The HART of Yorkshire ITE Partnership

The HART of Yorkshire ITE Partnership Initial teacher education inspection report Inspection dates Stage 1: 26 June 2017 Stage 2: 4 December 2017

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This inspection was carried out by one 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 on 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

Overall effectiveness How well does the partnership secure consistently high-quality outcomes for trainees? The outcomes for trainees 2 The quality of training across the partnership The quality of leadership and management across the partnership ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017

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Information about the primary partnership

 The HART of Yorkshire is a school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) partnership providing primary teacher training for graduates. Trainees specialise in the 3−7 or 5−11 age range. The partnership is part of the Harrogate and Rural Teaching School Alliance.  The accredited entity for the SCITT is the Yorkshire Collaborative Academy Trust (YCAT). The partnership includes schools and settings across North Yorkshire.  Trainees who successfully complete their training are recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) and are able to gain a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) from Northumbria University.  The SCITT has provided initial teacher training (ITT) since September 2015. The partnership was inspected for the first time at the end of its second year as an accredited provider of QTS. The 3−7 route was being offered for the first time in 2016/17. During 2017/18, an additional 3−9 route was being offered for

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Information about the primary partnership

the first time.  During stage 1 of the inspection the partnership was training 11 trainees. Three were on the 3−7 route and eight on the 5−11 route. One trainee deferred their studies and completed their training in the autumn term 2017.  During 2017/18, the partnership was training 18 trainees. Fifteen were on the 5−11 route, two on the 3−7 route and one on the new 3−9 route.

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

 The lead inspector visited three schools at stage 1 and observed three trainees teach. She also met with two further trainees to review their standards files.  The lead inspector held discussion meetings with school- and centre-based trainers, mentors, headteachers, link tutors, leaders and managers, the accounting officer and members of the partnership’s strategic board.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of evidence provided by the partnership. This included external examiner reports, handbooks, the partnership agreement, stakeholder evaluations, recruitment and selection procedures and the partnership’s self-evaluation document and improvement plan. She also reviewed the content of training materials, available on the partnership’s online platform.  The lead inspector checked that the partnership was compliant with statutory requirements, including the ITT criteria.  The lead inspector took into account six responses received to the trainee

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

online questionnaire in the summer term 2017. ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017  At stage 2 the lead inspector visited four schools and observed four newly qualified teachers (NQTs) teach. She also held discussions with NQTs, induction tutors, employers, trainers and link tutors.  The lead inspector also reviewed NQTs’ career entry profiles and the actions taken by leaders and managers to improve the quality of training and outcomes between the two stages of the inspection.

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

 The partnership’s leadership and management are outstanding. Leaders and managers are relentless in their commitment to continuous self-improvement. They make excellent use of evaluative information, including quality assurance visits by link tutors and external moderator reports, to identify how the partnership can continue to improve. Leaders and managers take swift actions to enhance the quality of training and improve outcomes for trainees.  Leaders and managers keep a watchful eye on the latest developments in education. They are highly responsive and use the partnership’s strengths and expertise very well. This ensures that training focuses on teaching and learning, is continually updated, linked to evidence-based research and rooted in successful classroom practice.  The SCITT is a growing, collaborative partnership with a clear vision for school- led and school-based ITE. The SCITT has a strong moral purpose to ‘grow the

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

best-quality teachers for schools’ and to meet local and regional supply needs.  Headteachers, school-based tutors and trainees value their involvement in the partnership. They praise the quality of communications, the support provided and the proactivity and responsiveness of SCITT leaders and managers to any issues that arise.  Partnership schools provide very effective training venues and are fully engaged in all aspects of the partnership’s work. The partnership’s tracking systems and training and placement model ensure that individual training needs are met well. All trainees exceed the minimum expectations of the teachers’ standards by the end of their training.  School-based tutors and link tutors consistently provide high-quality feedback and written targets to aid trainees’ professional development. The partnership assesses trainees’ attainment against the teachers’ standards extremely accurately and provides helpful documentation to support the transition from

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

initial training to induction. ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017  A significant feature of this partnership is the requirement for all trainees to teach across the breadth of the primary curriculum in order to gain QTS. This gives trainees an in-depth understanding of national curriculum requirements, religious education (RE), fundamental British values and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.  Reflective and committed trainees listen to and act on the helpful advice they receive. They complete very useful ‘evidence bundles’, PGCE presentations and assignments, designed to improve their teaching and measure its impact on pupils’ learning and progress. This approach equips them well for their future role as primary class teachers.

