Newcastle University ITE Partnership

Newcastle University ITE Partnership Initial teacher education inspection report Inspection dates Stage 1: 22 May 2017 Stage 2: 13 November 2017

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This inspection was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspectors and Ofsted 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 on evidence from each phase and separate route 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

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Inspection judgements

The quality of leadership and management across the partnership 1 2 ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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Overview of the ITE partnership

The overall effectiveness of the ITE partnership is good in primary and good in secondary. This is because, in both phases, trainees are well supported and leaders have ensured that the different elements of training combine well. As a result, trainees are confident teachers by the time they complete the course.

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Key findings

 The partnership contributes well to the supply of skilled newly qualified teachers (NQTs) for the north east region. NQTs are well thought of by their employing schools.  Training supports the development of trainees’ subject and curriculum knowledge well. This strong subject knowledge gives them confidence in the classroom and enables them to plan effectively to support pupils’ learning.  Trainees are highly professional, keen to reflect on their own practice and strongly committed to their ongoing professional development.

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To improve the ITE partnership should:

 ensure that all school-based mentors have the skills and expertise needed to provide high-quality support for trainees  improve the precision of information about NQTs’ strengths and areas for development that is shared with employing schools.

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Information about this ITE partnership

 Newcastle University ITE Partnership is a long-established provider of ITE in the north east region.  The partnership offers postgraduate training in the primary and secondary phases. All trainees work towards the achievement of a postgraduate certificate in education and the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).  Since the last inspection, provision has been extended to include a School Direct route for both primary and secondary teacher training. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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Information about the primary partnership

 The primary partnership of Newcastle University comprises 60 schools in eight local authority areas. The schools are a mixture of local authority maintained schools and academies, including special schools. The schools are spread over a large geographical area and offer trainees with a variety of cultural and socio-economic contexts in which to train.  The primary partnership provides two routes into teaching: core and School Direct. Both of these routes are usually completed within one year. At the time of the stage 1 inspection, there were 24 trainees on the core route and seven School Direct trainees.  2016/17 is the first year that the School Direct route is available for primary trainees.

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

 Inspectors visited seven schools during stage 1 of the inspection, observing 12 trainees teach. All observations were conducted jointly with school-based mentors and included an analysis of trainees’ evidence towards meeting the teachers’ standards.  At stage 2, inspectors visited seven schools, including five from outside the partnership, to observe eight NQTs teach. Inspectors reviewed the quality of work in pupils’ books to determine the impact of the NQTs’ teaching on pupils’ learning and progress over time.  Meetings were held with trainees and NQTs, the primary professional tutor team, members of the partnership’s board of studies and partnership committee, university tutors, school-based mentors and headteachers. In addition, inspectors met with tutors and external partners delivering course content.  Inspectors also took account of the 28 responses to the trainee online questionnaire which was completed in 2017, and the partnership’s own

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

satisfaction surveys.  A wide range of evidence was considered, including the primary phase self- evaluation document, action plans, handbooks for schools and trainees, partnership agreement documents, recruitment and selection documentation, course material, professional development activities and trainee tracking and assessment information.  Inspectors also checked that the partnership was compliant with the statutory requirements within QTS primary and secondary: the ITT criteria and safeguarding. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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Inspection team

Suzanne Lithgow Senior HMI (phase lead inspector) Rajinder Harrison OI (assistant phase lead inspector, stage 1) Claire Brown HMI (assistant phase lead inspector, stage 2)

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

 Partnership leaders have the highest expectations of their trainees. Trainees become reflective practitioners as a result of the relentless focus on critically analysing their work. This contributes to their exceptionally strong professional conduct.  The course director provides calm, determined and incisive leadership. He has the absolute confidence of the whole staff team. They feel well supported, but equally speak highly of the rigour of his professional challenge which leads to continual improvement.  Leaders are honest in their self-evaluation and use the information from their monitoring to inform well-focused improvement plans. They are quick to act when they identify aspects that need to be improved.  Outcomes have improved over time. All trainees exceed the minimum level of practice defined in the teachers’ standards and become good or better teachers. As a result, the partnership’s work is held in high regard by trainees,

