The Primary Catholic Partnership SCITT

The Primary Catholic Partnership SCITT Initial teacher education inspection report Inspection dates Stage 1: 11 June 2018 Stage 2: 19 November 2018

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This inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and Ofsted Inspectors in accordance with the ‘Initial teacher education inspection handbook’. This handbook sets out the statutory basis and framework for initial teacher education (ITE) inspections in England from September 2015.

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The inspection draws on evidence from 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 1 The quality of training across the partnership The quality of leadership and management across the partnership ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 2018

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Information about the primary partnership

 The Primary Catholic Partnership (PCP) is a school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) provider. It offers School Direct training in partnership with the Catholic Teaching Schools Alliance (CTSA), and core training in general primary education (five to 11 years). In some years, it offers specialist training in the early years (three to seven).  Trainees who successfully complete their training are recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) and a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) awarded by St Mary’s University, Twickenham. PCP has been training teachers over the past 19 years.  In 2018/19 the SCITT introduced a new training route for postgraduate teaching apprentices.  The SCITT was last inspected in January 2011, when the overall effectiveness was graded as outstanding. It is based in its own purpose-built accommodation on the site of Holy Family Primary School.  There are currently 40 schools in the partnership, spread throughout Southampton and

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Information about the primary partnership

six other local authorities. At stage 1 of the inspection, there were 25 primary trainees: 16 on the PGCE training route and nine on the School Direct training route.

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

 Inspectors visited six schools at stage 1, observing nine trainees.  At stage 2, inspectors visited four schools and observed five newly qualified teachers (NQTs) teach. Three trainees were observed at stage 1 and then as NQTs at stage 2 of the inspection.  Inspectors checked that the partnership was compliant with all initial teacher training (ITT) statutory requirements, including safeguarding.  Inspectors held meetings with individual trainees and NQTs, the director of the partnership, members of the strategic management board and headteachers within and outside of the partnership. Inspectors also met with recently qualified teachers, mentors and induction tutors. At stage 2, an inspector observed core training in mathematics for the current trainees.  Inspectors took into account the 24 responses to the trainee online questionnaire, which trainees completed in 2018. They reviewed and evaluated a range of documents

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Information about the primary ITE inspection

and evidence, including the actions taken by the leaders of the partnership between the two stages of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Ann Henderson HMI, lead inspector (stage 1) David Edwards OI, lead inspector (stage 2) Amanda Gard OI, assistant lead inspector ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 2018

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

 The partnership’s faith-based, inclusive ethos is central to its vision to train teachers in becoming confident, dynamic and creative professionals.  The partnership is making a significant, positive contribution to the quality, supply and retention of new teachers into the teaching profession.  The partnership has established, over many years, an excellent reputation locally and further afield. Rates of completion and employment are consistently higher than national figures.  The partnership works collaboratively with its accrediting body, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and the Catholic Teaching Schools Alliance (CTSA) in order to consistently ensure high-quality outcomes for trainees through research-led training that is firmly rooted in the Catholic Christian faith.  Trainees are exceptionally well taught and prepared to meet the rigours of the classroom with confidence. The wide geographical spread of partnership schools

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

ensures that trainees experience teaching pupils from a range of backgrounds.  Trainees develop an enhanced understanding of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  Trainees gain a full range of skills to help them manage pupils’ behaviour well and set high expectations when teaching. Particular attention to the knowledge and skills required in teaching and assessing pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science ensures that most trainees meet the teachers’ standards at a high level.  All aspects of the training, including the centre-based taught sessions, school placements and mentoring of trainees, are carefully managed and constantly reviewed with a focus on continuous improvement. Trainees benefit from outstanding pastoral care and individualised support, including, where appropriate, personalised programmes.  The programme director works closely with senior leaders and headteachers within the

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Key strengths of the primary partnership

partnership. He is highly motivated and works collaboratively with like-minded colleagues to secure and sustain a supply of well-qualified teachers who are able to deliver effective teaching based on a Catholic philosophy of education.

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The partnership should:

 further strengthen the engagement and liaison with employing schools to ensure NQTs’ targets have a timely and maximum impact on their ongoing professional development.

