Great North SCITT

ITE inspection report October 2015 1 North Tyneside SCITT ITE Partnership

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Initial Teacher Education inspection report Inspection Dates Stage 1: 08/06/2015 Stage 2: 28/09/2015

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This inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors in accordance with the Initial teacher education inspection handbook. This handbook sets out the statutory basis and framework for initial teacher education (ITE) inspections in England from September 2015.

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The inspection draws upon evidence from 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

Early Years ITT (EYTS) Primary QTS Secondary QTS ITE in FE Primary and Secondary QTS Overall Effectiveness How well does the partnership secure consistently high-quality outcomes for trainees? The outcomes for trainees 1 The quality of training across the partnership The quality of leadership and management across the partnership ITE inspection report

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Information about the primary partnership

 The North Tyneside ITE partnership provides early years and primary (3– 7) school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) for graduates. Trainees who successfully complete their training are recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) and gain either a professional or a postgraduate certificate of education from Northumbria University.  The partnership consists of 34 partnership schools within the North Tyneside local authority. It has close links with the local authority’s school improvement service and the New York Teaching School Alliance, who provide School Direct training places. From September 2016, the partnership will also offer School Direct training for Key Stages 1 and 2 (5–11).  During Stage 1 of the inspection there were 34 trainees on the core training route and four trainees on the School Direct training route. Thirty-seven trainees began their training in September 2015, five of

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

 Inspectors visited seven schools at Stage 1 of the inspection, observing 11 trainees teach. They also met with two other trainees to review their evidence in relation to the teachers’ standards.  At Stage 2, inspectors visited five schools, observing seven newly qualified teachers (NQTs) teach. They also reviewed transition documentation and targets for induction. One of the schools was visited at both stages of the inspection.  During Stage 2, the lead inspector also observed school-led training in science as part of a ‘good practice day’ for the 2015–16 trainees.  Inspectors held discussions with individual trainees and NQTs, leaders and managers, mentors, trainers, induction coordinators, headteachers and members of the SCITT’s management committee. Inspectors also took into account responses to the trainee online questionnaire completed in June 2015, the partnership’s exit survey, the NQT survey and the actions

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

taken by leaders and managers to improve training and outcomes between the two stages of the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence including information on recruitment and selection, training materials, tracking information and assessment data.  The inspection team also reviewed the partnership’s analysis of outcomes for trainees, feedback from stakeholders, the self-evaluation document and improvement plan. ITE inspection report October 2015 3  Checks were also made to ensure the partnership was compliant with the initial teacher training criteria and statutory requirements, including for safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Angela Milner HMI, Lead Inspector Paul Tomkow HMI, Assistant Lead Inspector

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The key strengths of the primary partnership are:

 The collaboration and commitment of leaders and managers, partnership schools and the local authority improvement service to recruiting and training high-calibre trainees who aspire to become excellent early years and primary teachers.  The strong emphasis on nurturing and extremely effective personal, professional and academic support, from leaders and managers and professional guidance tutors, which results in trainees’ high levels of attainment and consistently high completion rates over time.  The quality of feedback and target setting, which focuses on the impact of trainees’ teaching on pupils’ learning and progress, and results in very accurate assessments of trainees’ attainment in relation to the teachers’ standards.  Outstanding school- and centre-based training, which draws on the passion and expertise of school-based colleagues and members of the local authority’s school improvement service to ensure trainees are very

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The key strengths of the primary partnership are:

well prepared for employment.  The strengths of the partnership are used extremely effectively to provide high-quality support for NQTs and ensure there is a seamless transition between training and induction.  School-led ‘good practice’ days which provide excellent opportunities for trainees to observe good and outstanding practitioners and develop their teaching skills in a range of different schools, including those in challenging socio-economic circumstances and those requiring improvement.  Exceptional formal and informal communications, comprehensive documentation and stringent monitoring, review and moderation processes ensure remarkable levels of consistency in the quality of training and assessment across the partnership.  Rigorous self-evaluation, detailed improvement planning, exacting ITE inspection report

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4 October 2015

expectations and challenge from the SCITT’s management committee ensure that high-quality outcomes are sustained and the partnership demonstrates outstanding capacity for continuous self-improvement.

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What does the primary partnership need to do to improve further?

 Further develop trainees’ skills in checking on pupils’ progress to ensure work is set at the right level for all pupils.

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Inspection Judgements

1. The overall effectiveness of the North Tyneside ITE partnership is outstanding. Committed leaders and managers, partnership schools and the local authority school improvement service collaborate extremely effectively to recruit and train high-calibre trainees, who aspire to become excellent early years and primary teachers. 2. The comprehensive selection procedures include a formal interview, audits of applicants’ subject knowledge and school-based tasks. The information gained from this process is used extremely well to identify trainees’ starting points and develop training that meets individual and collective needs. Trainees make rapid progress from the start of their training to become confident and highly competent teachers. Their detailed subject knowledge ensures they are able to teach effectively across the breadth of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1.

