The South Downs SCITT Partnership

The South Downs SCITT Partnership Initial teacher education inspection report Inspection dates Stage 1: 8 May 2018 Stage 2: 8 October 2018

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This inspection was carried out by 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 each phase and route within the ITE partnership to make judgements against all parts of the evaluation schedule. The inspector 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 1 The quality of training across the partnership The quality of leadership and management across the partnership ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018

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Information about this ITE partnership

 The South Downs partnership is a school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) provider. It offers School Direct and core training in general primary education (five to 11 years) and secondary (11 to 16 years). Trainees who successfully complete their training are recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) and a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) awarded by the University of Chichester.  The South Downs SCITT came into existence in September 2016. This is its first inspection.  The SCITT migrated from its original lead school, The Angmering School, Angmering, to Durrington Multi Academy Trust (DMAT), Worthing, between stage 1 and stage 2 of this inspection.  The SCITT now shares accommodation with Durrington High School, a research school.  There are 20 schools in the partnership, spread throughout the West Sussex local authority. At stage 1 of the inspection there were seven primary trainees, of

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Information about this ITE partnership

which five were on the School Direct route, and 12 secondary trainees, of which nine were on the School Direct route.

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Information about the primary and secondary ITE inspection

 The inspector visited four schools at stage 1, observing eight trainees.  At stage 2, the inspector visited two schools and observed four newly qualified teachers (NQTs) teach. One school had been visited at stage 1 and all four NQTs had been observed as trainees at stage 1 of the inspection.  The inspector checked at both stages of the inspection that the partnership was compliant with all initial teacher training (ITT) statutory requirements, including safeguarding.  The inspector held meetings with groups of trainees and NQTs, the director of the partnership, tutors, school-based mentors, representatives of the governing management board and headteachers within and outside of the partnership. At stage 2 of the inspection, the inspector also met with a group of six NQTs, school-based mentors and induction tutors.  The inspector took into account the 19 responses to Ofsted’s trainee online questionnaire, which trainees completed in 2018. He reviewed and evaluated a

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Information about the primary and secondary ITE inspection

range of documents, including those evidencing the actions taken by the leaders of the partnership between the two stages of the inspection. ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018

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Key strengths of the primary and secondary partnership

 The partnership is making a positive contribution to the quality and supply of teachers in the local region.  The pursuit of excellence in all the partnership does is strongly articulated through the programme director’s outstanding and visionary leadership. Leaders have established an open and honest culture of self-review in pursuit of excellence. Their reflective approach covers all aspects of the training programme and ensures a focus on continuous improvement.  Senior leaders are highly motivated and work collaboratively in order to secure and sustain high-quality training and, as a consequence, outstanding outcomes for the majority of trainees. Very high completion and employment rates have been established for trainees.  The highly motivated partnership draws successfully on the expertise offered by the research school. As a result, the partnership has established an excellent reputation for teacher training and research-led professional development within

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Key strengths of the primary and secondary partnership

the local region.  Trainees are exceptionally well taught and prepared to meet the rigours of the classroom with confidence. In particular, they benefit from experience of teaching pupils from a wide range of backgrounds, an enhanced understanding of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, and a range of behaviour management skills which they deploy most effectively in their practice. Very nearly all trainees meet the teachers’ standards at the highest level.  Trainees benefit from highly responsive, personalised professional development and pastoral care. School-based mentors are chosen carefully and benefit from regular training and updates throughout the year.  The partnership has developed very effective communication channels with schools in the local area and beyond, ensuring trainees benefit from consistently high-quality training and a smooth transfer between initial teacher training and

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Key strengths of the primary and secondary partnership

induction for NQTs. ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018

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The partnership should:

 ensure senior leaders quality-assure the development targets set by NQTs at the end of their initial training and monitor the impact these have on NQTs’ continuing professional development.

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Inspection judgements

1. The rigorous selection process adopted by the partnership takes into consideration trainees’ prior experience, including their academic background, curriculum knowledge and any relevant experience. This information is used wisely to tailor trainees’ specific training needs. Together with the excellent individual pastoral care and support offered to all trainees, the partnership ensures that trainees’ completion and employment rates are outstanding and consistently above national figures.