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Inspection judgements

1. The overall effectiveness of the Primary Catholic Partnership is outstanding. The programme director’s long experience in ITE provision and strong moral purpose ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 2018 underpin every aspect of the training programme. He is highly regarded by all trainees and leaders of partnership schools. He has successfully established, and maintains, a loyal team of professionals who are united by their core values and vision to deliver high-quality teacher training. Together they have a clear and accurate understanding of trainees’ strengths and areas for improvement.

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Inspection judgements

2. Partnership schools and link tutors are united in their commitment to provide trainees with a thorough and practical faith-based training experience. Senior leaders articulate a strong, entrepreneurial vision and champion a commitment to inclusion. This ensures trainees are well-equipped with the skills necessary to teach and nurture pupils of all abilities and faiths and from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. Trainees’ completion and employment rates are consistently above national figures.

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Inspection judgements

3. The rigorous selection process carried out by the partnership takes into consideration trainees’ prior experience, including their academic background, curriculum knowledge and any relevant experience. This information is used carefully by senior leaders to personalise trainees’ core training and also influences which schools would be the most suitable for them train in. For example, the programme director ensures that trainees with previous experience of working in schools are offered placements to complement their prior experiences.

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Inspection judgements

4. NQTs speak very highly of the personalised training and pastoral support they received throughout their training. NQTs say the selection process enabled the SCITT to get to know them as individuals and therefore tailor training experiences accordingly. For example, the starting time of centre-based training days was delayed to allow trainees with family commitments to arrive a little later. NQTs who spoke with inspectors also said they had no hesitation in contacting the PCP for further direction and support, if needed, because of the respectful and affirming way all trainees are treated by SCITT staff from the very start of their training. The faith-based ethos helps to make the PCP a warm, friendly and open learning environment. Well- embedded communication channels within the SCITT ensure timely intervention for any trainees who require additional support and guidance.

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Inspection judgements

5. High-quality training ensures that all trainees complete their training as confident professionals who are well prepared to play a full part in the life of their employing schools. Trainees quickly develop and demonstrate a high level of professionalism. NQTs settle well into their employing schools and establish effective and highly engaging learning environments for their pupils.

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Inspection judgements

6. Most trainees, regardless of which training route they follow, demonstrate excellent practice in the majority of the standards for teaching for this point in their career, along with exemplary personal and professional conduct. There are no significant differences in outcomes between trainee groups. All trainees demonstrate effective behaviour management skills and have equal opportunity to reach their full potential as teachers. NQTs articulate and demonstrate high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and act as positive role models to their pupils. They deploy other adults in the classroom with confidence in order to support them in this work. ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 2018 7. NQTs are fully aware that their teaching success is related to the impact it has on pupils’ learning over time. Trainees get thorough training in how assessment can be best used to inform them of pupils’ learning. As a result, NQTs make accurate and

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Inspection judgements

productive use of assessment strategies to identify effectively what pupils have learned and what they need to do next to progress further. The NQTs who met with inspectors during stage 2 of the inspection spoke with confidence about how they apply their assessment knowledge to better understand pupils’ learning needs when checking progress in their books.

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Inspection judgements

8. The SCITT draws on the expertise of its partnership schools to provide up-to-date centre and school-based training. From the very start of their time in schools, trainees are expected to immerse themselves in the life of a school. Trainees develop and demonstrate a strong and secure knowledge of the primary curriculum. An effective combination of centre-based training, observing experienced colleagues teach a range of foundation subjects and opportunities to develop and hone their own teaching skills means NQTs are well equipped to teach the wide range of subjects within the primary curriculum.

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Inspection judgements

9. Trainees and NQTs are taught how to identify and provide for the full range of pupils’ needs within their classes. The most able pupils are well provided for and given challenging work that enables them to make good progress. For example, following a Year 4 mathematics lesson, an NQT explained how assessment outcomes were used to set a challenge for the most able pupils and personalised interventions devised for pupils who would benefit from some additional support.

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Inspection judgements

10. The SCITT draws effectively from its diverse range of partnership schools to provide trainees with a high-quality experience of teaching pupils with SEND or who speak English as an additional language. These first-hand, practical opportunities allow trainees to establish an essential rapport with pupils and the confidence to provide for the sometimes complex learning needs of pupils as well as the specific needs of pupils with SEND.

