Canterbury Christ Church University

May 2014 This inspection was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspector/s and additional inspector/s 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 1

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Inspection judgements

The outcomes for trainees 2 2 1 The quality of training across the partnership 2 2 1 The quality of leadership and management across the partnership 2 2 1 Canterbury Christ Church University

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Inspection judgements

Initial Teacher Education inspection report Inspection Dates 24–27 March 2014 May 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 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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Inspection judgements

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 May 2014

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Overview of the ITE partnership

The overall effectiveness of the ITE partnership is: good in primary; good in secondary; outstanding in further education.

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Key findings

 The central training is of consistently high quality and is very strongly aligned with trainees’ placements, assignments and directed activities.  The partnership’s innovative approach and its responsiveness to the changing educational landscape places it at the forefront of educational research and direction.  Throughout the partnership there is strong and effective strategic leadership and a drive for continuous improvement.  High quality, personalised pastoral support for trainees often helps them surmount difficulties and complete the courses at a good level.

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secondary phases:

 improve the quality of school-based mentoring so that it is consistently good or better  increase the impact of link tutors and develop their quality assurance role, so that mentoring on all placements helps trainees to achieve their full potential.

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Information about this ITE partnership

 Canterbury Christ Church University is a long-established and well- respected provider of ITE. It trains more than 2,500 trainee teachers every year and works in partnership with over 600 schools and colleges in Kent, Medway, several other local authorities in the South East of England and at least 13 London boroughs.  The partnership offers a wide range of programmes leading to qualified teacher status (QTS) for those wishing to teach in primary and secondary schools, and to a variety of qualifications for those wishing to teach in the further education (FE) sector. Successful trainees in the school sector following the undergraduate, postgraduate and School Direct training routes gain QTS and either Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees or postgraduate certificates of education (PGCE). The provider also offers assessment only and School Direct salaried routes. Successful trainees on each FE pathway obtain a university-validated foundation

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Information about this ITE partnership

May 2014 degree and teaching award or PGCE qualifications. The partnership also offers Teach First and Troops to Teachers programmes. These are inspected separately and were not included in this inspection. May 2014

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Information about the primary partnership

 The primary partnership involves over 350 primary schools and settings across seven local authorities in the South East of England and 13 London boroughs. The partnership offers three-year and four-and-a- half-year undergraduate courses leading to a BA with QTS. Graduate trainees follow one-year full-time, or two-year part-time core courses leading to a PGCE with QTS.  At the time of the inspection, there were 1,308 primary trainees. There were 698 undergraduate trainees on the full-time primary age programme, 56 part-time undergraduate trainees specialising in the 7– 14 age range and 37 trainees on the undergraduate ‘top up’ part-time route. On the full-time PGCE course there were 257 trainees, 42 on the part-time PGCE route, 38 on the full time PGCE 7-14 and 81 on the PGCE primary modular route. There were 92 trainees following the School Direct Training route and six assessment-only trainees. These

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Information about the primary partnership

two latter routes enable trainees to gain PGCE or QTS qualifications while being based in school.

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

 Six inspectors visited 18 schools and settings, and observed lessons taught by 16 newly qualified teachers (NQTs). They also observed lessons and group sessions taught by 16 trainees. These included trainees following the PGCE route for those wishing to teach the 7–14 age range and School Direct trainees. Most of the trainees’ sessions were observed jointly with mentors and the feedback provided by these mentors was also observed.  Inspectors had meetings with NQTs, trainees and senior staff in the schools. They looked at teaching files and the evidence of progress tracked against the Teachers’ Standards. Inspectors also met with small groups of trainees from each of the routes and looked at their training files.  Inspectors met with senior staff from the university and schools, including headteachers, school-based tutors and link tutors. They observed four central training sessions, three at the university’s

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

Canterbury campus and one at its Medway campus. Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including the provider’s self- evaluation, course handbooks, documents relating to school experience placements, completion data and external examiners’ reports. May 2014

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Inspection team

Sheena MacDonald, Her Majesty’s Inspector: overall and primary lead inspector Robert Lovett, Her Majesty’s Inspector: assistant primary lead inspector Hilary Macdonald, Her Majesty’s Inspector: team inspector Helen Wiseman, additional inspector: team inspector Dr John Menendez, additional inspector: team inspector Juliet Ward, additional inspector: team inspector

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The key strengths of the primary partnership are:

 leaders who think clearly and strategically, and take robust action to improve the quality of provision and outcomes for trainees  high-quality centre-based training, which blends subject knowledge and theory, models excellent teaching practice, and is strongly aligned with school-based teaching and learning  excellent pastoral care and personalised support which enable trainees to overcome difficulties and achieve well  trainees who become confident, high-achieving teachers who plan and teach interesting lessons, and have a good understanding of how to cater for pupils with different abilities and those with special educational needs  the increasing commitment and contribution of partnership schools which are supporting improvements in the quality of the provision  the range and diversity of placements which broaden the experience of trainees and enable them to gain a wide understanding of education and

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The key strengths of the primary partnership are:

learning  an active and innovative approach to training underpinned by research which helps to ensure high-quality, up-to-date provision.