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Inspection judgements

2. High-quality training enables trainees and NQTs to develop into well-prepared and confident professionals. All trainees, regardless of which route through training or age phase they follow, surpass the expectations of the teachers’ standards for that point in their career by the end of their training. They demonstrate excellent practice in the majority of the standards for teaching quality and exemplary personal and professional conduct. There are no discernible differences between trainee groups and all have had equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

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Inspection judgements

3. Trainees and NQTs are skilled at planning interesting and carefully structured lessons which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils to learn. They are acutely aware that the best measure of their teaching is its impact on pupils’ learning over time. Trainees and NQTs make accurate and productive use of assessment strategies in order to effectively identify what pupils have learned and what they need to do next to progress further. NQTs observed during stage 2 of the inspection applied assessment strategies particularly well when checking pupils’ progress. Evidence seen by the inspector in pupils’ books confirms this and NQTs themselves are articulate in evidencing the good progress that the pupils they teach are making.

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Inspection judgements

4. Trainees very quickly develop and demonstrate a high level of professionalism. NQTs observed have all established highly effective and supportive classroom routines and expectations. The training programme has been very carefully planned to maximise trainees’ experience of all aspects of school life. From the very beginning of their training, they are expected to immerse themselves in the daily life of a school, shadow experienced teachers, develop a secure understanding of the curriculum as well as hone their own teaching skills and learn to make best use of other adults in the classroom. A ‘drop-in’ hour at the ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018 beginning of the weekly centre-based training day, giving trainees the opportunity to ask questions or share concerns informally, is successful in resolving any issues as soon as possible. Well-embedded communication channels ensure timely intervention for any trainees who require additional

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Inspection judgements

5. Trainees are very effectively mentored and coached so that they develop into resilient and reflective practitioners who aspire to be excellent teachers. Trainees and NQTs alike willingly accept the constructive feedback provided by their mentors and teacher colleagues, and use this information to adapt their teaching and improve their practice. As a result, trainees and NQTs quickly gain respect and credibility as professionals from colleagues. Former trainees also contribute to the training, where practical.

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Inspection judgements

6. Carefully planned, bespoke training and post-qualification development opportunities ensure each trainee and NQT gets the best-possible start to their career. For example, the initial subject audits conducted at the start of their training and regularly reviewed throughout the course of the year are used very effectively to build trainees’ knowledge and skills. Leaders use them expertly to feed into trainees’ final assessments. As a result, trainees’ strengths and areas for development inform their on-going professional development requirements as NQTs very well.

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Inspection judgements

7. Trainees and NQTs plan carefully and confidently for the full range of pupils’ needs within their classes, typically adapting their lessons to respond to the strengths and needs of different groups of pupils. The partnership draws effectively on the expertise of the two special schools in the partnership to enhance trainees’ understanding of meeting the specific needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.

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Inspection judgements

8. Primary and secondary trainees demonstrate strong subject and curriculum knowledge. Primary trainees are well-equipped with the broad range of knowledge and skills necessary to teach the wide range of subjects within the primary curriculum. Similarly, secondary trainees are taught by experts in their chosen subjects, which ensures that they develop as knowledgeable, confident practitioners. Input from the research school ensures that training keeps abreast of current educational thinking. For example, trainees use higher-order thinking skills in their lessons to help pupils understand the way they learn.

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Inspection judgements

9. Centre-based training is highly personalised because leaders are receptive to the changing needs of trainees as they progress through their training and placements. Leaders ensure that primary trainees are particularly well prepared to teach early reading (including systematic synthetic phonics), mathematics, science and physical education. For example, NQTs demonstrate a secure knowledge of the primary mathematics curriculum when teaching, which they use very effectively to adapt their questioning in response to pupils’ learning. ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018 Secondary trainees possess a secure understanding of how to promote literacy and mathematics skills through their subject specialism. All trainees, by the end of their course, have become expert in using information technology, which they use effortlessly to enhance their teaching and pupils’ learning.

