The University of the West of England ITE Partnership

January 2014 This inspection was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspectors and additional inspectors in accordance with the ITE Inspection Handbook. This handbook sets out the statutory basis and framework for initial teacher education (ITE) inspections in England from January 2013.

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The inspection draws upon evidence from each phase and separate programme within the ITE partnership to make judgements against all parts of the evaluation schedule. Inspectors focused on the overall effectiveness of the ITE partnership in securing high-quality outcomes for trainees.

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Inspection judgements

Key to judgements: Grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is requires improvement; grade 4 is inadequate

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness How well does the partnership secure consistently high quality outcomes for trainees? 2 2

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Inspection judgements

The outcomes for trainees 2 2 The quality of training across the partnership 2 2 The quality of leadership and management across the partnership 2 2 The University of the West of England ITE Partnership Initial Teacher Education inspection report Inspection Dates 2–5 December 2013 January 2014 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

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Inspection judgements

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. 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 January 2014

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Overview of the ITE partnership

The overall effectiveness of the ITE partnership is good in both primary and secondary phases.

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Key findings

 Trainees possess good levels of professionalism, are highly reflective and have a secure understanding of how to teach lessons that engage and motivate pupils to learn.  The university-based training is of good quality and: - equips trainees to teach increasingly well thereby ensuring their pupils make at least expected progress in their learning - is tailored well to trainees’ needs - provides a wealth of resources and practical advice, which trainees use imaginatively to engage the interest of their pupils - is successful at promoting trainees’ understanding of the new National Curriculum, which is being introduced in 2014.  Many trainees gain employment in the region and make a positive contribution to the schools in which they work.  Senior leaders share a strong drive and vision to improve the provision further and strengthen partnerships with schools.

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To improve the ITE partnership should:

 strengthen the training programme to enable more trainees to be judged outstanding against the Teachers’ Standards by improving the quality of feedback given to trainees by school-based mentors  develop the partnership between the centre and schools by increasing the schools’ involvement in reviewing and strengthening the training programme.

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Information about this ITE partnership

 The University of the West of England (UWE) is a well-established provider of ITE across early years, primary, secondary and post-compulsory phases. The post-compulsory phase was not inspected during this inspection.  The provider offers postgraduate teacher training routes in all age phases and undergraduate routes in early years and primary phases, all of which lead to qualified teacher status (QTS).  Since the last inspection in March 2011, the provider has introduced a School Direct training route in partnership with the Cabot Learning January 2014 Federation (CLF) Teaching School Alliance. In 2012/13 the provider offered School Direct secondary training in English, mathematics and science, and piloted a number of other subjects. In 2013/14 the School Direct secondary offer has extended to geography, history, modern foreign languages, computer science and physical education. In 2013/14 School Direct primary training with CLF is offered in partnership with their

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Information about this ITE partnership

five primary academies.  Since the last inspection there have been significant changes in the leadership of the provider’s education department with the appointment of a new head of department, programme managers and partnership managers. In response to the new revised Teachers’ Standards and the emphasis on school-based training, the department rewrote all its programmes in preparation for delivery in 2012/13. January 2014

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Information about the primary partnership

 The primary partnership is geographically wide but has particularly strong links with schools in Bristol. There are 160 primary schools in the partnership, located in eight local authorities. The partnership also includes a small number of schools in Wales.  The university is a sponsor of CLF, which has five primary academies in the city of Bristol. Trainees can specialise in either Early Years (3 to 7) or primary (5 to 11). The provider also offers an undergraduate Early Childhood degree (non-QTS) with an option to complete the Early Years Teacher (formerly EYPS) professional qualification within or following the degree.  At the time of the inspection there were 526 trainees, six of whom were following the School Direct training route with CLF. There were 396 trainees on the undergraduate route, 133 of whom were specialising in Early Years. There were 124 university-based postgraduate trainees, 46 of

