional development provision for serving teachers.

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Grade: 2

Goldsmiths is addressing local needs well by providing a supply of good teachers who reflect, and are confident to teach in, a diverse cultural urban context.

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Grade: 2

25. The relative weaknesses in the partnership between the university and schools mean that there are missed opportunities to capitalise on and build on schools’ expertise. The university is not making sufficient use of its school partners to inform and steer improvements. There is well-focused modern languages work with local clusters, and with trainees and colleagues in partner schools abroad, to share training and expertise but this sort of work remains underdeveloped overall. This means that the university is not in the position to train or brief school partners to ensure that all are up to date with university or national initial teacher education initiatives and directions. School colleagues are involved in centre-based training such as in behaviour management, literacy and understanding of assessment data, but schools’ expertise remains an underused resource in evaluating and moving the provision forward.

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Grade: 2

26. There are overarching key priorities which feed into subject action plans as well as clear links between self-evaluation systems, identification of appropriate priorities and improvement planning. The success of strategic action planning is evident in, for example, the sharp reduction in non-completion rates and the rise in attainment of male trainees and those from minority ethnic groups. Subject action plans are similar in format but vary in quality. There are examples of effective practice, such as in the modern languages and English plans, where the aims are clear and actions are practical, tightly focused on trainee outcomes and result in measurable improvements. However, there are also examples of less effective improvement planning such as that relating to improving the partnership. In these cases, although there is evidence of evaluation and some actions taken, links between the evaluation and action are

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Grade: 2

not always clear and the planning does not drive improvement as sharply as it might.

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Context

27. Goldsmiths, University of London offers three routes in secondary initial teacher education. The one-year PGCE route is offered in art and design, geography, drama, modern languages, design and technology, music, English, mathematics and science. The two-year flexible PGCE route gives trainees the chance to train to teach one of four subjects: design and technology; community languages; English; and science. The one course at undergraduate level is the BA (Hons) in design and technology. At the time of the inspection, there were 394 trainees on secondary courses. The provider works with over 200 schools and uses enrichment placements in settings other than schools.

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Key strengths

trainees’ outstanding knowledge of and preparedness to teach pupils from many diverse backgrounds and to promote achievement of all pupils in inner-city schools the rich diversity of school placements and enrichment placements which fully support trainees’ understanding of working with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who display challenging behaviour rigorous recruitment and selection processes which ensure high calibre entrants from many different backgrounds, reflecting the local community trainees’ ability to make connections between theory and practice to inform their planning and teaching trainees’ excellent ability to critique their own progress excellent support for the welfare and personal circumstances of trainees, enabling them to make at least good progress in overcoming barriers to achievement.

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Required actions

29. In order to improve the coherence and impact of all action planning the provider must ensure that: priorities for improvement are directly linked to improving outcomes for trainees, notably accelerating progress for more able trainees at strategic level, there is a clear picture of how the main priorities for improvement feed into subject and course action plans to better support the cycle of evaluation by all leaders.

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Recommendations

30. In order to continually accelerate trainees’ progress and raise the proportion of outstanding trainees, the provider and the partnership should:

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Recommendations

develop a more robust system of formative assessment so that all trainees are set challenging targets ensure that all trainers understand how to stretch trainees through sharply focused feedback about improving the quality of learning and teaching make certain that all leaders have a more penetrating view of trainees’ progress during the courses to support mentors in moving trainees over grade boundaries, especially from good to outstanding.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

31. Trainees’ attainment is good and has been sustained over the last three years. In some secondary subjects, including geography, art and design, community languages, music and drama, there is an improving trend in the percentage of trainees reaching outstanding attainment. The overwhelming majority of trainees make at least good progress. A few trainees exceed expectations and make rapid progress. This is not yet consistent across all secondary subjects.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