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The partnership should:

 extend the responsibilities of link tutors so that they play a more robust role in ensuring the quality of school placements and the mentoring of trainees May 2014  improve the quality of school-based mentoring so that it is all of a consistently high standard  develop support for NQTs to enable them to make better progress during their first year in teaching.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

1. Almost all trainees complete the courses with levels of skill which exceed the minimum standards required. They demonstrate a good understanding of the Teachers’ Standards and the great majority achieve at a good and often outstanding level. This high quality has been sustained over several years.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

2. Trainees are often appointed to schools which are in the partnership. Employment rates are above average and about two thirds of trainees secure their first teaching posts in Kent and Medway. As a result, the provider is making a significant contribution to the quality of teaching in the local area.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

3. Trainees are regularly assessed and well supported to achieve at as high a level as possible. The inspectors agreed with the accuracy of the provider’s assessments of trainees, particularly those following the School Direct pathway. Those training to teach the 7–14 age group were at the start of their primary placement and were less secure in their teaching skills and knowledge of primary practice. Although most of the NQTs observed were teaching at the level expected, given their grades at the end of their courses, about a quarter of those observed were not yet teaching at the expected level. The university plans to enhance the support and guidance it provides for this group to ensure they quickly achieve as well as they should in their first teaching post.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

4. The partnership has recently strengthened its recruitment and selection procedures. Schools say they feel more involved in the process and better prepared to contribute to interviewing trainees. As a result, the already above-average completion results are improving further. For example, no third-year undergraduate trainees have withdrawn this year and the proportion of first-year undergraduates withdrawing has almost halved. The proportions of men and trainees from minority ethnic groups are lower than average and these groups have, in the past, achieved less well than others, but the gap is narrowing.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

5. Schools welcome trainees and employ NQTs from the partnership because they are highly professional, eager to contribute to wider school May 2014 and community activities, and have a positive impact on school life. They plan well-structured lessons which arouse the children’s interest in learning. They establish positive relationships with pupils and demonstrate a good understanding of how to cater for pupils with different abilities, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Those who spend time in schools with high numbers of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding spoke confidently about the use of assessment data, pupil tracking, curriculum enhancement and support for pupils. Other trainees are less secure in their understanding of the national underachievement of particular groups and how schools might address this.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

6. Trainees and NQTs have a good understanding of the imminent changes to the National Curriculum and they are developing the ability to devise, plan and revise curriculum content. Trainees with specialisms in subjects such as mathematics or history are working alongside school subject leaders to develop the new curriculum. Trainees are proactive about their own professional development and take part enthusiastically in whole-school training activities as well as in the additional workshops provided by the university. Some of the latter take place at weekends and the fact that they are oversubscribed is testament to trainees’ commitment to teaching.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

7. Trainees make good progress because of the high quality of the training. Inspectors observed centre-based training sessions in modern foreign languages, physical education and phonics and literacy. The quality of these sessions was very good, with trainees being offered an excellent blend of subject knowledge and theory, underpinned by the practical modelling of the best primary practice. The time spent on physical education has increased, and the training now covers the use of the new primary sports funding.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

8. Trainees and NQTs, during the inspection, were very positive about the quality of centre-based training. However, the responses to the NQT survey have not always been so positive about the impact of the training on their preparedness to teach aspects of literacy. More recent survey results show a marked improvement which is particularly noticeable among undergraduate trainees who report rising confidence in the teaching of early reading and phonics. The observations and discussions with trainees indicate that the decoding aspect of early reading is well understood, although they are slightly less sure about the links with writing and language comprehension. The increase in confidence is due to improvements in the training courses. For example, on an ‘Invasion day’, groups of trainees visited a school and observed outstanding teaching of phonics with early-years children and mathematics with May 2014

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

older pupils. This was top-quality, first-hand practical training which trainees benefited from and thoroughly enjoyed.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

9. Trainees and NQTs are confident mathematics teachers because the courses are carefully tailored so that trainees gain the requisite knowledge and skills. The provider closely tracks trainees’ progress and additional mathematics workshops are provided to cover aspects which trainees are finding difficult. The provider makes very good use of expertise in schools, including specialist mathematics teachers and mathematics education strategic hubs, to enhance and develop the courses. Trainees value the directed mathematics tasks such as the ‘maths talk’ and ‘maths misconceptions’ logs. School- and centre-based trainers have worked together to produce a very useful mathematics- focused lesson observation prompt sheet, although this is not yet used consistently by all mentors.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

10. The university is imaginative and flexible when designing placement activities. For example, first-year undergraduates now spend a day each week in the same school which will be the base for their block placement later in the year. In this way, they are gaining a better understanding of the pupils and the school as a whole before beginning their placement. Although at a very early stage in their training, these trainees are already making a positive contribution in their schools. For example, in one school, the trainees are part of a ‘reading buddy’ project where they work with specific pupils each week. The school reports that all of these pupils enjoy reading more now and have made at least the expected progress during the project.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

11. The provider carefully tracks trainees to make sure that, as far as possible, they gain experience in different types of schools. Trainees are very positive about the impact of the alternative placement when they spend time in a wide variety of contexts which may include special schools, museums or international schools. This diversity of placement is expanding and enriching trainees’ understanding of wider issues around education and learning.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

12. School-based training is generally good with opportunities for trainees to benefit from a variety of well-planned and valuable activities such as observing and spending time with subject leaders and training sessions in other partner schools. Assignments and directed activities are also well planned and enable trainees to build on their theoretical understanding of aspects such as assessment, special educational needs and subject knowledge by direct application in schools. Link tutors have longstanding relationships with schools and time after time school-based trainers and trainees commented on the responsiveness and valuable, timely support provided by link tutors, particularly when problems arose. Pastoral care is very good indeed. May 2014 13. Evidence from observations and trainees’ files shows that there is significant variation in the quality and usefulness of mentoring. The quality of individual lesson feedback and mentoring seen during the