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

 The inspection was carried out by four of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an Additional Inspector. Inspectors observed 39 lessons in total, 30 taught by trainees and nine by newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in 12 schools.  Inspectors also met with groups of trainees and NQTs in schools and at the university. Inspectors observed five undergraduate training sessions. Meetings were held with senior staff from the university, headteachers, school-based mentors and link tutors.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including the provider’s evaluations of how well it is doing, course handbooks, documents relating to school experience placements, analyses of trainees’ achievement and completion data, and external examiner reports. Inspectors took account of the 303 responses to the trainee online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Lorna Brackstone HMI, Lead Inspector Jane Neech HMI, Assistant Lead Inspector Richard Light HMI, Team Inspector Ian Hancock HMI, Team Inspector Wayne Stallard, Additional Inspector January 2014

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The key strengths of the primary partnership

 The rigorous recruitment and selection process that identifies highly suitable trainees who are motivated to work in primary schools. It supports the provision of NQTs to schools based in the South West very well.  The high quality of the centre-based training which: - equips trainees to teach reading, writing, spelling and mathematical skills to at least a good standard - skilfully links educational theory and research with trainees’ practical experiences of working in primary school and provides well-focused advice, which trainees use to engage pupils successfully in their learning - prepares the trainees well for the introduction of the new primary curriculum in September 2014 - is tailored well to meet the needs of individual trainees.  The sharing of good practice between some of the partnership schools and the centre, which promotes educational debate and enables staff to deepen their expertise.  Leaders’ and managers’ commitment and drive for continuous

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The key strengths of the primary partnership

development and improvement of the partnership.  Trainees’ commitment, enthusiasm and high levels of professionalism, which motivates them to become good-quality teachers.

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The partnership should:

 Ensure that all trainees get the same high-quality training by: - responding, at the earliest opportunity, to changes in the mentoring arrangements in schools and providing additional school-based training for new mentors - improving the consistency of feedback to help trainees to critically analyse their teaching and evaluate the difference it is making to pupils’ learning and achievement. January 2014  Improve the use of data to identify more precisely: - the numbers of trainees who gain employment after course completion - the impact of the partnership training developments within and between schools in newly formed local cluster groups.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

1. The overall attainment of trainees following the Early Years and primary routes in both the undergraduate and postgraduate routes is good. Over the past two years, all trainees were judged to exceed the minimum level required by the Teachers’ Standards at a good or outstanding level. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. Nevertheless, while assessment procedures are generally used well to monitor the progress of trainees, evidence from observing NQTs indicated that some gradings are too generous. Consequently, most trainees are assessed as good rather than outstanding at the end of their training.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

2. In the past, male trainees have not done as well as females. Following detailed research into the issues that male trainees encounter, a programme specifically designed to support them has resulted in a good improvement in their outcomes. There are no discernible differences in the achievement of different groups of trainees, including by age or ethnicity. There are no significant differences in the outcomes between Early Years and primary specialists. Overall, completion rates have steadily improved over the past few years and, on rare occasions when trainees defer or withdraw, course leaders analyse the reasons carefully. Those who defer and rejoin the course are well supported and succeed in qualifying.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

3. Following completion of their courses, a good number of trainees are successful in securing posts within the partnership and other local schools. Postgraduate employment rates are slightly lower than those for undergraduates. However, the partnership does not systematically collect and analyse up-to-date employment data to evaluate patterns and trends.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

4. Schools report that trainees are well prepared for their placements. Both trainees and NQTs quickly establish a good rapport with pupils and manage behaviour well in their classrooms, so that effective learning can take place. Lesson planning is detailed and expectations for all the pupils in their class, including those capable of high attainment and those who need specific support with their learning, are high. Trainees and NQTs know that they must secure pupil engagement in all activities for January 2014 successful learning to take place. They are keen to make learning fun and relevant, and use class topics well to demonstrate teaching points. For example, when pupils in one class were learning about Spain, the trainee used an aspect of this theme to help them understand how to use eye-witness accounts to write a report.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