32. Trainees really enjoy their training and make clear connections between the components of their training because course content is well planned, marrying the importance of university-based learning and experiential learning in schools. Trainees are highly reflective and invest time in evaluating their work. They willingly accept advice from mentors and course tutors. As a result, most trainees set their own progressive targets, although some target setting is too generic and not tied to improving teaching ability. Trainees seek opportunities to extend their subject knowledge and further develop their understanding of the wider responsibilities of a teacher by working with staff on whole-school initiatives.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

33. Trainees are resilient. Most manage behaviour well, establishing an environment conducive to learning. Trainees use theoretical learning about behaviour management to adapt different strategies to pupil groups and school settings. A few still need to review how teaching methods influence behaviour and learning in lessons. Scrutiny of trainees’ files and observations of teaching confirm their good ability to plan schemes of work and lessons to encourage learning. Most include a variety of activities in teaching and the large majority of trainees use information and communication technology (ICT) very well. There is good evidence of their knowledge of the Byron report for ICT. Trainees’ good achievement is also characterised by a willingness to take risks in exploring different teaching methods. School staff comment that trainees bring fresh ideas into school, and the thrust of creativity promoted by the

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

university is a key strength in trainees’ ability to work across the curriculum. The success of drama trainees in devising and teaching a scheme of work about a deprived community in Brazil was used in citizenship work in one of the partner schools.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

34. Trainees develop a sound understanding of assessment methodology but transposing assessment for learning into day-to-day classroom practice is less secure. Lesson plans show some ability to meet individual needs of pupils but this is rarely considered in relation to wider in-school assessment data showing pupil achievement. Trainees are often astute in evaluating the success of their own lessons as a composite picture but are not sharp enough in judging achievement and how to accelerate pupil progress. Trainees studying modern languages and those trainees on the flexible route for community languages show outstanding work in their first and second languages. The use of complementary placements for community languages trainees means they have the opportunity to train in specialist centres, enabling good progress with minority languages such as Mandarin.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

35. The provider selects good calibre trainees, who are committed to the teaching profession, exhibit high professionalism and know why they want to train at Goldsmiths. Trainees come from various backgrounds, and there are good systems in place to target recruitment to shortage subjects. The provider often exceeds the sector average for recruitment of trainees with disabilities, male trainees and those from underrepresented ethnic groups.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

36. Trainees confirm that interview processes are rigorous. Interview panels regularly involve school-based staff and in some subjects interviews take place in partner schools. Applicants are seen working alongside class teachers so that mentors and university staff gain quick insight about their ability to work with young people. Trainees show a strong commitment to succeed, and the much improved retention rates, particularly of trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds, coupled with high employment rates, are testament to the provider selecting good quality trainees. The current retention rate for secondary trainees remains high and reflects the impact of good support from all tutors and course leaders. Stakeholders are unanimous that trainees are articulate, committed, open-minded and highly successful as newly qualified teachers (NQTs).

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

37. From many diverse starting points, most trainees make good progress, especially at the start of courses, due to the combination of good attention to welfare, a comprehensive subject knowledge audit and a clear relationship between centre-based and school-based training. In most cases, subject knowledge is developed effectively throughout the training. Trainees benefit from structured pre-course tasks and from subject enhancement courses, progressively closing gaps in subject knowledge. The use of tracking data is less secure in benchmarking and accelerating trainees’ teaching ability from entry to completion.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

38. Secondary courses are coherent and trainees quickly grasp the relationship between subject studies, general professional studies and school placements. Leaders make judicious choices in reviewing the programming of general professional studies in response to trainee feedback. Recent initiatives such as increased support for the QTS skills tests, more opportunity for teaching in Key Stage 5 and a sharper focus on learning to work with parents and carers have secured better achievement in these areas this year. Trainees appreciate the breadth of guest speakers and experts from local authorities, local or national bodies and school staff who use case study material to make ‘theories come alive’.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