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Inspection judgements

11. The programme director works closely with centre-based trainers and partnership schools to ensure that all trainees receive a good grounding in the teaching of early reading (including systematic synthetic phonics), mathematics, science and physical education (PE). Alongside the core training, all trainees take advantage of the opportunity to study towards the Catholic Certificate of Religious Studies, which further strengthens their ability to teach religious education.

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Inspection judgements

12. Quality assurance strategies are used successfully to secure and maintain the outstanding work of the SCITT and to ensure a continuing focus on improving outcomes for trainees. The partnership works willingly with other education partners to augment and strengthen its practice. For example, it works with its accrediting university partner to set and maintain the academic rigour of the writing assignments undertaken by trainees as part of their core training. This ensures that training is firmly rooted in current, recognised educational theory and best practice. A review, by senior leaders, of the joint core subject assignment resulted in trainers focusing on ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 2018 the transfer of expertise from assignments to school experience in order to strengthen trainees’ ability to monitor and promote pupils’ progress more effectively.

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Inspection judgements

13. Trainees benefit from the teaching of skilled tutors, trainers and mentors who are experienced and highly regarded current practitioners. All communicate regularly together to provide and maintain the best possible training experience. Mentors are carefully chosen and well trained to provide constructive feedback, which trainees willingly accept in order to improve their practice. Under the close monitoring of the programme director, trainers and mentors champion consistently high expectations to ensure that training remains coherent and highly responsive to the needs of all trainees.

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Inspection judgements

14. Effective mentoring and coaching ensure that trainees develop into resilient and reflective practitioners who aspire to be excellent teachers. Mentors and link tutors all agree that the documents provided by the SCITT to help them identify and monitor trainees’ achievements against the teaching standards help them accurately identify strengths and areas for development in trainees’ practice. As a result, mentors say they are able to set sharply focused targets for trainees to improve.

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Inspection judgements

15. Members of the very dedicated and loyal partnership board are united in their vision to ensure that the work of the SCITT continues to provide high-quality training that results in a continual supply of confident and resilient teachers into the profession. Regular conversations with the programme director and trainee representatives allow board members to use their professional experience and expertise, alongside the self- evaluation outcomes, to evaluate the work of the partnership with rigour and integrity. An example of senior leaders’ entrepreneurial creativity and commitment to securing the future of the partnership is their willingness recently to work with the Department for Education and two local authorities to introduce, this academic year, a teacher apprenticeship training route for postgraduates, alongside the routes already on offer.

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Inspection judgements

16. Board members safeguard and maintain the vision, mission and Christian ethos that permeates all aspects of the partnership’s work. Communication with partner schools is precise and directive. Board members possess a very practical understanding of the ongoing self-review process. Outcomes from the self-evaluation process feed back into the core training programme. However, the programme director and senior leaders acknowledge that the transfer to employing schools of trainees’ final assessments and the targets for their NQT year needs to be consistently followed up. As it is, employing schools do not always possess all the information they require to provide for NQTs’ ongoing professional development, especially where NQTs have secured a teaching post in a non-partnership school.

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Inspection judgements

17. Senior leaders work closely with partnership schools to ensure that all trainees are fully trained for their roles in protecting children and keeping them safe. Trainees and NQTs develop a secure understanding of the risks associated with the use of social media and for themselves as professionals. NQTs are well briefed in how to recognise signs of harm in their pupils and also what good safeguarding practice should look like in schools. The partnership complies fully with the ITT criteria and meets all the ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 2018 statutory requirements for promoting equality and diversity, for eliminating discrimination and for safeguarding.

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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

Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Bournemouth

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Annex: Partnership schools

Springhill Catholic Primary School, Southampton

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Annex: Partnership schools

St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, Fareham

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Annex: Partnership schools

St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Farnborough

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Annex: Partnership schools

St James’ C of E Primary Academy, Bournemouth

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Annex: Partnership schools

St Jude’s Catholic Primary School, Fareham

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Annex: Partnership schools

St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School, Bedhampton

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Annex: Partnership schools

St Walburga’s Catholic Primary School, Bournemouth ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 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 Date of previous inspection Previous inspection report

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ITE partnership details

Provider address 11 June 2018 19 November 2018 David Edwards SCITT Primary January 2011 https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/41/70089

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ITE partnership details

c/o Holy Family Catholic Primary School Mansel Road West Millbrook Southampton SO16 9LP ITE inspection report: The Primary Catholic Partnership November 2018 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 or

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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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