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

NQTs and local schools.  Completion rates are comparable with sector averages and employment rates are high, ensuring that the partnership is meeting the local and regional demand for good-quality teachers.  Trainees develop strong subject knowledge across the full curriculum as a result of training which is enhanced by a range of external professionals who complement the input from the university’s own staff.  The development of trainees’ subject knowledge in mathematics is a strength of the partnership. Trainees plan well for progression and use questioning effectively to challenge pupils to explore and explain their mathematical reasoning.  Safeguarding training is highly effective, ensuring that trainees and NQTs understand their statutory responsibilities and give the highest priority to keeping children safe. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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outstanding outcomes for trainees by:

 enhancing trainees’ ability to challenge the most able pupils across the curriculum  developing trainees’ understanding of the use of assessment to judge pupils’ progress over time in a range of subjects  making sure that trainees have a clear understanding of barriers to learning in order to secure strong progress from disadvantaged pupils  continuing to develop the quality of school-based mentoring so that it is consistently of the highest quality  making sure that targets set for NQTs in preparation for their induction precisely define the most important priorities for improvement.

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Inspection judgements

1. The primary programme is led exceptionally well by a course director who inspires, motivates and allows his talented and passionate team to flourish. He balances their spark and creativity with a sense of calm practicality. Consequently, a continual cycle of improvement over time has been developed through their professional dialogue, challenge and constructive exchange of views. This has seen the quality of training for trainees grow from strength to strength since the last inspection.

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Inspection judgements

2. All primary leaders have high expectations and aspirations for the trainees, and are relentless in their determination to give them the best possible opportunities to succeed. Honest self-evaluation, following a thorough analysis of outcomes, data and external views, leads to improvement planning which identifies key actions to take so that training is refined. As a result, over time, all trainees completing their training exceed the minimum level of practice expected of teachers. This includes trainees who completed their course in 2017. There is no notable difference in outcomes for different groups of trainees.

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Inspection judgements

3. Trainees are highly appreciative of the levels of support, understanding and compassion shown by tutors when they find themselves in difficult circumstances, both personally and professionally. Alternative paths to course completion often allow trainees the time they need to deal with matters and return to their training to complete the course and gain QTS. Consequently, completion rates are in line with sector averages.

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Inspection judgements

4. Leaders draw on their analysis of the impact of their training to refine and enhance the programme on offer to trainees. This takes account of trainees’ ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 views, as well as those of partnership schools, secured through the partnership committee and the board of studies. This has enabled leaders to develop an effective programme of training which is responsive to the changing cohort of trainees and to the changing national educational agenda.

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Inspection judgements

5. Leaders do not rest on their laurels. They took swift, effective action to address the emerging issues which were identified during stage 1 of this inspection. For example, at the end of stage 1, leaders were asked to address some inconsistency seen in the quality of school-based mentors. They have tackled this with vigour. Documentation outlining the checks that tutors make on trainees’ performance has been updated. There are now much stronger and clearer expectations to ensure consistency in trainees’ experience of school- based placements.

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Inspection judgements

6. In addition, mentors and trainees have easier access to online reporting, and have received guidance using exemplified materials about setting targets in the training plans. This enables the partnership to recognise, more quickly, when a trainee requires additional support. However, targets for NQTs on their career- entry development profiles are often very generic and lack the clarity necessary to be a force for improvement.

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Inspection judgements

7. Mentors access high-quality network sessions where skilled university staff are able to advise, guide and prepare mentors for their vital role in supporting the teachers and leaders of the future. The university has a history of developing coaching practice and has published materials to support this development. More recently, leaders have enhanced their work in this area to align with the national standards for school-based initial teaching training (ITT) mentors. This is beginning to bring greater consistency .