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The partnership should:

 ensure that the improving trend in completion rates continues  increase the proportion of trainees gaining the highest levels of attainment by ensuring that trainees are able to:  adapt their teaching to provide appropriate support and challenge to meet the needs of individual pupils and groups of pupils  use assessment information more effectively in lessons to check pupils’ understanding, refine their teaching and deepen pupils’ learning.

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Inspection judgements

1. The overall effectiveness of the HART of Yorkshire partnership is good but its leadership and management is outstanding. This growing, collaborative, primary partnership has a clear commitment to providing high-quality school- led and school-based ITE.

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Inspection judgements

2. The SCITT’s vision is based on a strong moral purpose of ‘growing the best- quality teachers for schools’. The partnership is making a useful contribution to local and regional teacher quality and supply. Leaders and managers are committed to supporting and providing teachers for the more geographically isolated, rural areas of North Yorkshire and for schools that have been judged less than good in their most recent inspection. All of the trainees in the first cohort, and all but one of the trainees in the second cohort are working as teachers.

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Inspection judgements

3. NQTs feel well prepared for their induction year. They are particularly appreciative of the opportunities provided to get to know their employing school during the two-week enhancement period at the end of their training. Induction tutors and headteachers indicated that NQTs were well prepared by their training and that the transition documentation provided by the SCITT was accurate and provided helpful starting points for induction year targets. ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017 4. The SCITT is proud of its growing reputation and takes its role as ‘gatekeeper to the profession’ extremely seriously. The partnership assesses trainees’ attainment against the teachers’ standards extremely accurately. Male and female trainees, and those on the different age phase routes, reach the same levels of attainment. An external moderator is used to confirm the accuracy of the assessment of the award of QTS.

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Inspection judgements

5. A thorough and comprehensive approach to recruitment and selection ensures that all trainees recruited by the SCITT have the potential skills and knowledge to become effective primary teachers. At interview, applicants work with a group of pupils, and complete exercises to assess their handwriting skills and their accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Their knowledge and understanding of mathematics is also tested.

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Inspection judgements

6. There is a helpful link between these recruitment and selection processes and early training experiences. Trainees are required to complete initial subject knowledge audits in preparation for their training. These result in action plans which are monitored carefully, as part of a continuous process by school-based tutors and link tutors. This process ensures that trainees have good levels of subject knowledge to inform their teaching across the primary curriculum.

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Inspection judgements

7. Initial training, at the start of the academic year, focuses on the core subjects: English, mathematics and science. Trainees complete structured observations of guided and shared reading and writing, systematic synthetic phonics, mathematics and science before beginning to teach these areas of the curriculum. During their training, the amount of solo teaching and the breadth of the curriculum trainees are expected to teach increases gradually.

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Inspection judgements

8. A breadth of centre-based training is provided by experts from partnership schools. The content of the training has been thoroughly audited against recent reports, including the recommendations in the ‘framework of core content for ITT’.

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Inspection judgements

9. A significant feature of this partnership is the requirement for all trainees to teach across the breadth of the primary curriculum in order to gain their QTS. This gives trainees an in-depth understanding of national curriculum requirements, religious education (RE), fundamental British values and PSHE education.

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Inspection judgements

10. The partnership has high expectations. Trainees receive a discrete session on part 2 of the teachers’ standards and sign a learning agreement at the start of their training. This helpfully includes information which reminds trainees about their appropriate use of the internet, discussion forums and social networking sites. ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017 11. Trainees’ and NQTs’ strong personal and professional attributes serve them well during their training and continue into their induction year. They demonstrate particular strengths in behaviour management and their ability to successfully engage pupils in their learning. Trainees and NQTs exude a calm classroom presence and are confident when talking to pupils. They use their voices effectively and model standard written and spoken English well. Trainees and NQTs make effective use of their classroom environments to support learning

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Inspection judgements

and use ICT appropriately to support their teaching and pupils’ learning.

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Inspection judgements

12. Thoughtfully designed PGCE presentations and assignments, on the important areas of educational attainment, pupil premium and pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, require trainees to link reading and research to their classroom practice. A 3–7 trainee commented on how researching learning theories had significantly improved her own understanding of the different ways children and pupils learn.

