Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training ITE Partnership

Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training ITE Partnership Initial teacher education inspection report Inspection dates Stage 1: 12 June 2017 Stage 2: 13 November 2017

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This inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and an Ofsted Inspector (OI) 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 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? The outcomes for trainees 1 The quality of training across the partnership The quality of leadership and management across the partnership ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training November 2017

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Information about the primary partnership

 Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training provides school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) in the primary phase. Currently, the partnership involves two multi-academy trusts: Discovery Schools Academy Trust and the Flying High Academy Trust, and two teaching school alliances: Affinity and Candleby Lane. The partnership extends across three local authorities: Leicester City, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.  In 2016/17, the partnership included 25 schools across the two local authorities. This number is growing, and in 2017/18 the partnership includes 114 schools across three local authorities. The range of schools includes schools judged by Ofsted to be outstanding, schools judged to be good and schools judged to require improvement. Some of the schools in the partnership are located in areas of socio-economic disadvantage. Some schools in the partnership serve a high proportion of pupils who speak English

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Information about the primary partnership

as an additional language. The partnership recruited its first trainees for the academic year 2015/16.  The partnership provides training through School Direct, salaried and unsalaried. All trainees follow the same programme to gain qualified teacher status (QTS) and a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), awarded by the Universities of Leicester or Nottingham Trent. At the time of stage 1 of the inspection, 39 trainees were training, four of whom were salaried.

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

 During stage 1 of the inspection, inspectors jointly observed 15 trainees teach, with the trainees’ mentors. They also observed mentors providing feedback to the trainees following the lessons observed. Their portfolios were also scrutinised. At stage 2, inspectors observed 11 newly qualified teachers (NQTs), including those employed in schools beyond the partnership. The career entry information of the 11 newly qualified teachers was reviewed.  At stage 1 and stage 2 of the inspection, inspectors held meetings with headteachers, other senior leaders, school-based tutors, learning coaches and classroom mentors in schools within and beyond the partnership.  Inspectors met with senior leaders from the partnership and representatives of the strategic board. They met with the chief executive officer of the Discovery Schools Academy Trust and the chief executive officer of the Flying High Academy Trust. Meetings were also held with the directors of the Affinity

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

and of the Candleby Lane teaching school alliances.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the partnership’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, the partnership agreement and reports by an external specialist. They also scrutinised the provider’s assessment and training information, records relating to safeguarding ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training November 2017 children, the 14 responses to Ofsted’s online trainees’ survey for the year 2015/16 and the 35 responses for the year 2016/17.

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman HMI (lead inspector) Emma Hollis-Brown OI (assistant lead inspector)

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

 Leadership and management of the partnership is outstanding. In the two years of operation, it has secured outstanding outcomes for trainees. The SCITT director and the professional tutors are highly skilled, dedicated and relentless in their pursuit of excellence. They are determined to ensure that provision is of the highest quality and that all trainees meet the teachers’ standards at the highest level.  Governance is robust, with strong lines of accountability. Provision is regularly scrutinised and SCITT leadership is vigorously held to account to ensure the very best outcomes for trainees.  Leaders’ vision is clear and convincing. They have a strong moral purpose to ensure that trainees make ‘a positive difference to all children’. The partnership, which includes two multi-academy trusts, two teaching schools and a growing number of schools, has excellent capacity. The very strong engagement of schools within the partnership is evident in the key role they

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

take in the recruitment of trainees and through their contribution to the partnership’s vision, self-evaluation, strategic planning and training.  The training programme is first class. Specialists, including headteachers, senior leaders and specialist leaders of education (SLEs), are involved in the delivery. Trainees gain a multiplicity of opportunities to develop as practitioners, including in a range of differing, often challenging, school contexts. Trainees and NQTs said that their training was thorough and of extremely high quality.  Completion and employment rates are high. Trainees successfully complete the training, exceeding the minimum level of practice defined in the teachers’ standards. All trainees gain employment, very many within the partnership. The partnership is meeting local needs for high-quality teachers effectively, often in schools that serve the most deprived communities. ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

November 2017  The trainees have high standards of professionalism, encapsulated by their highly reflective practice, excellent subject knowledge and rapid assimilation into the schools they train and work in.  Trainees receive outstanding-quality, highly tailored support in response to their emerging needs. This ensures that trainees experiencing difficulties are identified and then supported quickly, and those who are excelling are stretched and challenged effectively.  The highly practical, school-based nature of the training is valued by trainees because it means they learn from the very best teachers’ practice and are given the time to apply their learning, academic research and training in their own classroom situations.

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The partnership should:

 further improve the ability of trainees and NQTs to provide appropriate levels of challenge and support to the most able pupils  improve the consistency of quality, the accuracy and the relevance of career-entry improvement plans for NQTs so that their employing schools are better informed about the specific developments that NQTs need and how these can be achieved.