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

inspection varied from exceptionally perceptive and useful to bland and general. Where mentoring is weak, mentors’ feedback is too general and targets lack the precision to help trainees understand exactly what they need to do to improve. The provider makes sure that trainees who have placements in schools requiring improvement also have opportunities to train in good and outstanding schools. Nonetheless, it is occasionally the case that placement schools do not provide good-quality training environments.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

14. Trainees are very well prepared to teach religious education and personal, social and health education. They have a good understanding of some types of bullying, such as cyber-bullying, but are less confident about recognising and tackling bullying based on homophobia or gender. As a result of good preparation for the new National Curriculum, trainees are able to make the essential links between strategies for learning and what needs to be taught.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

15. NQTs who responded to the most recent national survey said that they felt significantly less confident about behaviour management than others in the primary sector. Individual support for trainees in managing behaviour is now embedded across programmes and the provider’s in- house surveys suggest that trainees’ confidence is rising. The trainees and NQTs observed generally had established positive relationships and routines in their classrooms, but did not always understand the link between the quality of their teaching and the impact that it has on pupils’ behaviour.

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good

16. Primary phase leaders provide strong strategic leadership and are committed to continuous improvement. They make good use of information and data to identify and build upon the best practice across the different routes. Many school-based trainers commented on the improvements seen over the past two years and this is also reflected in surveys of trainees.

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good

17. The involvement and influence of school partners are increasingly powerful both operationally and strategically. Schools feel involved in what they regard as a partnership of equals where their knowledge and expertise make a valuable contribution to the identification of priorities, training and the production of support materials. They express growing May 2014 confidence in the ability of the partnership to select trainees with the capacity to become high-quality teachers.

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good

18. Recruitment and selection procedures have been strengthened since the last inspection. School-based trainers are more fully involved and procedures are equally rigorous across all routes. The partnership now emphasises the need for candidates to have had some school experience before becoming trainees and there is a stress on the personal characteristics required to complete the course. It has also raised the level of qualifications required. These improvements are resulting in an increase in the already above-average completion, achievement and employment rates.

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good

19. The provider’s self-evaluation is thorough and honest, and the resulting overarching improvement plan is sharply focused on those aspects where improvement is most needed. There is good evidence of the positive impact of the actions taken to tackle weaknesses. For example, PGCE 7–14 trainees previously lacked confidence in teaching phonics and early reading by the mid-part of their course. For the current cohort, this aspect was tackled very early; in fact, the group visited schools to observe phonics lessons on their first day. As a result, their confidence levels are much higher. The quality of subject and aspect improvement plans is more variable, but there are some excellent examples, like those in mathematics, where information about trainees’ competence and confidence is used effectively to shape priorities and targets are sharp and measurable.

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good

20. The systems for assessing trainees’ teaching skills are well implemented with key points during the year for summary assessments. The information from these assessments is used to provide a range of workshops and seminars to address identified weakness. In this way, the provider is flexible and acts swiftly to ensure that the courses are tailored to meet the needs of the current trainees so that they do as well as possible.

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good

21. Link tutors play a pivotal role in establishing supportive relationships with trainees and strengthening partnerships with schools. However, the quality assurance role of link tutors is not strong enough to ensure that all trainees benefit from good-quality training environments and mentoring. This has been identified by the provider as an area for further development.

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good

22. The university is at the forefront of educational research both nationally and internationally. Trainees and schools benefit from this by being involved with a range of school-based, action-research projects which explore in depth aspects of pedagogy and school improvement. The provider is beginning to evaluate the impact of its support for schools in May 2014 challenging contexts and hopes to demonstrate the positive impact of the partnership on pupils’ achievement. This is an aspect where further scrutiny and analysis would be valuable.

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good

23. All statutory safeguarding requirements are met, and careful records kept of the checks carried out on trainees to ensure their suitability to work with children. The partnership fully complies with regulations concerning the recruitment of trainees to all the different routes.

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools were visited to observe teaching:

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Annex: Partnership schools

St Gregory’s Catholic Primary, Margate Folkestone St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy All Souls Church of England Primary, Folkestone White Cliffs Primary College for the Arts, Dover Wincheap Foundation Primary, Canterbury The Canterbury Primary Blean Primary School, Canterbury Brompton Westbrook Primary, Gillingham St Martins Church of England Primary, Folkestone Christ Church Church of England Primary Academy, Folkestone Kings Hill School Kemsley Primary Academy, Sittingbourne Teynham Parochial church of England Primary Queenborough School and Nursery Iwade Community Primary St Helen’s Church of England Primary Aldington Primary, Ashford Furley Park Primary, Ashford May 2014

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Information about the secondary ITE inspection

 Eleven secondary schools and one FE college were visited by inspectors. Inspectors observed the teaching of 22 trainees and four NQTs. Trainees’ teaching was observed jointly with their mentors and inspectors then observed the feedback given by mentors to trainees.  During their visits, inspectors also held discussions with groups of trainees from both the PGCE and School Direct programmes and met with trainees’ mentors, professional tutors, senior leaders and headteachers.  Inspectors held meetings with course and programme leaders and school leaders from the partnership. They considered a wide range of documentary evidence which included trainee tracking and assessment data, trainees’ teaching files and evidence about how well trainees are meeting the Teachers’ Standards. Inspectors also scrutinised the partnership’s analysis of trainees’ attainment data, completion and employment outcomes over time and the partnership’s self-evaluation