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Inspection judgements

8. Well-established, robust recruitment and selection processes are in place to ensure that trainees accepted on to the course have the required skills and aptitude to embark on a teaching career. For both the core and School Direct route, partnership schools and local leaders are involved in determining which applicants are suitable. Statutory checks, along with meticulous safer recruitment procedures, are carried out thoroughly.

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Inspection judgements

9. Trainees are developing and demonstrating the required skills in all of the teachers’ standards to show that they are teaching to a good standard over time. They also display excellent practice in some of the standards, for example their subject and curriculum knowledge. However, the proportion of trainees graded as outstanding overall can be over-generous on occasion. Leaders are addressing this to ensure they have a clear rationale, a refined moderation process and a consistent approach to improving the accuracy of the judgments.

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Inspection judgements

10. The primary partnership is held in high regard locally. This reputation is growing rapidly with every NQT appointment made by schools with no previous ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 knowledge of the partnership’s quality. Employment rates have been consistently high for trainees. To date, 85% of trainees completing their training in 2017 have been appointed to teaching posts in the north east, contributing to demands both locally and regionally.

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Inspection judgements

11. Training is underpinned by the determination from tutors that trainees will become self-reflective practitioners with the strength to critically analyse what is working well and what can be improved to meet the needs of pupils. To that end, tutors have well and truly succeeded. Without exception, every trainee and NQT spoken to during the inspection demonstrated that they were more than equipped to do this, and were doing it to great effect. They have a thirst for improvement, and actively seek out practical opportunities to develop their skills alongside doing their own research. This is contributing significantly to trainees’ and NQTs’ exceptionally strong professional conduct.

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Inspection judgements

12. Trainees are overwhelmingly positive about the quality of their training experience and are eager to recommend it to others. They develop strong subject knowledge across the full curriculum and develop effective behaviour management strategies because of high-quality input from university tutors, serving teachers and headteachers alongside officers from local authorities and independent consultants.

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Inspection judgements

13. The teaching of mathematics through the mastery approach is a particular strength of the training and is welcomed by school leaders. Trainees and NQTs have honed their skills and are able to plan activities which challenge pupils to explain and justify their mathematical reasoning. Precise questioning skills and the ability to plan for progression are enabling trainees and NQTs to ensure that pupils make strong progress in their learning. Some school leaders are capitalising on this by using their NQTs to share their knowledge, practice and resources with colleagues in the schools they are now employed in.

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Inspection judgements

14. Safeguarding training is highly effective. A hard-hitting programme to ensure that trainees know how to keep children safe, spot the signs of abuse and know what action to take is intentionally delivered at the very start of the training year. This ensures that they understand the importance of their statutory responsibilities from the very beginning. Furthermore, training throughout the year enables trainees to develop a good understanding of the public sector equality duty in relation to preventing and tackling prejudice-based bullying. Extensive resources are provided to trainees, and the training takes excellent account of the changing national landscape, for example by identifying the growing issues relating to transgender bullying.

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Inspection judgements

15. Trainees speak highly of their training for teaching physical education (PE), which is delivered in a local school by expert serving practitioners. Trainees develop a secure understanding of skills progression, which is enabling them to apply their learning to a wide range of physical activity, games and sports. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 Consequently, trainees and NQTs are delivering high-quality PE lessons where most pupils develop and apply their skills well.

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Inspection judgements

16. Training is enhanced by staff from local schools with particular expertise in meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Trainees are provided with opportunities to practise and consolidate their learning during a placement in schools catering specifically for pupils with complex needs. Throughout the inspection, trainees and NQTs demonstrated effective skills in adapting their teaching to meet the needs of this group of pupils.

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Inspection judgements

17. A broad range of placements in different types of schools are planned, carefully, to ensure that trainees experience life in school in a variety of challenging contexts. This includes placements in schools with high social deprivation, those with large proportions of pupils who speak English as an additional language, and schools which have been judged as requiring improvement by Ofsted.