39. Assessment procedures support the good achievement of trainees but there are missed opportunities to ensure that formative assessment of trainees’ progress is comprehensive. Summative assessments of trainees are accurate, verified by external examiners. Trainers successfully use pen portraits to assess trainees at key measurement points. Joint observations with mentors support grades awarded but the role of the professional coordinating mentors in the assessment process is distinctly lacking in most schools. Criteria for written assignments are clear for trainees. They receive good feedback about their research and writing skills, and extra support is well targeted for those with learning needs. Trainees are encouraged to develop their practice as teacher researchers and there is a strong relationship between assignment topics and training in schools.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

40. Formative assessment of trainees is less comprehensive than summative assessment. Feedback after lesson observations does not consistently give trainees sufficient guidance about how to improve their teaching to an outstanding level. Feedback is sometimes too broad and insufficient reference is made to what characterises satisfactory, good and outstanding competency in the classroom. For this reason, a minority of trainees plateau and do not move from good to outstanding achievement. In a few examples of outstanding mentoring, mentors guided trainees to analyse specific next steps required to extend their strengths and develop weaker areas of their teaching using clear success criteria. This is not embedded across the partnership. Therefore the quality of mentoring ranges from outstanding to satisfactory.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

41. The partnership shows passionate commitment to supporting the secondary training. Schools praise university staff and appreciate excellent communication and the willingness of leaders to respond to ideas for improvement. Mentors give generously of their time in supporting trainees. Attendance at mentoring training days has fluctuated. Use of the virtual learning environment (VLE) to disseminate materials to mentors and to conduct training seminars has improved, but the impact of this is not securing better coaching across all mentors. Transition arrangements for trainees run smoothly and the good handover means trainees settle quickly into their new school. The partnership agreement outlines responsibilities of all trainers but the impact of the professional coordinating mentors is underdeveloped in assessing trainees’ progress and in evaluating the quality of mentoring in schools.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

42. Human and material resourcing is well managed and responsive to trainee and to partnership needs. University staff quickly go to schools if issues arise. Resources at the university for secondary subjects are good and the VLE is well used by most trainees. Use of interactive whiteboards at the university helps trainees in designing a good range of teaching resources, which contribute to good achievement in their teaching. A few trainees also create imaginatively designed electronic portfolios, capturing evidence for the QTS Standards.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

43. The provider excels in promoting equality and diversity. Trainees are extremely well prepared to teach in a diverse society. They possess outstanding knowledge of what characterises learning in settings where the student populations may include complex learning needs, variability in social and economic status, and many ethnicities. Trainees have a comprehensive understanding of issues affecting inner-city schools. Through the density of urban school placements, they have regular exposure to teaching many different pupil groups. This helps trainees to reflect, develop and refine their skills in teaching in contrasting settings. Through sustained classroom experience and pupil shadowing tasks, most trainees develop good understanding of teaching pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

44. An outstanding feature of secondary provision is the use of enrichment placements. Trainees undertake short placements in non-school settings such as local theatres and community outreach projects, often for languages, with local authority personnel, and attend specialist provision such as pupil referral units. This enhances trainees’ ability to reflect on these experiences in their main placements to reassess how to work with pupils who have specific needs. Placements are arranged carefully to meet training needs and accommodate personal circumstances. Trainees receive excellent welfare support and course tutors encourage trainees to disclose specific learning needs so that support can be offered. Leaders permit trainees to interrupt their studies, after careful consideration of their needs. Trainees are fully supported back onto courses to successfully complete their training. This has also improved retention of

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Grade: 2

45. Leaders demonstrate good capacity for further improvement and have sustained good outcomes for trainees. Leaders are reflective and evaluate all aspects of the secondary provision. Self-evaluation is largely accurate. Whilst self-evaluation has identified strengths and areas for development, and improvements have led to more refined criteria for selection, significantly higher retention, and better cohesion in training, there has been no significant shift in the percentage of trainees whose attainment is outstanding.