5. Trainees and NQTs focusing on the 3 to 7 age range demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the needs of young children. Discussions with trainees and observations of NQTs demonstrate they have a good understanding of how to teach phonics (the sounds letters make), early reading, writing and key mathematical skills. They confidently use interactive whiteboards and video clips and many make positive contributions to the life of the school. Recent surveys and discussions with trainees and NQTs confirm that their perceptions of the core training have improved significantly on previous years’ results and that there is now a good level of satisfaction with the training programme. As a result, they are enabled to teach with confidence and precision. For example, in a mathematics lesson the NQT focused on helping pupils learn the name of different 2D shapes. The pupils’ understanding was skilfully assessed by the very well-focused questions,

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The outcomes for trainees are good

which were posed to them by the NQT. Overall, trainees and NQTs are highly reflective in their practice and eager to listen and respond to advice.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

6. Almost all trainees and NQTs spoke positively about the quality of university-based training. Observations of NQTs’ teaching demonstrated that the university provides them with the skills and subject knowledge required to become effective teachers. Sessions taught at the university are of high quality and balance theory and practice well. They extend trainees’ own subject knowledge while also providing opportunities for trainees to refine their teaching skills through peer assessments and practical presentations, following their school placements. Although all training is of good quality, it is particularly strong in English, mathematics and behaviour management, which impacts very positively on trainees’ confidence and their ability to teach well. Trainees following the School Direct route to QTS benefit from high-quality additional training from the trainers in their schools.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

7. Trainees and NQTs acquire a good understanding of teaching phonics through expert lectures at university from both tutors and practising teachers. During one observed university-based session, trainees were put into the position of learners and were required to blend and segment sounds. Trainees’ knowledge of phonics is carefully assessed and graded. An outstanding English seminar was observed where the tutor modelled the use of terminology from the new revised National Curriculum. Trainees responded confidently to these new terms and January 2014 demonstrated their knowledge when they shared an assessment activity of work produced by Year 6 pupils.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

8. Trainees and NQTs unanimously agree that the training they receive to support their teaching of mathematical skills is ‘fantastic’. This enables them to teach lessons with confidence. Trainees understand the importance of asking a range of questions to probe pupils’ understanding and deepen their thinking. Tutors model how to teach mathematics and emphasise that it is important to understand concepts, as opposed to ‘teaching tricks’. In a high-quality seminar, trainees were observed working in pairs to solve mathematical problems and this generated a good level of professional dialogue. Several trainees said that they had originally felt uneasy about teaching mathematics but that the training had boosted their confidence, taken the fear out of the subject and equipped them well to teach it in schools.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

9. University-based training makes strong connections between subjects, thus helping build the trainees’ understanding and skills in a lively and meaningful way. For example, an art curriculum day encouraged trainees to consider how painting was closely linked to early mark- making and writing skills. Curriculum days organised around specific themes such as ‘Stick-man’, ‘Second World War’ and ‘science’ provide high-quality opportunities for the partnership schools and the trainees to work together in a practical and ‘hands-on’ way. Focused sessions and project-based placements, for example, in history, geography, and art and design, complement the training received in core aspects and enable trainees to further enhance their subject-based knowledge and expertise.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

10. The revised National Curriculum for September 2014 is carefully threaded through all centre-based training led by both course tutors and external professionals. This includes training not only in English, mathematics and science but also in history, geography, art, physical education, design and technology, and music. Trainees refer to planning tasks they have completed in geography using new terminology and aspects from the new curriculum. Appropriate references are made to Ofsted reports and surveys in lectures and seminars.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

11. Trainees and NQTs talk positively about the training they receive for behaviour management and have a clear understanding of pupil engagement in learning. Trainees were observed discussing Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ and linking it to planning for the needs of all pupils. The tutor shared high-quality strategies and tips with the trainees who discussed the issues with maturity and developing professionalism. Trainees value their training in teaching disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The good use made of information and communication January 2014 technology by trainees and NQTs is testament to the effective training they receive and the confidence they develop in using technical equipment.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