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Inspection judgements

18. Serial and block experience placements are strengthened by mini-placements throughout the year. Mini-placements to teach modern foreign languages and music, as well as in the early years foundation stage to look at the development of early reading, writing and mathematics, are crucial for trainees to put their training into practice. In addition, the four-day equality and diversity placement with the associated professional development activities gives a firm foundation for trainees to deal with the vast array of challenges they are likely to face during their career.

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Inspection judgements

19. Trainees and NQTs require more guidance to be able to judge the progress of pupils in a range of subjects over time. Leaders have tackled this in earnest, and by the end of stage 1 of the inspection, plans were already in place to enhance this aspect of training for the 2016/17 cohort of trainees. This has now been refined and developed further so that trainees from the 2017/18 cohort will receive enriched guidance and support to do this, both from university tutors and school-based mentors.

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Inspection judgements

20. Trainees and NQTs use assessment well to identify the support required by lower-attaining pupils so that they can catch up rapidly. This is particularly effective in mathematics, where swift and immediate intervention follows mathematics lessons so that pupils keep up with their peers. However, trainees and NQTs are not as proficient in using assessment to adapt their teaching to challenge the most able pupils. Plans are in place to address this training need throughout 2017/18.

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Inspection judgements

21. Opportunities for trainees to deepen their understanding about social deprivation are vast. Partnership tutors deal with this issue seriously, and a considerable amount of time is dedicated to it during the course. Despite this, ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 some trainees and NQTs do not have a clear understanding of their role in supporting disadvantaged pupils through the use of school’s pupil premium funding, aimed at closing the achievement gap for this vulnerable group.

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Inspection judgements

22. Trainees and NQTs feel confident in the teaching of phonics due to the extensive, high-quality and thorough training they receive. However, for some of them, too much time elapses before they practise their skills during a key stage 1 placement. Leaders have addressed this urgently and placements have been swapped to ensure it does not happen again.

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools were visited to observe trainees’ and NQTs’ teaching:

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Annex: Partnership schools

Beech Hill Primary School, Newcastle Benton Park Primary School, Newcastle Bothal Primary School, Northumberland Canning Street Primary School, Newcastle Central Walker Church of England Primary School, Newcastle Cragside Primary School, Newcastle High Spen Primary School, Gateshead Oakfield Junior School, Gateshead Ravenswood Primary School, Newcastle Preston Grange Primary School, North Tyneside St Paul’s CE Primary School, Newcastle Seaview Primary School, County Durham South Hetton Primary School, County Durham Wingrove Primary School, Newcastle ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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Information about the secondary partnership

 The secondary partnership of Newcastle University comprises 70 schools across eight different local authorities. The schools are a mixture of local authority maintained schools, academies and free schools. The schools cover a wide geographical area.  The partnership works with seven different lead schools for School Direct.  The secondary partnership provides two routes into teaching; a core and School Direct route. At the time of stage 1 of the inspection, there were 51 core trainees and 48 School Direct trainees. Almost all trainees are training to teach in the 11 to 18 age range. At stage 1, one business studies trainee was training in the 14 to 19 age range.  Trainees were training in 12 different secondary subjects. The subjects with the largest numbers of trainees are biology, English, geography, mathematics and modern languages.

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Information about the secondary ITE inspection

 Inspectors visited eight schools and observed 18 trainees teach at stage 1 of the inspection. All observations were conducted jointly with school-based mentors. Inspectors reviewed a range of evidence in relation to how well each trainee was achieving in relation to the teachers’ standards and reviewed work in pupils’ books, where available, to look at the impact of the trainee’s teaching over time.  At stage 2 of the inspection, inspectors visited seven schools and observed the teaching of 14 NQTs. One school was visited at both stages of the inspection. Inspectors also reviewed work in pupils’ books to determine the impact of NQTs’ teaching over time.  Meetings were held with trainees and NQTs observed and other trainees and NQTs who had not been observed.  Inspectors met with school-based tutors and subject mentors at both stages of the inspection.  Inspectors held meetings with partnership leaders, university tutors, visiting

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Information about the secondary ITE inspection

lecturers, members of the partnership committee and representatives from School Direct partners that work with the university.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including the partnership’s self-evaluation document, information relating to outcomes for trainees, a summary of the partnership’s response to the emerging findings of stage 1, trainee exit survey information and a current action plan. Inspectors also ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 reviewed information to check safeguarding and the partnership’s compliance with the criteria for ITT.  Inspectors also considered 57 responses to Ofsted’s trainee online questionnaire completed in 2017.