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Inspection judgements

13. Trainees and NQTs are very reflective and committed to becoming effective primary teachers. They listen to and act on advice, and complete useful ‘evidence bundles’ designed to improve their teaching and measure its impact on pupils’ learning and progress. Employing headteachers confirmed that NQTs are able to use a range of evidence to confidently report on the progress that their pupils are making at review meetings.

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Inspection judgements

14. Trainees are actively involved in continuous assessment, summative testing and moderation. However, not all trainees and NQTs use assessment information effectively enough in lessons to check pupils’ understanding, refine their teaching and deepen pupils’ learning.

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Inspection judgements

15. The partnership has ensured that training in formative assessment is more embedded across the training provided for the 2017/18 cohort. Current trainees’ reflections and reports on trainees at their first assessment point, this academic year, indicate that they are more confident and competent in using formative assessment earlier in their training.

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Inspection judgements

16. Good-quality training and practical experience with pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities ensures that trainees and NQTs are aware of potential barriers to learning. They understand well the importance of adapting their teaching to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. Nevertheless, they do not always provide appropriate support or sufficient challenge for individual pupils and groups of pupils to maximise their learning.

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Inspection judgements

17. Centre- and school-based training is coherent and coordinated well by weekly emails from the programme leader. School-based colleagues praised leaders’ and managers’ communications and the way in which transitions between the different school placements were managed. ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017 18. The partnership’s tracking systems and training and placement model ensures that individual training needs are met very well. An online platform and regular half-termly meetings, between leaders, managers and link tutors, ensure that the partnership monitors trainees’ professional development very carefully. This process ensures that trainees are well supported from recruitment and selection to the award of QTS.

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Inspection judgements

19. Trainees have sufficient opportunities to work in contrasting schools and key stages. They are able to learn from and observe outstanding practice during school visits and placements. Trainees gain invaluable practical experience in a range of schools. These include those in challenging socio-economic circumstances, those judged to be less than good and those where pupils speak English as an additional language. They also gain fruitful practical experience in a special school.

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Inspection judgements

20. Partnership schools provide appropriate training venues and are fully involved in all aspects of the partnership’s work. Differentiated partnership agreements have been developed for established, experienced and developing schools within the SCITT. The partnership has also introduced an ITT ‘quality mark’ for its key committed schools. This includes an expectation that school-based tutors are meeting the ‘national standards for school-based ITT mentors’.

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Inspection judgements

21. School-based tutors consistently provide high-quality feedback and written targets to aid trainees’ professional development. They feel effectively supported by link tutor visits, the SCITT’s clear documentation, the high-quality mentor training they receive and their school’s whole-hearted commitment to the partnership. School-based tutors take pride in their trainees’ development journey and appreciate the useful professional development opportunity that being a school-based tutor creates, to develop their own coaching and mentoring skills.

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Inspection judgements

22. Trainees undertake essential training in inclusion, diversity and safeguarding. This ensures they are aware of teachers’ responsibilities in respect of ‘Keeping children safe in education’, child protection and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Inspection judgements

23. Trainees reported that their training was ‘practical, realistic and readily transferrable to the classroom’. Trainees particularly praised the quality of their training in behaviour management and physical education.

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Inspection judgements

24. Behaviour management training is excellent. It introduces trainees to essential building blocks such as roles, routines, expectations and how teachers speak and engage with pupils. It places a strong emphasis on using language and positive reward systems to recognise appropriate behaviours. These were strong features in trainees’ and NQTs’ practice, observed by the lead inspector. Although bullying is not covered in the centre-based training, trainees ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017 understand the importance of tackling this issue and are expected to follow placement schools’ policies.

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Inspection judgements

25. Training in physical education focuses on the key stages covered by the training and meeting the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. One trainee reported that she was inspired to amend her PE planning, to cater better for a pupil with autism spectrum disorder, as a result of her training. Trainees also complete tasks and independent research to consolidate their knowledge and understanding of this aspect of the national curriculum.

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Inspection judgements

26. Trainees are well prepared to teach phonics and reading. The partnership sensibly ensures that trainees focusing on key stage 2 during their comparative placement have to complete an ‘evidence bundle’ based on their teaching of phonics to pupils in key stage 1. The lead inspector observed a trainee teaching phonics extremely effectively to a group of Reception children. Carefully selected activities enabled the children to accurately use letter names, recognise sounds and deal with ‘tricky’ words. A range of opportunities were also provided for the children to use their growing phonic skills well in their spelling, reading and writing.

