East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership

East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership Initial teacher education inspection report Inspection dates Stage 1: 3 July 2017 Stage 2: 11 December 2017

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This inspection was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) 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

Primary and Secondary QTS Overall effectiveness How well does the partnership secure consistently high-quality outcomes for trainees? The outcomes for trainees 3 The quality of training across the partnership The quality of leadership and management across the partnership ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017

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Information about this ITE partnership

 East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership provides school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) in the primary and secondary phases. Since recruiting its first trainees for the academic year 2015/16, the partnership has grown to include 29 schools across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. The West Bridgford School is the lead school.  The partnership provides both core training and training through School Direct, (salaried and unsalaried). All trainees follow the same programme, which leads to qualified teacher status (QTS) and a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) awarded by the University of Nottingham.  The partnership recruited its first trainees for the academic year 2015/16. The 2016/17 cohort consisted of seven primary-phase trainees and 20 secondary trainees. There are currently 32 trainees in training, with two thirds training in the secondary phase.  The provider is accredited to provide secondary training in the 11 to 16 age

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Information about this ITE partnership

range. Training is offered in art and design, biology, business studies, chemistry, computing, design and technology, English, geography, mathematics, modern foreign languages (MFL), music, religious education (RE), physics, and physical education (PE).

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Information about the primary and secondary ITE inspection

 Over the two stages of the inspection, inspectors observed 17 trainees and newly qualified teachers (NQTs) teach 19 lessons. All the observations at stage 1 were carried out jointly with staff from the partnership schools. During stage 2, inspectors observed trainees teaching in schools within and beyond the partnership.  Inspectors met with trainees and NQTs to discuss their teaching and the quality of training they had received. At stage 1, they also observed mentors providing feedback to trainees from lesson observations. Inspectors scrutinised the training records of the trainees and NQTs observed.  Inspectors held discussions with a wide range of staff from across the partnership. They met with senior staff from the SCITT and from the partnership schools, as well as a range of school-based mentors and initial teacher training (ITT) coordinators. During stage 2 of the inspection, inspectors held telephone discussions with a range of NQTs and with staff from the

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Information about the primary and secondary ITE inspection

schools which have employed them. They also met with groups of trainees from the 2017/18 cohort.  A range of documents were considered, including the provider’s self-evaluation documents from 2015/16 and 2016/17 and the improvement plan. Inspectors considered the provider’s assessment information for 2015/16 and 2016/17, ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017 together with analyses of completion and employment rates. They reviewed the provider’s partnership agreement and checked that the partnership was compliant with the ITT criteria for the award of QTS. They scrutinised records relating to safeguarding. Inspectors also scrutinised the course handbook and associated documents and the 23 responses to the online trainee questionnaire.

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Key strengths of the primary and secondary partnership

 Partnership schools are very closely involved in the recruitment of trainees and the provider is effective in helping to meet regional needs for the recruitment of teachers.  Course leaders are responsive to feedback from trainees and schools within the partnership, and this drives improvements to the quality of training.  Current trainees express very positive views about all aspects of their training.  The quality and consistency of mentoring in schools result from good-quality training for mentors and effective quality-assurance arrangements.  The trainees are skilled in meeting the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language because of the good training they receive about these aspects of teaching.  There are effective transition arrangements between placements and for trainees moving into employment.

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The partnership must:

 ensure that current primary trainees receive training of sufficient depth and quality in how to teach systematic synthetic phonics and that judgements about their attainment are suitably informed by accurate assessments of their skills in doing so  ensure that all trainees receive continuous and high-quality support to develop their subject expertise so that:  primary phase trainees receive sufficient opportunities to be trained and assessed in teaching the foundation subjects, including PE ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017 gaps in secondary trainees’ subject knowledge are tackled systematically and equitably  ensure that all secondary trainees have the necessary skills to manage pupils’ behaviour successfully, by:  directing timely and additional training towards trainees who need additional support to build their skills in managing challenging behaviour

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The partnership must:

 ensuring, where appropriate, that these trainees have sustained exposure to working in challenging settings  raising trainees’ expectations with regard to tackling low-level off-task behaviour  improve trainees’ skills in using assessments during lessons so that they:  establish, more systematically, how well all groups of pupils have understood the intended learning  develop the confidence and skills to adapt lessons in response to their ongoing assessments of pupils’ understanding  strengthen the accuracy of final assessments by ensuring that sufficient weight is given to weaker aspects of trainees’ teaching when making judgements about the quality of their teaching at the end of their training.