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Inspection Judgements

3. Systematic checking of progress in relation to the teachers’ standards ensures trainees are provided with appropriate levels of challenge and additional support when required. As a result, all trainees exceed the minimum level of practice expected of teachers at the end of their training and demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct. The majority of trainees achieve outstanding levels of attainment. 4. The partnership’s strong emphasis on nurturing, and extremely effective personal, professional and academic support from leaders and managers and professional guidance tutors, results in trainees’ high levels of attainment and consistently high completion rates over time. There are no differences in the quality of trainees’ outcomes. For example, male and female trainees and those training on the core and School Direct training routes perform equally well. 5. The partnership has high expectations of its trainees. They complete a

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Inspection Judgements

detailed declaration of their professional and academic conduct at the start of their training. Trainees rise to this challenge extremely well, ITE inspection report October 2015 5 adopting a professional approach and working as a member of a team from the start of their training. 6. Trainees and NQTs use their high-quality training to good effect in their own practice. NQTs have developed good relationships with parents and carers and the adults they work with. They have quickly established safe and stimulating learning environments. Clear rules and routines have been established. These are based on high expectations of pupils, respectful relationships and school policies. NQTs use a range of classroom management strategies effectively. They make good use of their voice and provide clear instructions to pupils. Inspectors identified strengths in the behaviour management skills of all trainees and NQTs

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Inspection Judgements

observed. On the few occasions that pupils step out of line, trainees deal with these minor issues extremely well, with little disruption to the learning of the rest of the class. 7. Trainees and NQTs know how to plan for different ability groups due to the high-quality training they receive on meeting the varying needs of pupils. They have a good understanding of how to identify and support disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs and those that are eligible for the pupil premium. Trainees and NQTs provide varied and engaging learning activities, make good use of questioning and encourage pupils to take a responsible and conscientious attitude to their learning. They do not always, however, check sufficiently well on pupils’ progress during lessons to ensure work is set at exactly the right level for all groups of pupils. 8. Trainees and NQTs are highly reflective, readily take responsibility for

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Inspection Judgements

their own professional development and act on advice in order to improve their practice. Trainees’ strengths in critical reflection are developed extremely effectively at weekly review meetings, where they bring evidence of the impact their teaching is having on pupils’ progress over time. 9. Trainees are extremely positive about the quality of feedback and the targets they receive from class- and school-based tutors and the valuable support they receive from link tutors and subject-specific trainers. The excellent support and training for class- and school-based tutors and extensive arrangements for cross moderation, including joint observations, parity meetings and visits by subject-specialist trainers, ensure that training and assessment across the partnership are of a consistently high quality. 10. Trainees and NQTs express remarkably high levels of satisfaction with their training; every trainee and NQT is confident their training will help

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Inspection Judgements

them to become a good or outstanding teacher. They report that the structure and content of their training and school placements meets their needs extremely well and prepares them very effectively for employment. The views of trainees who began their training in September 2015 have already been sought by the partnership and can be summed up in the ITE inspection report

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6 October 2015

words of one trainee’s response, ‘so good so great!’ 11. Outstanding school- and centre-based training draws on the passion and expertise of school-based colleagues and members of the local authority’s school improvement service. Schools play an integral role in the partnership, shaping, designing and delivering the training. This training builds progressively on trainees’ skills and knowledge as they move through a number of well-timed school- and setting-based visits and placements. Trainees experience non-school and school settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage and have ample opportunities to observe children from birth to three in a variety of settings during their training. 12. School-led ‘good practice’ days take place in a range of schools, including those in challenging socio-economic circumstances and those requiring improvement. They provide excellent opportunities for trainees to

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6 October 2015

observe good and outstanding practitioners and understand how the curriculum is organised and taught across a school. They also promote the development of trainees’ teaching skills in Key Stage 2. A number of NQTs go on to teach in this key stage at the end of their training. 13. Trainees have good opportunities to work with pupils from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds as well as those who are disabled or who have special educational needs. Opportunities for trainees to work with pupils for whom English is an additional language build trainees’ confidence and help them to develop a range of helpful strategies to use in their teaching. 14. Trainees have an excellent grasp of teaching reading, writing and phonics. They are introduced to the use of drama and role play, inference training and a number of intervention strategies used to support pupils who are falling behind. Effective training in phonics draws

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6 October 2015

on the expertise of school-based colleagues. Trainees have regular opportunities to practise their skills with different age groups of pupils. In lessons observed, trainees demonstrated excellent subject knowledge and used creative activities to motivate pupils and ensure they made good levels of progress in their reading and writing. 15. Trainees confidently teach mathematics, modelling new concepts clearly and using a range of practical resources very well. High-quality training in mathematics draws on subject-association materials and places a strong emphasis on problem-solving, creative approaches and the effective use of information and communication technology. The school improvement adviser and lead practitioners from local schools provide very good training in physical education. Practical experience of teaching the subject ensures trainees are well prepared to teach physical education as NQTs.