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Inspection judgements

1. The vast majority of trainees complete the training having achieved high levels of professionalism, as displayed in their strong subject knowledge, rigorous planning and exceptionally reflective practice. All exceed the minimum level of practice defined in the teachers’ standards. All trainees secure employment. The vast majority gain employment in the schools within which they train or in other schools within the partnership. School leaders from the employing schools are effusive in their praise of the great quality of NQTs that they recruit.

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Inspection judgements

2. The outstanding leadership, particularly that of the SCITT director and the lead professional tutor, has been key in ensuring that the vast majority of trainees achieve at outstanding levels. Leaders are utterly unwavering in their pursuit of excellence and uncompromising in their drive to continually improve the quality of provision and consequently the outcomes for trainees. They have a strong moral purpose to ensure that trainees and NQTs make a ‘positive difference to all children’. This leadership is underpinned by highly effective systems of quality assurance, accurate self-evaluation and robust improvement planning.

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Inspection judgements

3. First-class governance is in place and SCITT leaders are rigorously held to account to ensure the best outcomes for trainees. The operational board and the strategic board are effective and lines of accountability are clear. The ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training November 2017 partnership of two multi-academy trusts, two teaching school alliances and two higher education institutions safeguards the capacity needed to achieve the partnership vision ‘to provide the highest quality training and development experiences in order to provide those outstanding, child-centred teachers and leaders of the future.’

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Inspection judgements

4. SCITT leaders are keen to respond to local need. For example, since stage 1 of the inspection, additional capacity has been brokered to ensure improved inclusion training, particularly in relation to meeting the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The partnership also began delivering the early years programme from September 2017. The training opportunities are constantly evolving in order to broaden trainees’ knowledge and understanding and prepare them well to teach.

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Inspection judgements

5. The provider’s high expectations resound across the partnership and in trainees’ high standards of professional and personal conduct. Leaders are constantly evaluating the recruitment and selection processes to make sure that they attract high-quality candidates with the skills, the moral purpose and the ‘staying power’ to be successful teachers. They take seriously the notion that there is ‘one chance for children’ and are keen to ensure that the very best- quality teachers work within the partnership and across the East Midlands.

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Inspection judgements

6. Leaders skilfully adapt the programme to meet the needs of trainees, particularly those facing difficulties or challenges during the training. They are quick to intervene and provide bespoke programmes of support. They take seriously the need of all trainees to demonstrate the very best practice and to hold in high regard the policies and practices of the schools in which they train. Trainees are appreciative of this meaningful additional support; some said that they would ‘not have been able to continue with the training and then into the teaching profession’ without it.

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Inspection judgements

7. Trainees benefit from opportunities to teach in a range of contrasting schools, including outstanding schools, schools requiring improvement and those in challenging socio-economic circumstances. The provider is committed to ensuring that trainees have the skills to teach ‘all children’. Trainees have significant experience in making specific provision to meet the needs of groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They gain experience across key stages and in the early years. The complimentary nature of the school placements mean that trainees gain a good understanding of all aspects of school life. Trainees are well prepared and confident to apply for the most appropriate post as a result. Almost all of those trained in the first year of the partnership have continued in the profession.

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Inspection judgements

8. The quality of training across the partnership is outstanding. A fully comprehensive training programme is in place and ensures complete coverage ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training November 2017 of the primary curriculum. Headteachers, senior leaders and SLEs deliver much of the course content. Trainees said that they particularly valued learning from current practitioners who are also ‘leaders in their field’. This training ensures that trainees’ planning is extremely thorough, reflecting well the providers’ high expectations of the trainees and the trainees’ diligence. Their subject knowledge is strong and they consistently produce high-quality resources in order to benefit their pupils. They understand well their responsibility to contribute to the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. For example, most trainees promote consistently the appropriate use of subject-

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Inspection judgements

specific language and technical terms. Many trainees create exciting learning environments in which pupils relish their learning.

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Inspection judgements

9. Leaders ensure a range of rich training opportunities, including a residential visit. The residential experience is a planned event to encourage trainees’ understanding of cross-curricular themes, for example across history, geography, science and the arts. Trainees are encouraged to take a broad view of curriculum delivery and consequently take creative approaches to engage children’s interests. A lesson about ‘witches and potions’ held pupils’ attention and enthusiasm while learning about science, art, history and drama all in the one lesson!

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Inspection judgements

10. Trainees have access to a wealth of information and resources from the virtual learning environment. Numerous opportunities exist for trainees to use technology to communicate with each other, to reflect and to share ideas. Learning conversations and reflections are constant.

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Inspection judgements

11. Focused days are further opportunities for trainees to observe practice in a school context other than their placement schools. Themes of the focused days include primary school physical education and the teaching of phonics. These days allow for lesson observations, discussions with pupils, small group teaching and research. Additionally, trainees gain planned time to trial their learning back in their own classroom. Evidence of learning is detailed in the ‘records of developing subject knowledge’. These documents become a positive ‘briefcase’ of reflections, ideas and impact and are regularly reviewed and referred to. Outcomes for trainees are outstanding; trainees are highly reflective about their practice and are ambitious to do their best for children.