12. Trainees benefit from a wide range of opportunities to teach and observe good practice in different schools. Where this is not always possible, the university sets up additional training opportunities to ensure trainees are able to experience life in diverse schools. Extra sessions are provided for trainees who have placements in Welsh schools to ensure that there is clarity and consistency of training experiences. Programme managers and visiting tutors know most of the partnership schools well and work closely with them to match training contexts to trainees’ needs.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

13. Course documents supporting trainees in their placements are well organised and help them to reflect on their progress, maintain good quality files and develop their skills. The Trainee Progress Tracker (TPT) is used well to record the progress each trainee makes as they work to achieve the Teachers’ Standards. The partnership’s virtual learning environment provides a wide range of key documents, which is valued by trainees. For example, the collection of all documents required for the training courses into one publication is appreciated by the trainees. Access to additional reading materials and a wide range of teaching resources encourages trainees to think deeply and to be creative in their teaching.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

14. Visiting tutors provide a valued bridge between the university and the partner schools. However, they do not always quality assure the feedback that trainees receive from their school-based mentors and, consequently, there are some inconsistencies in practice. Some school- based mentors are excellent and provide accurate, evaluative and developmental feedback for trainees on how well they are doing. However, not all school–based mentors are clear about the grading system and some report that the university is overgenerous in its assessment of trainees. This is partly because the comments made refer only to the Teachers’ Standards rather than also focusing on an evaluation of the impact trainees’ teaching has on pupils’ learning.

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good

15. Senior leaders display high expectations and the necessary drive to improve provision further and thereby maintain the improving trend of trainees’ outcomes. A vision for excellence has contributed to improvements in provision since the last inspection. For example, course leaders have reorganised the structure of both the undergraduate and postgraduate routes to QTS and the parity between them now ensures January 2014 greater clarity and consistency of provision. Leaders are proud of their teamwork and emphasise the equity in their roles.

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good

16. Robust quality assurance systems are applied regularly and effectively to monitor the quality of the training. They include the effective use of independent consultants and external examiners. Course leaders have a clear understanding of what is working well on the programme and what needs to be improved. Self-evaluation is slightly overgenerous, but the relentless focus on improvement is unquestionable. Leaders and managers carefully monitor and take account of trainees’ views on the quality of university-based training, adjusting the programmes as necessary to better meet their needs. For example, following feedback from trainees the programme was adjusted to strengthen the teaching of basic literacy and mathematics skills. The most recent NQT survey results highlight and confirm the success of this initiative. Maintaining contact with their NQT community has also been at the forefront of improvement planning. A recent training day for NQTs was very well

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good

received and attendees appreciated the extra ‘tips and advice’ and the confirmation that ‘everyone is feeling the same way’. Information on employment rates is collected at key points during the year. However, systems to gather this information are not sufficiently rigorous and this results in gaps in important data, which could be used to further improve the quality of provision.

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good

17. Strategic priorities are shared with university staff, the partnership steering group, the leaders and managers of the School Direct training route and those partnership schools who have a very close link with the university. However, not all school-based mentors know how they can help the partnership to meet its priorities and how they can contribute to the priority of achieving a higher proportion of outstanding trainees. Few school leaders who met with inspectors could describe how they contribute to the university’s self-evaluation document or the improvement plan. The newly created localised school cluster groups have been formed to increase coherence and consistency across the partnership but the impact of this model, which is in its infancy, is yet to be assessed.