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Inspection Team

Adrian Lyons, Her Majesty’s Inspector: secondary lead inspector Elaine Taylor, Her Majesty’s Inspector: assistant lead inspector, modern foreign languages specialist Philip Mann, Her Majesty’s Inspector: team inspector, physical education specialist Alan Brine, Her Majesty’s Inspector: team inspector, religious education specialist Terry Russell, additional inspector: team inspector, mathematics specialist Andrew Maher, additional inspector: team inspector, mathematics specialist Sue Collier, additional inspector: team inspector, English specialist Ronald Sergeyev: team inspector

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Information about the secondary partnership

 The secondary partnership trains 670 students each year on a wide range of routes. These are: PGCE 11–18; PGCE 14–19; PGCE Inspire; Bachelor of Science (BSc) science with secondary education, BSc mathematics with secondary education and BSc physics with secondary education. There are three School Direct routes leading to QTS only, QTS with a PGCE, or QTS with Master’s level credits. Partner schools and colleges are located across the South East of England, from Southend to May 2014 West Sussex and through School Direct as far as Wembley, Midhurst and Swindon.

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The key strengths of the secondary partnership are:

 the strong coherence of the training provided centrally and in schools which helps produce confident teachers who promote good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning

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The key strengths of the secondary partnership are:

 employment rates which are high in nearly all subjects and which make a significant contribution to education in London and the South East of England, with most trainees securing teaching posts in the local area

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The key strengths of the secondary partnership are:

 trainees from the partnership who are regarded well by schools, leading many to choose to work with the university to establish School Direct training provision

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The key strengths of the secondary partnership are:

 the range of programmes responding to government initiatives

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The key strengths of the secondary partnership are:

 the high levels of individual support offered to trainees, the flexibility of the training and the adaption of the programme in response to trainees’ individual needs and interests, all of which ensure that trainees’ progress through the course is usually good

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The key strengths of the secondary partnership are:

 reflective trainees who, from an early point in the course, are able to work out for themselves what they need to do to become better teachers.

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The partnership should:

 ensure that leaders’ monitoring, quality assurance and improvement planning are based on a more rigorous and systematic analysis of the trainees’ progress against the Teachers’ Standards  further improve the selection procedures in order to ensure that a greater proportion of trainees are recruited with the potential to succeed. May 2014

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The outcomes for trainees are good

26. The proportion of trainees judged to be good or better has increased over the last three years so that last year, most trainees were judged to be at least good by the end of their training. Inspectors are confident about the reliability of the partnership’s assessments. The proportion of trainees who start and successfully complete courses is rising, and is now similar to that found among other ITE providers.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

27. Trainees are well prepared to teach. School leaders are very positive about the programme and the quality of trainees that emerge. Trainees were described as ‘highly employable’ and, with the exception of physical education, employment rates are high. Trainees on the 14–19 programme are trained and qualified to teach in both school and college settings, and they bring valuable extra elements of knowledge and understanding to whichever phase they choose.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

28. All trainees and NQTs observed and met during the inspection exceeded the minimum level of practice expected of teachers as defined in the Teachers’ Standards. There is no significant variation in the outcomes for different groups of trainees such as by gender, age or ethnicity.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

29. Trainees are self-critical, can set themselves meaningful targets and are able to find their own solutions to problems. They are confident classroom practitioners whose teaching promotes good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. They have excellent knowledge of their subjects and an excellent range of strategies to enable students to make good progress in lessons.

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The outcomes for trainees are good

30. Through good centre-based training and well-planned, diverse school placements, trainees and NQTs are able to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of different groups of students, such as disabled students and those with special educational needs, and students who are gifted and talented. They show an awareness of the need to stretch and challenge the most-able students and to have high expectations of the levels at which their students should be working, and of their behaviour.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

31. Central training is of a very high quality. It is comprehensive, well- structured and links with school-based training effectively. The coherence of the whole training experience is very strong. Many trainees reported being impressed and inspired by the quality of subject tutoring at the university curriculum sessions. Some School Direct trainees were less May 2014 positive, complaining of some repetition between school- and centre- based training.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

32. The trainees’ learning journal makes a very effective contribution to their development, allowing them to reflect on their growing confidence, identify key achievements, weaknesses and targets, and comment on the impact of their teaching on the progress students make in their lessons. As a result, trainees become self-reliant and adept at planning for their own professional development from an early stage. The journal provides targets related to the Teachers’ Standards for each placement to signal how the trainee can make progress, and is overall an effective vehicle for monitoring and recording trainees’ progress throughout the course.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

33. The transition points between placements are well documented and generally provide appropriate starting points for subsequent placements. Mentors get the opportunity to meet their trainees before the start of each placement and, in some cases, gain sight of the trainees’ targets in advance. There is a good sense of getting trainees to move on swiftly. Contrasting school placements are used well in all pathways to meet trainees’ varying needs and levels of experience.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

34. Assignments are very relevant to trainees’ needs with a good balance between academic study and practical teaching. Trainees value the enhanced studies module and several highlighted how it had had a positive impact on their confidence and competence in the classroom. For example, one NQT who had caused concern during her training said she had gained much from a reading project undertaken in this module. Trainees following the 11–18 PGCE can use this module flexibly. A modern foreign languages trainee used it for a short placement in a German primary school giving him the opportunity to work with younger children and practise a second language. For trainees on the 14–19 programme, the module is used effectively to work across subjects on enterprise activities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