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Inspection judgements

10. All trainees benefit from two suitably contrasting placements. They have the opportunity to gain high-quality, additional experience of teaching pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. The partnership is working with four schools that currently require improvement, which is a positive developmental experience for both the trainees and the schools concerned. The school experiences for all trainees are closely monitored by the partnership. If any concerns about a placement school’s support for trainees prove to be unresolvable, then the programme director will not hesitate to terminate the partnership agreement with that school.

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Inspection judgements

11. Leaders work closely with partnership schools and employing schools outside of the partnership. This ensures that trainees receive the best learning experiences possible and that NQTs quickly settle into becoming assets to their schools. All necessary documentation has been carefully prepared to provide trainees, mentors and other stakeholders with succinct and accessible guidance, so that they can fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

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Inspection judgements

12. A unique feature of the partnership is its close collaboration with the research school that shares the same campus. Durrington contributes regularly to the teaching programme, for example through input on assessment, which is delivered through twilight and weekly centre-based sessions. All partnership schools, trainees, SCITT staff and other schools beyond the partnership are able to access the high-quality, research-informed training and ongoing professional development that is on offer. The strategic leadership of the partnership is enhanced through the research school working in collaboration with the programme director in order to support the ongoing professional development of all stakeholders associated with the partnership.

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Inspection judgements

13. Trainees benefit greatly from the teaching of skilled tutors who are experienced current practitioners. These partnership tutors, along with the well-trained school-based mentors, hold to consistently high expectations and work closely with the programme director to ensure training is coherent and highly responsive to the needs of trainees, NQTs and other professionals within the wider learning community. Mentors and their work are closely quality-assured by course tutors. As a result, mentoring has a really positive impact on ensuring that all trainees progress securely towards becoming good or outstanding teachers.

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Inspection judgements

14. Senior leaders and mentors from partnership schools and employing schools report that NQTs possess strong behaviour management skills as a result of the high-quality behaviour management training they receive as part of their core ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018 training. This is evidenced through their confident presence in the classroom and the positive relationships they enjoy with their pupils. In turn, these skills enable them to establish learning environments which engage, encourage and support pupils to learn most effectively.

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Inspection judgements

15. Senior tutors and school leaders ensure that all trainees are fully briefed for their roles in protecting children and keeping them safe. NQTs know how to recognise signs of harm in their pupils and also what good safeguarding practice should look like in schools. NQTs say they have been well trained in understanding the importance of safeguarding throughout their training and feel confident in knowing how to report any concerns they may have. Trainees and NQTs develop a secure understanding of the risks associated with the use of social media and for themselves as professionals.

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Inspection judgements

16. The professional capacity of the partnership’s governing body has strengthened with the migration to the multi-academy trust. Governors have a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the partnership’s strengths and areas for improvement and are less reliant on the programme director for information. Governors possess a very practical understanding of the ongoing professional development process offered by the partnership. This allows them to hold the programme director and the work of the partnership to account with rigour and integrity.

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Inspection judgements

17. Quality assurance strategies are used to secure and maintain high-quality outcomes and to continually improve the quality of provision throughout the partnership. For example, recruitment processes have been reviewed to ensure candidates are clear about what the demands of training will be. On occasion, where a mentor cannot attend training, this is followed up promptly on an individual basis so that they are brought up to date. However, the programme director and other senior leaders acknowledge that the quality assurance of the NQTs’ induction document and the targets they set for their professional development could be strengthened further to ensure that targets more accurately identify the development needs of NQTs and are, as a result, simpler for mentors and induction tutors to monitor and use in providing effective support.

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Inspection judgements

18. The partnership complies fully with the ITT criteria and meets all the statutory requirements for promoting equality and diversity, for eliminating discrimination and for safeguarding. ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018

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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

Riverbeach Primary School, Littlehampton

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Annex: Partnership schools

Vale School, Worthing ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018

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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

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ITE partnership details

Provider address 8 May 2018 8 October 2018 David Edwards SCITT Primary and secondary

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ITE partnership details

Durrington High School The Boulevard, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1JX ITE inspection report: The South Downs SCITT October 2018 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 . 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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