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good

18. All leaders and managers in the partnership are fully committed to improving the education and life chances of the pupils in their schools. This is demonstrated through projects, such as ‘Language for Learning’, which are aimed at providing mutually beneficial experiences for children, schools and trainees. Involvement by all trainees in the ‘Better Reading Partners’ project, which provides specialist reading support to pupils who are not achieving as well as their peers, is effectively closing the gap and has been recognised nationally as a great success. January 2014 19. The partnership with schools is strong with many schools contributing to university training sessions, such as the teaching of phonics. The training provided by schools is quality assured and generally robust but inconsistencies in the feedback given to trainees are not always identified and tackled. In some schools visited by inspectors, mentors

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good

were new to the role and were less well informed. The university acknowledges that the response to changes in mentoring needs to be picked up at the earliest opportunity and additional school-based training for new mentors would be beneficial in ensuring that all are well equipped to carry out their roles.

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good

20. Selection processes are fully compliant with requirements for initial teacher training and are extremely rigorous. This results in the recruitment of trainees with the potential to be at least good teachers. Partnership schools are fully involved in the interview process and group tasks are used to determine those interviewees with the best potential to teach. This has contributed to the rise in trainees’ completion rates.

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good

21. All relevant and other statutory requirements and criteria are fully met.

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools were visited to observe teaching: Badocks Wood Primary Filton Avenue Infants Frampton Cotterell Primary Glenfrome Primary Herons Moor Academy Minerva Primary Parson Street Primary Summerhill Academy The Meadows Primary The Park Primary Victoria Park Primary Westbury-on-Trym Primary January 2014

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Information about the secondary partnership

 The provider offers a one-year full time Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) leading to the award of QTS. Trainees are trained to teach the 11 to 18 age range. Trainees specialise in one of ten secondary subjects offered: English, mathematics, physics with mathematics, science with chemistry, science with physics, history, geography, modern languages, art and design, and design and technology.  Trainees who follow the School Direct training route with CLF can also specialise in science with biology, computer science and physical education.  At the time of the inspection, there were 170 secondary trainees on the course.

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Information about the secondary ITE inspection

 The inspection team visited eight schools. They watched 10 trainees and 10 NQTs teaching lessons, including some joint observations with subject mentors. Inspectors met with headteachers, groups of trainees and NQTs, senior professional tutors, subject mentors and subject leaders at the university.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentary evidence including external examiners’ reports, trainees’ teaching folders and tracking documents to record achievement of the Teachers’ Standards, the secondary improvement plans and data pertaining to outcomes for trainees. Inspectors took account of the 303 responses to the trainee online questionnaire.

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Inspection Team

Joanna Beckford-Hall HMI, Lead Inspector James Sage HMI, Assistant Lead Inspector Charles Lowry HMI, Team Inspector Leigh Flaxman, Additional Inspector January 2014

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The key strengths of the secondary partnership

 High employment rates that fully support local recruitment needs and enable schools to appoint good quality NQTs.  Trainees’ and newly qualified teachers’ confidence and competence in using different strategies for managing students’ behaviour to promote good learning.  Trainees’ excellent ability to reflect on and develop their teaching to promote their own progress and that of their students.  Trainees’ excellent subject pedagogy developed throughout the course.  An excellent course structure with high-quality university-based training, diverse school placements and well-planned immersion and complementary placements that help trainees acquire a range of teaching strategies to apply in the classroom.  Good innovations by the secondary course leaders to refresh and refine the course structure and content to make the best use of expertise in schools and at the university.

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The partnership should:

 ensure that all trainees receive well-focused long-term targets to help them understand how to develop their teaching and students’ progress to a consistently good standard  raise expectations about what trainees should be expected to achieve by the end of their first substantive school placement  tighten up the monitoring of mentoring and the development of outstanding mentoring across the partnership so that all trainees make as much progress as they can to become good and outstanding teachers  ensure that the work of the partnership steering group is more strategic in assessing the quality of training across all partner schools, including analysing data about trainees’ progress and attainment. January 2014

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The outcomes for trainees are good

22. Outcomes for trainees are continuing to improve from previous years and, while good overall, the percentage of trainees who achieve at an outstanding level by the end of the course is rising. Since the previous inspection, the partnership has sustained high employment and completion rates. A key strength of the partnership is the positive impact of training well-qualified new teachers employed locally, often in partner schools, to support the drive to raise achievement in Bristol schools. The university brand is highly regarded by headteachers. School leaders confirm that most NQTs are well prepared for the increased demands of work after their training year and that most possess the commitment and competency to progress quickly in their teaching career.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