35. There is strong personal support for trainees, especially where intervention becomes necessary or trainees’ progress slows, which helps the majority make good progress. However, the personal support sometimes only becomes necessary because the partnership’s quality assurance systems have failed to pre-empt potential problems caused by a very small proportion of inexperienced or insufficiently trained mentors. Effective pastoral support has made a significant difference to trainees’ achievements in a number of partner schools.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

36. The contribution that should be made by the subject mentor in school to the development of trainees’ subject knowledge for teaching is not always clear, with some schools content to leave it to the university. It is clear that some mentors do provide subject training, but it is on an ad hoc basis May 2014 rather than through a systematic, planned programme. This causes inconsistency in the quality of subject mentoring across the partnership. The quality of the coaching dialogue between mentor and trainee is often high, but it is too often limited to the lesson observed rather than progress more widely.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

37. Subject knowledge is well taught by subject tutors at the university and through subject days. This aspect of the training is highly valued by trainees. The effective central training covers all areas of the 11–18 curriculum and trainees’ developing subject knowledge is audited at regular intervals over the year. This audit is not necessarily shared with mentors in schools, however, who are sometimes unaware of deficits in trainees’ subject knowledge. In some subjects, such as modern foreign languages, inspectors described the subject knowledge audit as a ‘model of best practice’. Trainees interviewed were usually aware, through their university tutor, of the work of subject associations, but were unaware of reports and support materials from Ofsted.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

38. Trainees are clear about the use of achievement data and share this information confidently with their students. Trainees are well trained in teaching students who speak English as an additional language and in supporting disabled students and those with special educational needs, and understand how to plan for these groups. Trainees sometimes struggle to find opportunities to apply their training in teaching students who speak English as an additional language in practice.

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The quality of training across the partnership is good

39. Trainees are prepared well for the revised National Curriculum and changes to 16–19 education. Careful consideration is given to preparing trainees to teach students in a wide range of academic and social contexts.

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across the partnership

40. The leaders of the education faculty have taken every opportunity to engage with a wide range of training routes. They work effectively with schools to develop the secondary teaching force in South East England and London, and have had a positive impact on raising the quality of teaching in the region’s schools. Weaknesses identified at the previous inspection have been addressed successfully.

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across the partnership

41. Leaders have engaged positively with changes to teacher training, for example, in their support for School Direct. Schools have been keen to have the university as their partner in School Direct training because they value the rigorous academic underpinning it provides to teachers’ training. The director of a teaching school alliance told the lead inspector that ‘it would make no sense to say we can do it better ourselves, we couldn’t’. May 2014 42. Across the secondary provision, employment rates are high and trainees’ attainment has improved significantly. A headteacher praised the university’s work to provide access to teacher training for trainees ‘from disadvantaged backgrounds’. The NQT survey is generally positive with responses similar to those found nationally about all aspects of training. The online questionnaire completed by 65 current trainees is very positive. Subject leaders act on feedback from students at subject level where

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across the partnership

regular reviews take place. Where feedback on an aspect of the training is relatively less positive, the programme is adapted: for example, this year’s training gives trainees more opportunity to gain experience of communicating with parents and carers. At subject level, improvement planning based on the analysis of trainees’ progress against the Teachers’ Standards varies in its rigour and effectiveness.

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across the partnership

43. Course and programme leaders are experts in their own fields, contributing to research. As a result, good support is provided for mentors in the form of a list of subject-specific targets to encourage them to focus on subject pedagogy rather than generic teaching features.

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across the partnership

44. The partnership has responded well to government initiatives in the development of its provision. Being involved in the partnership is regarded as being of mutual benefit to schools and the university. The university has opportunities for the practical testing of research projects and the schools gain in many ways through professional development activities. There is good collaboration at all levels. Schools are loyal to the partnership and the particular strengths of individual schools are used well to enhance the provision. Comments from local headteachers involved in the partnership praised the ‘very local bespoke service’ contributing to their school improvement. Others spoke of how their schools had improved, as confirmed in their inspection grades, ‘largely as a result of the university’s professional development’.

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across the partnership

45. The provider’s improvement plans are useful working documents, although they are more comprehensive in some subjects than others. Quality assurance processes are generally strong and the central monitoring and analysis of trainees’ progress are getting tighter through the developing use of a computerised system. However, systems are not yet tight enough to pre-empt problems that arise, nor to ensure that all mentors across the partnership are clear about their role, especially in the development of subject knowledge. Recruitment and selection procedures are thorough with a strong emphasis on subject knowledge. For example, in mathematics, there is an audit that applicants have to complete before interview; this is then monitored at regular points during the training. Despite this, retention rates remain below average in some subjects. May 2014

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools and a further education college were visited:

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Annex: Partnership schools

K College, Tonbridge Mark Grammar School, Rainham Cornwallis Academy, Maidstone Queen Elizabeth School, Faversham Herne Bay High School Archbishops School, Canterbury Dover Boys Grammar School The Howard School, Rainham Folkestone School for Girls Brockhill Park, Hythe Invicta Grammar School, Maidstone May 2014

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Information about the FE in ITE partnership

 The university operates in partnership with 15 FE colleges, one provider of adult and community education, and three police forces, to provide in-service training for FE teachers and trainers. Police force training was not included in this inspection. In addition to its large, part-time, in- service provision, the university offers a one-year, full-time, pre-service professional graduate certificate in education (PGCE), taught partly at its campus and in placements across the South East of England. Another full-time, pre-service, PGCE route operates at Mid Kent College, with placements in college departments. The university also offers specialist pathways in English, mathematics and the teaching of disabled learners within the in-service diploma in education and training (DET) and the pre-service PGCE, as well as an integrated specialist DET/PGCE in English (literacy or English for speakers of other languages).