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6 October 2015

16. The content of the training programme is regularly reviewed and enhanced. During 2014–15, greater emphasis was placed on: personal, social and health education, bullying, extremism, radicalisation, child ITE inspection report October 2015 7 sexual exploitation and changes to assessment arrangements in schools. Trainees have a sound awareness of these topics. They understand about different types of bullying and how to guard against it. They also understand the importance of continuous assessment, age-related expectations and national tests, and are trained to make good use of the North Tyneside Assessment Grids (NTAGs). 17. Trainees who began their training in September 2015 have already benefited from early training sessions in safeguarding and e-safety. They applied this training, during their good practice day, when considering the risks involved in pupils using websites to find out about famous

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6 October 2015

scientists. 18. Trainees complete four academic modules and two assessed placements. Practical work in schools is thoroughly assessed against the teachers’ standards. A rigorous one-to-one tutorial with the programme manager at the end of the training enables trainees to set clear targets for their induction year. Inspectors judged the assessment of trainees by the partnership for the award of qualified teacher status (QTS) and their induction targets to be extremely accurate. 19. Trainees are very well prepared for employment. The partnership provides workshops and individual support with job applications and the interview process. Most trainees quickly gain employment at the end of their training. A large majority of NQTs work in local schools in North Tyneside and the surrounding local authorities. 20. The strengths of the partnership are used extremely effectively to provide high-quality support for NQTs and ensure there is a seamless

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6 October 2015

transition between training and induction. NQTs continue to receive bespoke support from the partnership, in addition to the support they receive from the local authority, during their induction year. Employing schools welcomed the recently introduced transition packs and the partnership’s and local authority’s extensive offer of support for NQTs, induction coordinators and schools. 21. Exceptional formal and informal communications, comprehensive documentation and stringent monitoring, review and moderation processes ensure remarkable levels of consistency in the quality of training and assessment across the partnership. Headteachers have a very strong stake in the partnership. They communicate its vision of ‘nurturing the next generation of outstanding teachers’, and the need for consistency, very well to their school-based colleagues. 22. The partnership complies fully with the initial teacher training (ITT)

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6 October 2015

criteria and meets all of the relevant safeguarding and other statutory requirements for promoting equality and diversity and eliminating discrimination. The partnership agreement between the SCITT and its partner schools is reviewed annually. All headteachers play an active role in the partnership’s management committee, which monitors the quality of outcomes and training and steers the continuing development of the ITE inspection report

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8 October 2015

partnership extremely effectively. 23. The partnership’s improvement plan is built on a deep and accurate understanding of trainees’ outcomes and clearly identifies strengths and areas for improvement. The partnership has an impressive track record of listening, reflecting and acting upon formal and informal feedback, and making amendments swiftly and effectively as a result. This approach is much appreciated by everyone involved and ensures the quality of training and assessment is continually improved and enhanced. 24. There is no sense of complacency. Exacting expectations and high levels of challenge from the partnership management committee ensure that high-quality outcomes are sustained and the partnership demonstrates outstanding capacity for continuous self-improvement. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been tackled robustly and are now strengths. Emerging areas for improvement identified at the end of Stage

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8 October 2015

1 of the inspection have been addressed. The partnership now includes schools that require improvement and there are plans for all trainees to gain practical experience in these schools during 2015–16. It is clear from inspection evidence that the partnership is committed to ensuring that it uses its strengths, and those of the local authority, to ensure that the quality of support for NQTs equals the high levels provided for trainees.

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools were visited to observe trainees' and newly qualified teachers' teaching:

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Annex: Partnership schools

Balliol Primary School, North Tyneside Benton Dene Primary School, North Tyneside Collingwood Primary School, North Tyneside Fordley Community Primary School, North Tyneside Holy Cross RC Primary School, North Tyneside King Edward Primary School, North Tyneside Kings Priory School, North Tyneside New York Primary School, North Tyneside Rockcliffe First School, North Tyneside Southridge First School, North Tyneside St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School, North Tyneside ITE inspection report October 2015 9

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ITE partnership details

Unique reference number 70162 Inspection number 10004343 Inspection dates Stage 1 08/06/2015 Stage 2 28/09/2015 Lead inspector Angela Milner, HMI Type of ITE partnership SCITT Phases Provided Primary Date of previous inspection 27/04/2009 Previous inspection report https://report.ofsted.gov.uk/70162

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ITE partnership details

Provider address The Langdale Centre Langdale Gardens Howdon Wallsend NE28 0HG

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