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Grade: 2

46. Self-evaluation draws on collation and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data both at subject level and in secondary course teams for the undergraduate, flexible and standard routes. Leaders analyse and act upon feedback from current trainees, mentors, the NQT perception survey and advice from external examiners. External examiners’ reports make useful reference to subject-specific features, but a wider commentary on the impact of training on outcomes for trainees, in terms of their actual teaching competency, is absent from some reports. Trainee representatives who attend committee meetings report that leaders listen to their ideas and work with trainees to improve courses; this is evident, for example, in trainees’ increasing confidence in behaviour management because of more intensive input in university sessions as a result of feedback about this aspect of the training.

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Grade: 2

47. The provider has established a range of quality assurance measures to improve moderation of trainees’ achievement, and to enable course leaders to take responsibility for developing their subject areas and working with mentors. Course teams monitor the achievement of trainees from different groups, and differences in attainment are now being remedied. Data in the management and quality assurance files for each subject show that leaders are tracking trends in achievement, recruitment and retention of trainees by ethnicity, gender, age and by disability. Marked impact is evident in 97% retention this year for secondary provision and the continuing recruitment of trainees from the local area, many of whom secure teaching positions in the partner schools.

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Grade: 2

48. Discussions take place about the feedback from partnership schools and the voice of schools is increasingly heard through representation on the management and quality assurance committee. Minutes of meetings show some good discussion about changes to provision and discussion about contemporary issues in teacher education affecting the partnership, but the interrogation of quantitative data about trainees’ progress and attainment by this committee is lacking. Leaders have established a shared understanding of the partnership’s purpose and there is a high level of trust in partners to deliver good quality training, However, quality assurance procedures are not consistently rigorous in evaluating the quality of mentoring across schools. Leaders do not have a systematic way of measuring the impact of the training on outcomes for trainees. Therefore a detailed picture of which schools have consistently raised the attainment of trainees from good to outstanding over

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Grade: 2

the last three years is missing. The provider misses the opportunity to capitalise on identification and sharing of where the best practice is taking place.

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Grade: 2

49. Leaders have established a cycle of evaluation and improvement planning which effectively uses a series of key quality assurance measures and these support how the provider rightly identifies strengths and areas requiring improvement. There is a lack of clarity in the strategic priorities and how these feed into improvement planning at whole-course level, and at subject level this is blurred. There is limited use of quantitative data to determine targets, as well as success criteria concerned with raising the achievement of trainees and underpinning the main priorities at whole secondary course level. The current eight priority areas are informed by recent self-evaluation but the rationale for these, along with more in-depth monitoring of trainees’ progress as the bedrock for improvement planning, is not rigorous enough. A detailed focus upon how to accelerate the progress of more able trainees is not evident.

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Grade: 2

50. The provider demonstrates good capacity to anticipate and respond to change locally and nationally. University staff are leaders in their fields and the plethora of their research links the university department to influencing national and local policy. As subject experts engaging in pan-London and national research, university tutors encourage trainees to debate current philosophical and political thinking. This successfully helps trainees see the impact of practice-based research and deepens their knowledge of wider educational issues beyond their subject discipline. Partnership schools comment positively about the professional development opportunities afforded to them by the university, not least the imminent launch of a new Masters level programme driven by requests from schools. Schools recognise that the university has its ‘finger on the pulse’ in responding to local and national agendas. Mentors value the time devoted to arranging placements for

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Grade: 2

secondary trainees, including the bespoke enrichment placements to find alternative ways of securing placements in London. Trainers report how interesting events such as the annual diversity conference encourage interdisciplinary work. The flexible community languages course fully supports local language instructors in gaining a teaching qualification.

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

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

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

Trainees’ attainment How well do trainees attain? 2 2 Factors contributing to trainees’ attainment To what extent do recruitment / selection arrangements support high quality outcomes? 2 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 2

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

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

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

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

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

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? 2 2

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

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

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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is

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’, whic h is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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