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Information about the FE in ITE partnership

 Provision and placements at each partner institution are managed by a centre or programme coordinator. Staff of the partner institution teach some 75% of each course, with the remainder taught by university link tutors and teaching staff visiting the partner's premises. The university’s department for post-compulsory education and training manages all programmes.  The geographical spread of the in-service provision is broad, with partners situated all over the greater London area, and from Bexhill-on- Sea in East Sussex to Margate and Folkestone at the eastern and southern extremes of Kent. Post-16 partners include sixth forms, land- based education providers, inner-city general further education and rural regional colleges. The adult and community learning partner is a local authority service in south London.  Around 650 trainees are on in-service courses leading to a university- validated foundation degree and teaching award (FDTA). Programmes

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Information about the FE in ITE partnership

leading to a diploma to teach in the lifelong learning sector (DTLLS) are in their final year, replaced since September 2013 with the DET. There are around 40 pre-service PGCE trainees. The FDTA programme complies with the university’s wider foundation degree framework and provides opportunities for credit accumulation.

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Information about the FE in ITE inspection

 During the inspection, inspectors spent time at the university and at eight partner and placement colleges where current trainees teach. Inspectors carried out 18 observations of trainees’ teaching, some of which were co-observations with the trainee’s mentor. Inspectors May 2014 interviewed the observed trainees and their mentors or tutors when they were present. Ten observations of former trainees were undertaken.  Inspectors held meetings with the head of post-compulsory education, the programme directors of the FDTA and PGCE, centre coordinators, university link tutors, and tutors and other staff from the partners involved in the programme. Inspectors took account of the provider’s self-evaluation and development plan, and scrutinised course documentation, teaching and learning resources and a range of supporting evidence provided by the university and the partners. They also examined trainees’ files and other records of trainees’ progress,

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Information about the FE in ITE inspection

including individual learning plans, marked assignments and observation feedback records. Account was also taken of the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for trainees.

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Inspection Team

Richard Beynon, Her Majesty’s Inspector : FE lead inspector Alan Winchcombe, Her Majesty’s Inspector: assistant lead inspector Barbara Strange, additional inspector: team inspector Terence Hunt , additional inspector: team inspector John Homewood, additional inspector: team inspector Pauline Dixey , additional inspector: team inspector

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The key strengths of the FE partnership are:

 the highly successful and collaborative provision that makes a significant contribution to raising standards within the FE sector nationally and regionally  trainees’ consistently high and rising attainment and employment rates  the trainees’ commitment to self-improvement and their depth of critical reflection which enable them to improve rapidly throughout the programme  the strong focus within the training on improving learners’ English and mathematics skills, which gives trainees confidence and a range of techniques to follow this up in the classroom  the exceptional levels of mentor and tutorial support which trainees successfully adopt in their own teaching and approaches to learners May 2014  the highly effective and innovative link tutor role which helps leaders and managers monitor programme quality and raises aspirations and levels of professional development across the partnership  the exceptional clarity and effectiveness of systems to monitor trainees’

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The key strengths of the FE partnership are:

progress which ensure that all trainees reach their full potential  the vision and responsiveness of the partnership’s leaders who recognise and respond to developments within the rapidly changing FE and skills sector.

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The partnership should:

 build upon existing measures to develop trainees’ understanding of the breadth and range of the sector and ensure that experiences derived from trainees’ visits to other settings are more widely and formally shared across the partnership  fully implement plans to provide high-quality and personally targeted coaching in order to spread the best practice across the partnership and embed the techniques of successful coaching so that all trainees can use these with their learners.

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The outcomes for trainees are outstanding

24. Outcomes for trainees are outstanding on the in-service FDTA programmes and on the pre-service PGCE. Success rates for trainees are very high and have risen steadily since the previous inspection, from 85% in 2009/10 to 96% in 2012/13. There is no significant variation in completion rates between groups of trainees from different backgrounds. The partnership monitors trends across time and between different groups very thoroughly. Of the trainees currently on programmes, the vast majority are making good or outstanding progress. 25. Trainees’ attainment is outstanding. Trainees in the current year are almost all good or outstanding, with a high proportion of outstanding teaching observed during inspection. Trainees are strong and thoughtful practitioners, honest about the challenges they face but confident in their skills, and many already meet the professional standards for FE practitioners. May 2014

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The outcomes for trainees are outstanding

26. Completion of the FDTA programme very often translates into full-time employment or other career improvement, especially for staff on variable hours contracts, whose positions are frequently made permanent. A particularly valuable feature of the programme in a number of settings is its capacity to recruit learning support assistants who wish to teach. Their previous experience is an invaluable asset to their places of employment. PGCE employment rates after completion are excellent. The partnership analyses carefully the rates of progression in employment, and recently undertook a survey of over 1,500 former trainees from across a three-year period to gather useful information about destinations and employment patterns. 27. Trainees are good at managing classroom behaviour and confident in applying a range of skills and techniques developed during their training. Trainees usually create and manage an orderly classroom in which