23. Completion rates are high. Few trainees withdraw from the course because of the good pastoral support they receive. Although withdrawal rates are low, averaging 6% over the last three years, course leaders are acutely aware that this figure is static rather than declining. Of those trainees who defer their training, not all return to complete the course. This is not because of dissatisfaction with the course but because of more complex health issues which cannot be resolved with pastoral support. The secondary course leader monitors the reasons for withdrawal and deferral to make certain that the quality of support offered is appropriate and also to determine if any adjustments are needed to the recruitment process.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

24. There are no discernible differences in the achievement of trainees by gender, age or ethnicity. However, the centre is fully aware that employment rate for minority ethnic trainees is slightly lower than for other groups and is working hard with schools to close this gap. The teaching observed of some science trainees and NQTs showed some weaknesses and less ability than was observed in other subjects.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

25. Assessments and evaluations are checked by external examiners during moderation processes. They are involved in scrutiny at the final examination board stage and their reports are favourable about the competency of trainees. Nevertheless, although most assessments are accurate, the inspection team found that in a few instances the outstanding grade awarded to some trainees at the end of the course is too generous.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

26. Most NQTs are typically teaching at a good level but not all make rapid progress to quickly secure outstanding teaching. Inspectors watched some NQTs teaching well-planned lessons, securing very good January 2014 engagement of students in lessons and enabling students to make good progress. Inspectors also observed some teaching which required improvement because the quality of subject knowledge, the pitching of the lesson to students’ needs and pace of learning were not appropriate for the class.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

27. The calibre of trainees on the secondary course is good for almost all the different subject areas. Senior professional tutors report favourably about trainees’ willingness to listen and respond to advice, their good reflective skills and strong academic skills, all of which help them to make good progress. At the time of the inspection, trainees were in the fifth week of their first school placement. For most, even at this early stage, the inspection team saw good confidence in the classroom, high expectations for student conduct and learning, good use of data about students’ progress to plan differentiated lesson content, and good questioning to test and extend students’ knowledge. Trainees are building good relationships with their classes and most have a good teaching manner, showing much enthusiasm for their subject. Most are rising to the demands of learning to teach in schools in challenging

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The outcomes for trainees are good

circumstances. Trainees are beginning to develop their skill in planning lessons to meet the needs of students who speak English as an additional language, disabled students and those who have special educational needs.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

28. Trainees are aware of the importance of promoting students’ literacy skills in their subject. In a good mathematics lesson, a trainee expected students to explain their mathematical reasoning orally and in writing, using both mathematical numbers and words. Most trainees have yet to develop good competency in securing students’ mathematical skills in their subject.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

29. The university-based training and that in schools is of good quality, providing trainees with a well-planned coherent training course. Several aspects are outstanding, such as the tight relationship between theory and practice. Other outstanding elements include, the introductory activities set prior to the start of their course, the extra training weeks and the drive to equip trainees with well-honed reflective skills to support their progress.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

30. Recent revisions to the course structure, with the inclusion of introductory sessions before the start of term and a two-week additional placement, enable trainees from different secondary subjects to work together on a particular focus, such as working with gifted and talented students. These shorter intensive placements broaden trainees’ experience, increase their confidence and enable them to witness good January 2014 and outstanding practitioners in schools other than their main placements. These placements, combined with the main teaching experiences, ensure trainees have exposure to contrasting school settings and curricula for Key Stages 3 to 5.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