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Inspection judgements

27. Mathematics training focuses on mathematical thinking and a mastery curriculum. Good attention is paid to strategies for teaching mathematics to mixed-age classes to meet the needs of those working in small rural schools. In a Year 4 class, a trainee thoughtfully used concrete, visual and symbolic approaches, together with a series of individual, paired and team challenges to introduce the concept of mass. The trainee used skilful questioning techniques to promote pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills. This strategy enabled pupils to confidently explain their mathematical thinking.

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Inspection judgements

28. Trainees and NQTs are very positive about their centre- and school-based training. They described their training as ‘caring, fantastic and inspirational’. They praised leaders and managers for their high levels of support, proactivity and responsiveness.

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Inspection judgements

29. Leaders and managers make excellent use of evaluative information, including quality assurance visits by link tutors and external moderator reports, to identify how the partnership can continue to improve. Improvement priorities are accurately determined, swiftly actioned, carefully monitored and shared across the partnership. Between stages 1 and 2 of the inspection, leaders and managers sharpened further their improvement planning to include measurable targets related to the quality of training and outcomes for trainees. They also ensured that records are kept of the range of activities trainees complete with different classes throughout their school-based training.

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Inspection judgements

30. The programme leader conducts detailed and effective impact surveys into any areas of concern. The partnership is aware that completion rates are below ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017 national norms. A review of this issue identified that improvements to the recruitment and selection processes could be made to place a greater emphasis on testing resilience at interview. The partnership has also ensured that earlier interventions and additional available resource is used to target support for trainees. This approach has eliminated withdrawals to date in the larger 2017/18 cohort of trainees. A deferred trainee from the 2016/17 cohort also successfully completed her training in the autumn term of 2017.

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Inspection judgements

31. The programme leader also conducted an impact survey to reduce areas of overlap and standardise centre-based training for 2017/18. As a result, detailed briefs have been provided for trainers and training now fully caters for the needs of all trainees, and particularly for those on the 3−7 route. It also ensures that primary trainees have a greater understanding of the preceding early years foundation stage. This highly evaluative approach to identifying and resolving issues typifies the partnership’s excellent capacity and relentless drive to continue to improve.

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Inspection judgements

32. Roles, responsibilities and expectations for all involved in the partnership are well documented and clearly understood. Training is authentic and based on the realities of school and classroom practice. Strategic and operational leaders of the SCITT have great credibility with school-based colleagues and trainees because they retain a foothold in the schools in which they work.

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Inspection judgements

33. Partnership headteachers steer the SCITT’s direction of travel through their membership of the strategic board. They play a key role in monitoring and approving policies and in making decisions, including for the award of QTS. Headteachers are deeply involved in all aspects of the partnership. They play an important role in the recruitment and selection of trainees and the quality assurance of the school-based training.

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Inspection judgements

34. Link tutors effectively monitor and support trainees and mentors in partnership schools and provide detailed reports to SCITT leaders and managers. They know schools within the partnership well. Mentors and headteachers indicated that the SCITT had high expectations and provided comprehensive and well- organised training which was good preparation for future teachers. Inspection evidence confirmed this to be the case.

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Inspection judgements

35. Leaders and managers are ‘on the ball’. The partnership ensures that it meets the ITT criteria and relevant statutory requirements related to safeguarding, eliminating discrimination and promoting equality and diversity. The SCITT’s accounting officer takes his ‘stewardship of the SCITT’ role extremely seriously. He also acts as a useful ‘sounding board’ and moderator for the partnership.

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Inspection judgements

36. The accounting officer provides effective support and challenge to leaders and managers and keeps a watchful eye on the latest developments in education. For example, he has ensured that the partnership is addressing trainee ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 2017 workload issues by reviewing the sequence of assignments and their hand-in dates. He has also capitalised on the partnership’s strength in ensuring that training focuses on the breadth of the primary curriculum by enabling trainees to research curriculum design skills as part of their flexible assignment in 2017/18.

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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

St Stephen’s RC Primary Academy, Skipton ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 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 26−28 June 2017 4−6 December 2017 Angela Milner HMI SCITT Primary N/A N/A

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ITE partnership details

Yorkshire Collaborative Academy Trust Bilton Grange Primary School Harrogate HG1 3BA ITE inspection report: The HART of Yorkshire December 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 children looked after, 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 . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format

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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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