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The outcomes for trainees are outstanding

learners benefit from opportunities to hear and be heard well. Many trainees were observed teaching outstanding sessions with very challenging groups but where an atmosphere of calm prevailed. 28. All trainees plan their teaching effectively, making use of a very broad range of approaches to identify and meet individual needs. The vast majority of trainees very successfully create an exciting and enjoyable atmosphere in their classes in which well-expressed and understood objectives are generally met. They are also confident in the ways they use information and communication technology to enhance lessons. Learners benefit from trainees’ ability to teach varied and engaging sessions. 29. Trainees are keen to share and discuss what they see as their own weaknesses and they are reflective and committed. All trainees welcome and value feedback from tutors and mentors, and use this positively to improve their teaching. Mentors who are very experienced teachers

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The outcomes for trainees are outstanding

comment on the development of their own reflective skills and the impact these have on their teaching, for example, in linking theory successfully to their own practice. 30. Trainees know the importance of preparing their students for employment, and most demonstrated this in their teaching. During one outstanding media lesson, for example, a former trainee worked effectively with students using industry-standard filming equipment to produce and manage the production of a film. The lesson was carefully planned so that students experienced the different team roles and gained a thorough understanding of the skills needed for employment in this sector. 31. The programme places strong emphasis on the development of trainees’ own literacy and numeracy skills, and closely monitors how effectively trainees plan and implement support for their learners’ skills in English and mathematics alongside their subject knowledge. In an outstanding

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The outcomes for trainees are outstanding

lesson to teach level 1 equine care students about the dangers of drug May 2014 misuse, a trainee used a range of very imaginative and enjoyable activities to develop students’ English and mathematics knowledge and skills. Throughout the lesson, students were able to support one another, make corrections and enjoy their successes. 32. The vast majority of trainees were aware of the requirements and implications for the sector of the new 14–19 Study Programmes. The best trainees were keenly aware of the need to establish individualised learning plans, providing differentiated learning pathways for their students. At all centres, trainees provided good evidence of successful planning to meet the needs of students with a very wide range of barriers to learning, especially behavioural problems. Trainees were observed managing this work well in the classroom by planning suitable work for different students and supporting them carefully.

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

33. Trainees make outstanding progress as a result of the exceptionally high-quality training they receive. Trainees are highly enthusiastic about the quality of their learning and can readily give examples of ways in which it has helped them inclusively and imaginatively support the learning of their students. An open, non-judgemental and supportive culture of professional trust and respect permeates the training. Trainees feel confident to take risks and they feel able to share with their peers and with trainers both their successes and the elements of their classes that had not gone so well. 34. Trainees’ progress logs and portfolios provide an outstanding record of feedback, reflection, observation commentary and target setting. There is frequent input from trainers and mentors in these records and very thorough monitoring of trainees’ progress towards their targets. Personal development plans link very clearly discussions at tutorials, and

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

following observations. Trainees found these extremely valuable and many said that they would continue to use this format to track their progress as teachers once the course was over. 35. The partnership has already developed new programme pathways that meet local and national needs. These include literacy, English for speakers of other languages and mathematics pathways. In addition, centres within the partnership are working closely within their local context, with the strong support of the university, to widen the range of trainees entering the programme. In a particular example of strategic working to meet local and regional needs, the university has worked closely to support a community learning provider within the partnership. The provider has already increased its intake of trainees from local communities, and is now engaged, through close working with the university and the local authority, in a major strategic plan to provide an

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

May 2014 additional pathway and subsequent foundation degree for trainees who wish to work with disabled learners and those with severe learning difficulties. 36. Trainees receive detailed, written and oral feedback from subject specialist mentors and from course tutors. This feedback pays very good attention to trainees’ English and mathematics skills and to the way they develop these skills in their students and learners. Targets for trainees are clear, realistic and time-bound, and mentors and trainers monitor them carefully. As a result, trainees know what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve. Mentors and trainers give post- observation feedback sensitively, but with purpose, to ensure that trainees know what they needed to do to improve in subsequent lessons. Joint observations are used effectively for moderation, the standardising of judgements, training and the sharing of good practice.

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

37. Mentors provide exceptionally high-quality, subject-specific support for trainees. Mentors give freely of their time and their work is highly beneficial to trainees in developing their subject and vocational teaching skills and knowledge. Trainees reported that they were developing a greater awareness of different teaching styles and contexts through work with mentors, tutors and peers. In nearly all cases, mentors co- observed frequently with tutors to ensure standardisation and the reliability of grading and feedback. Trainees who work outside the partnership settings are equally well supported by their mentors. 38. The partnership’s unique link tutor system brings considerable benefits to all and significantly enhances training quality. The embedding in the tutor team of a highly skilled university tutor for 25% of learners’ programme time enhances academic depth and allows link tutors to share good practice from elsewhere in the partnership. The link tutor

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

role also provides fully embedded quality assurance across the partnership, allowing programme directors to understand and monitor quality across settings. For staff at partner settings and for trainees, the presence of university link tutors enhances professional aspirations and brings them into direct contact with academic activity and the latest research. 39. The training prepares trainees very well to teach in a diverse society. Discussions about equality and diversity feature frequently in training sessions, and are inherent in many assignment topics. The programme gives detailed consideration to barriers to learning and how to remove them. Trainees are drawn from a very wide range of settings and bring to the training a range of perspectives and needs. Trainers use these successfully to promote discussion and develop understanding of diversity. This range of trainees’ experience contributes well to

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

discussion of the 14–19 agenda, the raising of the participation age and its implications for all trainees, and the management of behaviour. To broaden their understanding of a range of student needs, for example, trainees from one setting are linked with an independent learning May 2014 provider working with excluded pupils. Trainees at community learning settings are fully involved in community working, often in deprived wards where their learners face particularly serious barriers to learning. Trainees routinely share such experiences with their peers on the programme, but the recording and sharing of practice and experiences are not sufficiently formalised so that trainees can share and discuss their experiences across the partnership in a structured way. 40. All trainees are very well supported to develop their skills in English and mathematics, and the university is now piloting in two centres a