31. The subject pedagogy sessions at the university are rated highly by trainees and NQTs. Trainees benefit from pre-course subject knowledge enhancement courses, a comprehensive induction to audit gaps in their subject knowledge and well-planned professional studies training in schools. As a result, most trainees receive a good and occasionally outstanding training experience for their subject pedagogy and wider professional knowledge. English and history NQTs found that the peer- led subject knowledge enhancement sessions had a positive impact on their practice, giving them confidence to teach aspects of their subjects with which they were less familiar. Schools Direct trainees benefit from the intensive induction programme undertaken prior to them starting at the university, experiencing GCSE results day as a starting point to their journey as a trainee teacher.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

32. At this early stage in the course, trainees are already being prepared well for the forthcoming changes to the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4. They have a secure overview of the key changes being introduced and are developing a secure understanding of the issues they will be required to deal with when they start teaching their subjects. In most subjects, the focus is on developing the trainees’ understanding of how students’ knowledge and skills can be built on through topics and themes. This gives them a secure framework to build a more detailed understanding of how to teach the content within the National Curriculum. This is preparing them well to take part in discussions in their placement schools later in the course.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

33. Trainees are prepared well for post-16 teaching. Almost all the NQTs involved in the inspection had received first-hand experience of working with students on post-16 courses whilst training. Significant amounts of time are devoted to training in subject-specific, post-16 teaching during the centre-based training. This is provided through explicit sessions and through integrating post-16 issues into other sessions. Very good use is made of the wide range of post-16 expertise and provision across the partnership in school sixth forms, as well as in sixth form and further education colleges. However, a few trainees do not yet have a secure understanding of level 2 courses.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

34. The course documentation, including a handbook for each subject and the key document, the trainee progress tracker, are very detailed. Together, they help trainees and subject mentors trace what the university expects weekly both for extended reading and in-school research, planning and teaching. The sequencing and focus of the January 2014 written assignments at Masters Level are good and planned well to cover national priorities, including raising the achievement of key student groups, such as those who benefit from pupil premium funding. Trainees are keen to collate and record their evidence for achieving the Teachers’ Standards and most trainees are using the trainee progress tracker weekly to keep this up-to-date. A few trainees are less secure in analysing what high-quality evidence to include as demonstrable impact of knowledge and proven competency in attaining the Teachers’ Standards.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

35. An exemplary personal development file of a history trainee showed how well the trainee was charting her own progress by rating progress in terms of red, amber and green against each of the Teachers’ Standards. The reflections and content were regularly updated, showing her ability to evaluate her learning from school experiences, feedback from lesson observations, targets from her weekly mentor meetings and her university training. Trainees produce comprehensive and focused teaching files, resources and well-honed critical reflections in most secondary subjects. Where there is variability this is because feedback to trainees does not pinpoint sufficiently well how they can develop their teaching to deepen students’ subject knowledge and help students of all abilities make better progress.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

36. Most trainees view the weekly meetings with their subject mentors positively. They understand that these sessions are integral to developing their teaching and recognise their usefulness in checking that they are improving their subject knowledge for the classes they teach. Records of regular meetings show that weekly targets arise from lesson observations and that most trainees receive a blend of short-term and longer-term developmental targets. Some outstanding mentoring provides trainees with long-term targets which are progressive and increasingly challenging as the trainee improves. The outstanding and very good target setting is not embedded within all partner schools. A few mentors set trainees targets that are too generic, such as ‘improve differentiation’ or ‘work on your pace’. In addition, some targets are better described as activities as they limit the trainee’s ability to plan and teach good lessons for the full ability range they teach.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

37. Where mentoring is good or outstanding, trainees receive high quality feedback, both oral and written, that carefully scaffolds their development with tightly focused ‘next steps’ showing how well the trainee is progressing. Inspectors observed some very good oral feedback guiding the trainee to evaluate the lesson and student’s progress, directly linking to targets from previous reviews. On occasion, feedback becomes a chronology of the lesson and mentors miss the opportunity to focus the feedback on key strengths and areas requiring improvement linked to the Teachers’ Standards. January 2014 38. Excellent practice was exemplified when senior professional tutors check the quality of mentoring by observing feedback to trainees and analysing the quality of targets, both short- and long-term. As yet, there is not enough guidance given to mentors whose work is good, but with more detailed feedback could be outstanding.