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Inspection judgements

12. SCITT leaders keep all aspects of training under regular review to ensure that changes can be made if proving to be less effective, or to meet local demand. They regularly canvass trainee opinion, including consultation with the trainee representative. For example, training has been amended for current trainees to help ensure effective provision for the most able pupils. Leaders are aware that, although trainees and NQTs plan appropriately to meet the needs of the most able pupils, the implementation of this planning is not as effective as it needs to be. This group of pupils are not always sufficiently challenged or supported to work at the greater depth that they are capable of. ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training November 2017 13. Trainees value highly the training they receive in behaviour management. They particularly appreciate observing current practitioners employing a range of

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Inspection judgements

strategies that work and then being supported to trial these within their own class. Trainees and NQTs exercise a good range of strategies to manage pupils’ behaviour. Many of the strategies applied reflect on their positive personal qualities and the high expectations they have of pupils.

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Inspection judgements

14. Leaders are well aware of their responsibility to equip trainees with the skills necessary to teach pupils with diverse backgrounds. During stage 1 of the inspection, the preparation for trainees to teach pupils who speak English as an additional language was identified as an area that required further development. Leaders have responded to this issue successfully and quickly. All trainees gain practical experience as part of their training. This aspect of provision has been further strengthened by the appointment of a professional tutor. This professional tutor is currently completing study at masters degree level. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are a focus within these studies. Improved planning ensures that all trainees gain a planned focused day in a school with a high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. Many of the NQTs seen at stage 2 were skilfully

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Inspection judgements

ensuring that pupils from diverse backgrounds were making good progress in their lessons.

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Inspection judgements

15. Trainees receive high-quality mentoring from their learning coach, including precise and targeted feedback against the teachers’ standards. They work closely with their classroom mentor and, as a result, are quickly able to assimilate into the life of the school, comply with key policies and quickly cultivate strong relationships with staff and pupils.

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Inspection judgements

16. Learning coaches receive excellent training and are highly skilled. They are committed to the partnership and contribute to its development. Many said they felt this was a significant and professionally rewarding role. Many said they took extremely seriously the importance of developing the highest-quality ‘teachers of tomorrow’.

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Inspection judgements

17. At stage 1 of the inspection, the consistency in quality of the classroom mentor was raised as an area to develop and improve. This has been tackled and the expectations of this role are now better understood. Further quality assurance is in place and additional training and development opportunities are available. Current trainees now benefit from a more consistently strong classroom-based mentoring experience.

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Inspection judgements

18. Trainees receive good support as they apply to schools in order to complete their training as an NQT. Leaders ensure that the employing school receives an accurate report of the strengths of the trainee and the most appropriate targets as they move to their NQT year. Some of this documentation is inconsistent in quality and some detail is not as thorough as needed for a minority of trainees. ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training November 2017 19. Trainees have a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and are vigilant. They are well informed about the procedures they must follow if they have concerns about pupils’ welfare. Trainees receive good-quality training about signs of possible abuse, the ‘Prevent’ duty, the risks associated with social media and child sexual exploitation. Trainees, particularly current trainees, receive good-quality training in their duties to uphold public trust in

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Inspection judgements

20. At stage 1 and stage 2 of the inspection, inspectors agreed with the provider’s assessment of trainees, including those trainees judged to be teaching at a high level. Assessment is accurate and a reliable indicator of the likely quality of an NQT’s teaching.

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Annex: Partnership schools

The following schools were visited to observe trainees’ and NQTs’ teaching or were contacted to discuss their progress:

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Annex: Partnership schools

Beeston Fields Primary School and Nursery, Beeston

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Annex: Partnership schools

Braunstone Community Primary School, Braunstone

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Annex: Partnership schools

Highgate Community Primary School, Sileby

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Annex: Partnership schools

Kibworth Church of England Primary School, Kibworth

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Annex: Partnership schools

Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School, Sutton-in-Ashfield

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Annex: Partnership schools

Scraptoft Valley Primary School, Leicester

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Annex: Partnership schools

Sileby Redlands Community Primary School, Loughborough

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Annex: Partnership schools

The Flying High Academy, Bilsthorpe ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training November 2017 The Flying High Academy, Mansfield

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Annex: Partnership schools

Townlands Church of England Primary School, Earl Shilton

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Annex: Partnership schools

Woodville Infant School, Woodville ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training 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 12–14 June 2017 13–15 November 2017 Jayne Ashman HMI SCITT Primary N/A N/A

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ITE partnership details

Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training, Fossebrook Primary School, Homefield Avenue West, Leicester LE3 3FF ITE inspection report: Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training 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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ITE partnership details

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ITE partnership details

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