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Inspection judgements

1. Key weaknesses in the quality of training last year meant that not all trainees received training of consistently good quality.

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Inspection judgements

2. At stage 1 of the inspection, inspectors found that none of the trainees training to teach in key stage 2 had received adequate training in teaching systematic synthetic phonics and none had been observed or assessed teaching phonics. This meant that the provider was not compliant with the Department for Education’s ITT criteria. Leaders acted quickly to remedy this, immediately implementing changes to the last two weeks of the programme to ensure that all primary trainees received some training in systematic synthetic phonics. However, too little time remained to ensure that the trainees affected gained the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to plan and teach a sequence of lessons in phonics confidently and independently. The provider’s subsequent assessments of these trainees’ skills in teaching phonics were overgenerous, given the support they needed to plan and teach the lessons observed.

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Inspection judgements

3. Inspectors also found that the partnership’s approach to developing primary trainees’ subject knowledge in subjects other than English and mathematics was not good enough. Hence, some primary trainees told inspectors that they did not feel sufficiently prepared to teach the full range of national curriculum subjects confidently. Opportunities to observe experienced teachers teaching ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017 PE, for example, and then to teach PE during their training, were entirely dependent on the provision made for training in the trainees’ placement schools.

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Inspection judgements

4. Similarly, in the secondary phase, the partnership’s approach to developing trainees’ subject knowledge for teaching was not planned carefully enough. This meant that support for trainees in developing their subject knowledge was too variable. Trainees told inspectors that they only received their training plans in the second term of the course and some reported that neither they nor their mentors were clear about how these plans were supposed to be used. As a result, some trainees did not receive enough support in remedying the gaps in their subject knowledge. Science trainees, for example, reported that they had been left to tackle gaps in their subject knowledge independently, with limited input to this aspect of training from course leaders. Conversely, other trainees were well supported, including by course leaders and their mentors, through careful planning which helped to eliminate gaps in their subject knowledge, for

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Inspection judgements

5. While many secondary trainees are skilled in managing pupils’ behaviour, visits to the NQTs’ employing schools and discussions with NQT induction tutors and mentors revealed that a small minority of trainees had not developed their skills in managing challenging behaviour to a sufficiently high level. While the partnership includes schools in challenging socio-economic settings, not all trainees received training of sufficient range and depth to equip them with skills and experience in managing the behaviour of challenging groups of pupils. Inspectors found that a small minority of the higher-attaining trainees and NQTs did not tackle low-level off-task chatter effectively enough to ensure that all pupils made the progress of which they were capable.

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Inspection judgements

6. Leaders have strengthened their approach to assessment in the two years that the partnership has been operating. However, visits to NQTs in employing schools showed that some assessments of trainees’ attainment were overgenerous last year. This is because assessments of trainees’ teaching over time did not always give sufficient weight to weaker aspects of their practice or, on occasion, were not sufficiently informed by evidence of the trainees’ skills in working in challenging socio-economic settings. Hence, while all trainees and former trainees met the minimum level of practice expected of teachers as defined by the teachers’ standards, a small minority did not exceed this minimum.