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Inspection team

Katrina Gueli Senior HMI (overall lead inspector) Christopher Campbell OI (assistant phase lead inspector) Nicholas Whittaker HMI (team inspector)

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Key strengths of the secondary partnership

 Trainees are confident, reflective practitioners who consistently demonstrate high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and are typically successful in creating a positive climate for learning in their classroom, built on mutual respect.  Trainees and NQTs are skilful in meeting the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities because school placement experiences, along with centre- and school-based training, enable them to develop their skills effectively.  Training effectively promotes the development of trainees’ subject knowledge and pedagogy, enabling them to plan learning activities that successfully engage and motivate pupils to learn, particularly at key stage 3 and 4.  Trainees feel well supported by school and university colleagues and are very positive about the overall quality of their training. Benefit from the opportunity to gain experience in schools in different contexts.  NQTs are seen as highly professional and well-regarded by their employing

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Key strengths of the secondary partnership

schools. They fully understand their wider responsibilities as teachers and are keen to contribute to school life beyond the classroom.  The partnership makes a good contribution to teacher supply in the north east region, particularly for shortage subjects and schools in challenging socio- economic circumstances.  Partnership schools are strongly committed to supporting the design, development and delivery of core and School Direct programmes. Communication across the partnership is effective and schools value their involvement in the partnership.  The partnership is very responsive to trainees’ needs, both personal and professional, so trainees make good progress and are well prepared for their roles as NQTs. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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The partnership should:

 improve trainees’ skills in the use of assessment within lessons so they are more adept at gauging when to move learning on or whether teaching needs adjusting to ensure the right degree of challenge for pupils of differing abilities  ensure that all trainees receive high-quality training in relation to teaching pupils in the 16 to 18 age range  improve the rigour of quality assurance to ensure that: – aspects of school-based training that are not of consistently high quality are identified and can be quickly addressed – emerging common weaker elements of trainees’ practice are identified and tackled quickly  develop a more responsive approach to the findings of monitoring and feedback so that self-evaluation, improvement planning and subsequent action quickly secure stronger outcomes for trainees  ensure that information gathered at the end of the training and shared with employing schools precisely identifies NQTs’ strengths and professional

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The partnership should:

development needs in relation to each of the teachers’ standards.

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Inspection judgements

23. All those involved in the partnership have a clear vision and strong commitment to helping trainees to become good or better teachers and secure employment in a school in the north east. The increasingly effective collaboration across the partnership is providing more opportunities for school-based colleagues to be involved in the strategic leadership of the programme and shape the training provided. This reflects the partnership’s ambition to continually improve training and outcomes for trainees. For example, better use is being made of the training opportunities available in schools working in specific contexts, including those working in challenging socio-economic circumstances, those judged to require improvement and schools with a more diverse student community.

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Inspection judgements

24. Trainees benefit from good training and very strong support during their time on the course so they make good progress in developing their teaching skills and pedagogy. The many elements of training, which include conferences, school placements and visits, subject-specific and mixed-subject sessions along with academic assignments, combine well to give trainees a good breadth and depth of curriculum and pedagogical knowledge, skills and understanding. In addition, the partnership draws on the latest research and partnership expertise to enhance the training provided. As a result, by the end of the course almost all trainees are good or better teachers and many show excellent practice in relation to the teachers’ standards. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 25. Trainees’ and NQTs’ personal and professional qualities are a strength. They are well prepared for, and demonstrate a clear understanding of, their role in

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Inspection judgements

safeguarding pupils’ well-being, tackling discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity. They are confident in dealing with bullying, including cyber, racial or homophobic bullying, and are role models in their own behaviour. Most have the skills needed to create a positive climate for learning and manage pupils’ behaviour, such as low-level disruption, well.