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good

39. Leaders are sustaining high completion and employment rates for secondary trainees. Good partnership work and good training are testimony to the excellent relationship the university has established with schools in challenging contexts over many years. The shared vision for excellence permeates the partnership and the university brand is highly regarded by headteachers. Schools choose to work with the university because they receive good-quality trainees and NQTs who become high-performing teachers, often progressing into leadership roles. Schools confirm that good teaching and excellent professionalism of graduates supports their work to raise students’ achievement.

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good

40. University leaders have an excellent understanding of the diverse and changing landscape of initial teacher education. They use their up-to- date knowledge to ensure that the partnership continues to flourish by capitalising on senior expertise in schools to work with trainees, NQTs and subject mentors in sharing best practice. Most schools have very good professional development opportunities for their subject mentors and enable them to work closely with colleagues. However, this is not a consistent feature across the partnership. The partnership with CLF is well led and is securing good partnership work for trainees through the School Direct route.

p.19

good

41. Recruitment processes are fair and robust. From the interview stage through to induction, trainees receive pre-course experiential and reading tasks, which help them deepen their subject knowledge for teaching. Staff from partner schools are involved in recruitment interviews and, while recruitment is robust, several leaders suggested it would be useful to see potential candidates interacting with students. Although the university has established links with other providers to widen the pool of potential teachers who reflect the diverse local culture, it recognises that there is still more to be done to recruit trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds.

p.19

good

42. The very clear partnership agreement contract sets high expectations and non-negotiables for working with the university. The monitoring of trainees’ experience in schools is, overall, of good quality. The university tutor visits, coupled with internal school-based monitoring, provide a January 2014 mechanism for checking the quality of support for trainees. The university’s leaders use their findings well to plan future centrally-based mentor training. A critical missing link in securing more outstanding training across the partnership is the opportunity for regular, sharply focused feedback to all mentors to help them know about the quality of their coaching to extend trainees’ practice from good to outstanding

p.19

good

43. Using feedback from stakeholders, university leaders successfully review and refine the structure and content of the training. Leaders gather trainees’ views as well as feedback from senior professional tutors and subject mentors to inform annual changes to the course, but not enough emphasis is given to the schools to evaluate the impact of their training on trainees’ performance.

p.20

good

44. The secondary course improvement plan and subject improvement plans are not shared widely enough with all trainers and leaders in schools. The improvement plans include changes to course provision, school placements and changes being made to the National Curriculum, although not all plans include success criteria based on rigorous analyses of data.

p.20

good

45. The partnership’s evaluation of the quality of training and impact on outcomes is overgenerous. While the self-evaluation document provides insightful commentary about trends in employment and attainment by different trainee groups, the partnership’s view of the quality of training in schools and tracking of trainees’ progress is more positive than judged by inspectors.

p.20

good

46. The work of the partnership steering group is developing steadily and new terms of reference are providing a more strategic role for members. Even so, senior leaders recognise that there is greater capacity for this group to work with university leaders to analyse trends in outcomes for trainees and critique how to strengthen the consistency of training across the partnership.

p.20

good

47. The secondary phase is fully compliant with the requirements for initial teacher training.

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools were visited to observe teaching: Mangotsfield School Bristol Metropolitan Academy Bristol Brunel Academy St Bede’s Catholic College John Cabot Academy St Katherine’s School Bradley Stoke Community School January 2014 Kings Oak Academy January 2014 Unique reference number Inspection number Inspection dates Lead inspector Type of ITE partnership Phases provided Date of previous inspection Previous inspection report

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Annex: Partnership schools

Provider address 2–5 December 2013 Lorna Brackstone HMI HEI Primary/Secondary 28 February–4 March 2011 http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection- reports/find-inspection- report/provider/ELS/70079 University of the West of England Department of Education Frenchay Campus Coldharbour Lane Bristol BS16 1QY

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