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Inspection judgements

7. Despite these key weaknesses, the partnership has considerable strengths. In a short period of time, it has quickly established a good reputation with local schools and is helping to meet regional demand for teacher supply, including in schools in challenging settings and in subjects which regionally and nationally are proving difficult to recruit for. Many trainees go on successfully to secure employment in schools within the partnership. ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017 8. Some trainees exhibit very strong skills in exceeding the minimum practice defined by the teachers’ standards. Strong teaching was observed, for example in primary mathematics, MFL, geography and PE. In these lessons, carefully planned activities, together with trainees’ high expectations of what pupils could achieve, resulted in pupils making strong progress. Although the partnership is an accredited 11 to 16 provider in the secondary phase, all

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Inspection judgements

secondary trainees gain valuable experience of working with sixth-form students. Many made a significant contribution towards helping older pupils prepare for external examinations in the schools in which they trained last year.

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Inspection judgements

9. Trainees are well regarded in their placement schools, not least because of their willingness to contribute to the wider curriculum in the schools in which they train. They consistently demonstrate professionalism, positive attitudes and a willingness to learn from more experienced teachers.

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Inspection judgements

10. All trainees who were enrolled to the SCITT in its first year of operation completed their training and secured employment, many in schools within the partnership. This compared very favourably with regional and national benchmarks. Employment and completion rates dipped last year, however, to just below the sector norm. Last year, all trainees secured the Masters-level qualification – awarded by the University of Nottingham – at the first attempt.

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Inspection judgements

11. Leaders and managers ensure that partnership schools are heavily involved in the recruitment of trainees. Headteachers and other staff who met with inspectors spoke of how they value the opportunity to have a genuine influence on which trainees are recruited to their schools. This helps explain why many trainees go on to secure employment in the schools in which they train.

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Inspection judgements

12. Trainees benefit from mentoring that is of consistently good quality. Leaders and managers risk-assess placement schools carefully to ensure they have the capacity to support trainees’ developments and provide good-quality training for mentors. They regularly check the quality of mentors’ feedback to ensure that it is leading to continuous improvements in trainees’ teaching. Increased leadership capacity has strengthened the quality of mentor training further this year by enabling mentor training to be phase-specific. In discussions with inspectors, trainees and former trainees were unanimous in their praise for the support they receive from their mentors. Inspectors observed trainees receiving high-quality verbal feedback which was precise, developmental and well focused on trainees’ ongoing targets for improvement. Mentors are skilled in providing a good balance between support and challenge to the trainees they

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Inspection judgements

13. Effective mentoring – together with the trainees’ reflective journals – ensure that trainees are skilled in reflecting on their own practice, with the most able trainees quickly implementing the learning gained from observations and feedback from experienced teachers and course tutors. ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017 14. Transition arrangements between placements and for trainees going into employment are good. Leaders now ensure that all mentors from different placement schools meet to discuss the progress of those they train and to set targets for the next stage of their training. Trainees’ progress against these targets is then reviewed thoroughly by mentors and course leaders when they return to their main placement school. This ensures good continuity in the quality of mentoring and target-setting between placement schools. The documentation provided to employing schools is detailed and it includes

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Inspection judgements

15. Trainees value highly the opportunities they are given to observe and participate in teaching in the local special school which is in the partnership. In discussions with inspectors, they variously described this aspect of training as ‘inspirational’, ‘transformational’ or ‘eye opening’. Well-designed course materials ensure that trainees’ observations of teaching in the special school are focused very specifically on how specialist teachers ensure that the needs of all pupils are met. As a result, all trainees who met with inspectors could explain and provide examples of how this aspect of their training had strengthened their practice in planning lessons which meet the needs of pupils with specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities. A few trainees have subsequently gone on to secure employment in special education.

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Inspection judgements

16. Trainees are also skilled in meeting the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language. This is because of the good-quality training tasks in place which help to ensure that they understand the barriers to learning faced by pupils in the early stages of learning English and how to overcome them.

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Inspection judgements

17. Although training was in place last year to help trainees understand how to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to overcome barriers to learning, this was not as good as the stronger aspects of training. Trainees’ knowledge and understanding of strategies to help support the learning of disadvantaged pupils – and their practical experience in doing so – was too dependent on training provided by the schools in which they trained. Leaders and managers have implemented strategies to remedy this for the current cohort of trainees by ensuring that sufficient time and weight are given to this aspect of teaching.