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Inspection judgements

26. Trainees’ subject knowledge is developed effectively through subject-specific training and their placement experiences. For School Direct trainees in subjects not covered by university tutors, bespoke arrangements are put in place so that trainees can also access subject-specific support. This is, in the main, similarly effective.

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Inspection judgements

27. As a result of their good subject and pedagogical knowledge, trainees and NQTs plan well-structured lessons which support pupils’ intended learning effectively. Activities build successfully on pupils’ prior learning and promote their engagement in the lesson. Most are confident in using their subject knowledge to anticipate and address pupils’ misconceptions and use questions to test out understanding. Trainees and NQTs know how to use a range of strategies to support pupils in developing their literacy and numeracy skills through their subject teaching.

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Inspection judgements

28. Subject knowledge development, school-based experiences and a focused assignment also help trainees develop the skills and understanding needed to plan a series of lessons or a longer scheme of learning. Many have already been successfully involved in curriculum development work in their placement or employing schools.

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Inspection judgements

29. Most trainees and NQTs are confident in the use of a range of assessment strategies to check what pupils know and can do. They have developed a secure knowledge of curriculum expectations and current GCSE specifications and so use the information gathered through assessments to identify next steps in learning and provide guidance to pupils about how to improve. However, some trainees and NQTs are less adept at using assessment within lessons to determine when teaching needs to be adjusted or individuals with different starting points need more support or challenge.

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Inspection judgements

30. All trainees experience placements in two contrasting schools. Trainees and NQTs who spoke with inspectors were able to describe how differing placements had enabled them to access different training experiences and to develop a broader range of skills. However, these discussions and the trainee online questionnaire revealed that a few trainees and NQTs, particularly those trained on the School Direct route, did not feel that their placements had provided sufficient contrast to, for example, enable them to develop their classroom management skills in a more challenging setting. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 31. Through an effective balance of training and first-hand experience, trainees develop a good understanding of how to meet the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Trainees and NQTs typically show a clear awareness of the needs of the individuals they teach and understand how teaching and/or

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Inspection judgements

32. All trainees gain a good theoretical grounding in how to meet the needs of minority ethnic pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language. Many trainees also gain first-hand experience of teaching these groups of pupils to consolidate their skills. However, despite higher trainee confidence in the partnership’s 2016/17 exit survey, some trainees do not feel as well prepared in this respect.

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Inspection judgements

33. The partnership is successful in supporting teacher supply in the north east. For example, in 2016/17 almost two thirds of trainees took up a teaching post in this area, many in partnership schools. This included schools in challenging socio-economic circumstances and those judged to require improvement.

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Inspection judgements

34. Employment rates are variable over time. In recent years, overall figures have been high, broadly in line with sector averages, and below sector averages. For the most recent cohort, figures are looking positive, although a few trainees who started teacher training as soon as they had completed their degree have currently chosen to travel, rather than take up a teaching post at the end of their training year.

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Inspection judgements

35. Recruitment to both the core and School Direct programmes is rigorous. Trainees selected have a strong desire to teach and are committed to making a difference for the pupils in the school. Trainees recruited also have the academic and professional qualities needed for success in the role and a drive to be the best they can be. As a result, completion rates are above average and trainees and NQTs are strongly committed to developing their own practice. Both placement and employing schools, respectively, are impressed with the calibre of those they are training or employing.