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

programme in numeracy specifically developed for trainees. Tutors and mentors carefully monitor trainees during observations to see how far they plan for and are able to support the development needs of their learners in English and mathematics. Many trainees are directly involved in the teaching of functional skills or literacy. For example, in one level 1 numeracy lesson, a trainee was observed successfully targeting underachieving students’ needs by using very well designed, differentiated resources. Two other outstanding classes taught by trainees involved developing the English skills of adult students with complex learning needs. 41. The university has developed a highly successful coaching project to help trainees move across grade boundaries so that they can become consistently outstanding teachers. The project has been trialled in a number of ways with groups of trainees from selected settings, to refine

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The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding

its purpose and clarify the intended outcomes, and it is currently supporting around 50 trainees. Trainees who have benefited from the project speak very highly of the improvements made to their teaching and professional understanding. Plans to roll out the project more widely across the partnership are at an advanced stage. 42. Progression routes for trainees are excellent. Clearly mapped routes exist through a foundation degree to a BA in Lifelong Learning, and on to the university’s MA in Professional Learning and Education. Across the past two years around 60 trainees have progressed from DTLLS to degree courses.

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outstanding

43. The leadership and management of the programmes are outstanding. Since the previous inspection, and during a period of significant change and challenge for many members of the partnership, outcomes for trainees and the quality of the training both improved to outstanding. Despite the scale and geographical range of the partnership, close collaborative working and very effective two-way communications underpin all activity. Quality improvement is constant, and all partners share the university’s ambition to develop highly effective and forward- looking training. May 2014 44. New programmes are well planned and fully compliant with regulations affecting teacher education and training in the FE sector. The partnership was one of the first to develop new programmes to meet the qualifications framework in 2013. During the transition to the new DET programme, managers took care to ensure that DTLLS trainees still

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outstanding

enjoyed high-quality training and had confidence that their qualification is valued and valuable. New specialist pathways for those intending to teach English or mathematics, or specialise in teaching and training disabled learners, make a significant contribution to meeting the needs of the sector in London and the South East. All programmes were developed in collaborative ways, fully involving partners. 45. Major benefits arise from joint research projects between the university and its partners. Both staff and trainees at partner settings value the contact they have with the university. For example, the partnership benefits widely from the nationally recognised expertise and research backgrounds of a number of the university training team. Staff in partner settings also appreciate the opportunities to be involved with university-led development days and broader research projects, such as the Outstanding Teachers, Outstanding Learning initiative. During

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outstanding

2012/13, a number of partners have been encouraged and supported to run wider programmes, such as a BA in Lifelong Learning group at one college and diploma courses in teaching English and mathematics at another. Trainees can articulate ways that their own standards have risen because they feel part of a community of learning which itself sets high standards. 46. Leaders and managers at colleges and other settings fully support the partnership, and the majority devote considerable resources to support training. For example, at one college, various personnel make contributions to training, including the equality champion, and the teaching and learning manager. At another college, the Principal teaches a number of sessions on topics such as the 14–19 Study Programmes and the impact of the raising of the participation age. Such involvement from senior managers provides trainees with a realistic and contemporary understanding of the sector.

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outstanding

47. Selection and recruitment procedures are transparent, fair and rigorous. Managers reviewed and improved selection procedures for both PGCE and FDTA programmes following the previous inspection. Careful diagnostic assessments of trainees’ literacy and numeracy skills inform their personal development plans so that targeted individual support may be put in place. Trainees receive good individualised support when the need is identified. 48. The monitoring and evaluation of programme quality is comprehensive and effective. Programme directors provide careful oversight of quality on the PGCE and FDTA routes. Link tutors contribute strongly to local quality enhancement, and their experiences and views inform partnership-wide discussions of quality. The university maintains a very May 2014 careful balance between improvements in the quality of training and the need to increase capacity within the FE and skills sector regionally. For

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outstanding

example, when one college received an inadequate inspection outcome, university managers undertook a careful risk assessment to decide whether trainees should continue at the college. Assured of the quality of training at the college, university leaders took the decision to support the college by continuing to develop a high-quality workforce to secure its future. 49. The partnership’s capacity to maintain outstanding provision is clear in the strong and well-monitored development plan, in the range of measures to gather feedback from trainees, and in the robustness of quality improvement measures. The partnership self-evaluation document is based on a wide range of reliable data from across the partnership. Such data receive very thorough scrutiny and are always evaluated with the aim of improving trainees’ experiences. All partners understand very well the part they play in programme review and continuous improvement.

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Annex: Partnership colleges

The partnership includes the following colleges :

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Annex: Partnership colleges

Adult Education College Bexley Barking and Dagenham College Bexhill College Bromley College Carshalton College College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London East Kent College Greenwich Community College Hadlow College K College (Ashford & Tonbridge) Kensington & Chelsea College Lambeth College LeSoCo Mid Kent College Reigate College South Thames College May 2014

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ITE partnership details

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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ITE partnership details

Provider address 24–27 March 2014 Sheena MacDonald HMI HEI Primary, Secondary and FE 10–14 May 2010 http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection- reports/find-inspection- report/provider/ELS/70011 Canterbury Christ Church University North Holmes Road Canterbury CT1 3HU

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