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Inspection judgements

18. The partnership includes schools in challenging settings and those judged by Ofsted to require improvement or to be causing concern. Leaders and managers are working to increase the range of schools in the partnership. They have rightly identified the need to include more schools in challenging socio- economic contexts, to ensure that all trainees receive an appropriate balance of teaching experiences during their training.

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Inspection judgements

19. Centre-based training, together with the written assignments trainees complete, ensure that trainees are informed appropriately about the importance of assessment in planning lessons that meet the needs of different groups of ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017 pupils. However, not all trainees apply the learning from this training consistently during lessons to check on the learning of different groups of pupils or to adapt teaching in response to pupils’ emerging difficulties. In a few of the lessons observed, trainees relied too heavily on responses from a small minority of pupils to inform their decisions to move on to the next stage of the lesson. In other lessons observed, trainees did not always adapt their teaching when it became clear that not all pupils had understood the previous tasks. The partnerships’ self-evaluation correctly identifies the need to improve this aspect

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Inspection judgements

20. Trainees’ understanding of their duties to safeguard children from harm is strong. Leaders ensure that they receive good-quality training early in the course so that they understand the actions they must take if they have concerns about a pupil’s well-being. Training ensures that trainees have a very good understanding of their duty to uphold public trust towards the teaching profession, including through their use of social media.

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Inspection judgements

21. Trainees and former trainees value highly the strong pastoral support they receive from course leaders and tutors during their training and as they move into employment. All former trainees working within the region receive visits from partnership staff to check on their progress as NQTs. Some continue to receive support from within the partnership, for example, by working with their former mentors in planning sequences of lessons.

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Inspection judgements

22. Strong systems are in place to collect and act on the views of trainees and schools within the partnership. At the time of stage 1 of the inspection, leaders and managers had already planned many of the improvements which are now in place in response to feedback from former trainees. Crucially, they have restructured the training to ensure greater consistency for trainees, regardless of the schools in which they are placed. Current trainees are receiving far more central training than previous cohorts. Training plans show that appropriate strategies have been implemented to ensure, for example, that all primary trainees receive comprehensive central training in teaching systematic synthetic phonics and in the foundation subjects. Similarly, far more time has been provided to deepen secondary trainees’ subject knowledge, including through training by lead practitioners.

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Inspection judgements

23. Inspectors’ discussions with groups of current trainees – and analysis of their ongoing evaluations of training – indicate strongly that aspects of training which formerly were weak have been strengthened considerably. Current trainees were unanimous in their praise for the quality of the training they are receiving, including the aspects of training which the previous cohort criticised. The provider’s assessments of current trainees’ attainment indicate that their attainment is higher at this stage of the training compared to previous cohorts across each of the teachers’ standards. These developments are extremely ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership December 2017 promising, but it is too early to judge the impact of these improvements on outcomes for trainees by the end of their training.

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Inspection judgements

24. The timeliness of the changes made and their emerging effectiveness reflect the clear capacity of leaders and managers to improve outcomes for trainees quickly. Leadership has also been strengthened further this year through the appointment of a former primary school headteacher as a strategic partner. This increased capacity is helping to accelerate the pace of improvement and enabling course leaders to check that the changes which have been made are having the necessary impact in bringing about stronger outcomes for current trainees.

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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

Cropwell Bishop Primary School, Nottingham

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Annex: Partnership schools

Henry Whipple Primary School, Nottingham

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Annex: Partnership schools

John Clifford Primary School, Nottingham

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Annex: Partnership schools

St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School, Nottingham

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Annex: Partnership schools

West Bridgford Infant School, Nottingham ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership 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 3–4 July 2017 11–13 December 2017 Daniel Burton HMI SCITT Primary and secondary Not previously inspected N/A

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ITE partnership details

East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership The West Bridgford School Loughborough Road West Bridgford Nottinghamshire NG2 7FA ITE inspection report: East Midlands Teacher Training Partnership 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 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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