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Inspection judgements

36. While leaders have ensured that training in relation to key stages 3 and 4 is thorough, at stage 1 of the inspection, evidence did not fully support the view that all trainees had been trained effectively in relation to post-16 as part of their 11–18 PGCE programme. For example, a small proportion of trainees had had a very limited opportunity to plan, teach and assess pupils’ learning at key stage 5. By stage 2, inspectors were confident that all trainees had received a range of training experiences that enabled them to meet the teachers’ standards at this key stage.

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Inspection judgements

37. The assessment of trainees’ attainment is typically accurate. University staff and school-based colleagues draw on a range of evidence to assess trainees’ performance in relation to the teachers’ standards at the end of the course. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 However, final progress tutorials do not cover all the teachers’ standards in similar depth. As a result, information shared with employing schools, while welcomed, does not present a full and precise evaluation of the NQT’s strengths and priorities for improvement at the start of their teaching career.

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Inspection judgements

38. Most trainees are very positive about the quality of school-based mentoring and training they receive and how this has helped them to reflect and develop their practice during the course. However, evidence from trainees and NQTs who spoke to inspectors, and the findings of the partnership’s exit survey, show that not all trainees have an equally high-quality experience.

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Inspection judgements

39. The partnership has responded to this feedback promptly and taken effective action to bring about improvement. For example, the introduction of online mentor training has significantly improved uptake and the partnership has a much clearer picture of schools which have newer mentors who may need more support. Mentor reflections against the mentor standards have been used to inform newsletters for partnership schools and documentation has been amended to sharpen the focus on weekly mentor discussions with trainees. In addition, the partnership is piloting the use of electronic records of weekly meetings between trainees and their mentors so that course tutors can monitor quality more frequently.

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Inspection judgements

40. The partnership has a wealth of information about its work. However, over time, response to feedback, self-evaluation, improvement planning and the review of the impact of actions have not been used effectively enough by leaders as tools to tackle inconsistencies in the quality of training and ensure that trainees’ outcomes are consistently high.

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Inspection judgements

41. Systems to ensure that school-based training is of consistently high quality across the partnership focus too heavily on whether trainees receive their entitlement rather than evaluating the quality and impact of training received. Similarly, best practice in school-based training has not been systematically identified and used to drive improvement across the partnership. Some recent changes have been made to address this; for example, the introduction of online reporting intends to provide more detailed information about trainees’ progress through the course. This has the potential to make leaders better placed to quickly identify whether more support and/or challenge is needed to ensure that every trainee achieves as highly as they can. It is too soon to judge the impact of this work.

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Inspection judgements

42. The partnership is fully compliant with the requirements of the criteria for ITT. There is no significant difference in outcomes for trainees in different subjects, groups or between the core and School Direct route. However, the partnership is mindful of the need to ensure that training and support are regularly reviewed and adjusted as necessary to make sure the needs of different groups and individual trainees are consistently well met. ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools were visited to observe trainees’ and NQTs’ teaching:

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Annex: Partnership schools

Cardinal Hulme Catholic School, Gateshead Carmel College, Darlington Emmanuel College, Gateshead Excelsior Academy, Newcastle-upon-Tyne George Stephenson High School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Gosforth Academy, Gosforth Hermitage Academy, Chester-Le-Street Kenton School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Monksheaton High School, Whitley Bay Monkwearmouth Academy, Sunderland Park View School, Durham St Aidan’s Academy, Sunderland St Mary’s RC Comprehensive School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Walbottle Campus, Newcastle-upon-Tyne ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017

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ITE partnership details

Unique reference number Inspection number Inspection dates Stage 1 Stage 2 Lead inspector Type of ITE partnership Phases provided Date of previous inspection Previous inspection report

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ITE partnership details

Provider address 22–24 May 2017 13–15 November 2017 Katrina Gueli Senior HMI HEI Primary and secondary 21–15 March 2011 https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/70126

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ITE partnership details

Newcastle University King George VI Building Queen Victoria Road Newcastle Upon Tyne Tyne and Wear NE1 7RU ITE inspection report: Newcastle University ITE Report November 2017 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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 .

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ITE partnership details

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