Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership

Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership Initial teacher education inspection report Inspection dates Stage 1: 4 June 2018 Stage 2: 26 November 2018

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This inspection was carried out by 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 each 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

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: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 2018

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Information about this ITE partnership

 Red Kite Teacher Training (RKTT) was created in September 2016 as part of the Red Kite Alliance, a partnership of primary and secondary schools from across Yorkshire. Prior to this, the alliance was a School Direct partner with a variety of higher education institutes within the region. Over time, the RKTT partnership has grown to include 48 primary schools, 18 secondary schools and one all- through school.  The partnership offers three routes to the award of QTS in primary education: a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) in primary education in either the three to seven age range or the seven to 11 age range, and a PGCE in primary education with mathematics in the five to 11 age range. In secondary, trainees work towards a PGCE in secondary education in the 11 to 16 age range with post-16 enhancement in the following subjects: art, biology, chemistry, English, geography, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages, physical education

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Information about this ITE partnership

(PE), PE with EBacc subjects, physics and religious education. The offer for secondary subjects is reviewed annually in line with teacher supply demands across partner schools. The University of Leeds accredits the academic awards.  During stage 1 of the inspection, 44 trainees were following the primary training routes and 43 trainees were following secondary training routes.

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Information about the primary and secondary ITE inspection

 Inspectors visited five schools during stage 1 of the inspection, observing 10 trainees teach. All observations by inspectors were conducted with school-based mentors and included an analysis of trainees’ evidence towards meeting the teachers’ standards. Inspectors also spoke to a further 24 trainees.  During stage 2 of the inspection, inspectors observed 19 newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and spoke with an additional six. Inspectors also spoke with employing headteachers and principals, induction tutors and mentors.  Throughout the inspection, inspectors held meetings with trainees, NQTs, subject and professional mentors, induction tutors, the RKTT director and deputy directors, representatives from the strategic board, headteachers and principals, trainee progress leaders (TPLs) and leaders from the Red Kite Alliance.  Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation, including self-evaluation

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Information about the primary and secondary ITE inspection

and improvement plans, course documentation, including handbooks and assessment guides, information on trainees’ outcomes, position papers written by the director in response to the partnership’s evaluation, compliance information and the partnership’s system for categorising schools facing challenging circumstances  Inspectors considered 86 responses to Ofsted’s online trainee questionnaire, which were completed in 2018. ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 2018

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Inspection team

Debbie Redshaw HMI, lead inspector Lee Owston SHMI, assistant lead inspector Dimitris Spiliotis HMI, team inspector (stage 2 only)

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Key strengths of the primary and secondary partnership

 Leaders and managers are uncompromising in their ambition to provide the highest quality of ITE. Highly knowledgeable and proficient leadership ensures that the partnership is constantly improving. This demonstrates an excellent capacity to improve further.  The quality of communication across the partnership is excellent. All stakeholders say that leaders and managers keep them very well informed. The partnership works highly collaboratively and has very high standards for what trainees can achieve.  Robust quality assurance systems enable course leaders to act swiftly if any issues emerge. Leaders’ actions since stage 1 of the inspection are already making a meaningful difference to the quality of training received by trainees in the current academic year.  The use of experienced and expert practitioners to deliver training sessions is highly valued by trainees.  Trainees and NQTs use their strong subject knowledge to plan interesting and

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Key strengths of the primary and secondary partnership

engaging lessons. They typically manage pupils’ behaviour effectively and have the confidence to try out and reflect upon new ideas and strategies in the classroom.  Trainees and NQTs are well prepared for their roles in school. They demonstrate exceptionally high personal and professional conduct and enthusiastically seek out advice and guidance in order to improve their teaching practice.

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The partnership should:

 further develop the quality of trainees’ teaching, so that it meets the needs of all learners, especially the most able pupils  ensure that primary trainees have a deeper knowledge of the key concepts that underpin the foundation subjects of the national curriculum  ensure that primary trainees continue to develop their knowledge of assessment, particularly relating to end-of-key-stage assessments  reduce any remaining variability in completion rates across training routes ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 2018  further increase the involvement of schools facing challenging socio- economic circumstances so that trainees have the opportunity for more substantial placements in these types of school contexts.

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Inspection judgements

1. Leaders are highly ambitious for the partnership. They are dedicated to striving for excellence and are deeply passionate and committed to providing highly skilled teachers, who enjoy their role and secure employment within the Red Kite Alliance, the wider region and beyond.

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Inspection judgements

2. Leaders and the strategic board demonstrate a very strong capacity for further improvement. Actions undertaken between stage 1 and stage 2 of the inspection show a rapid and concerted response to improving the quality of training. For example, leaders quickly implemented a new and improved system to ensure that the feedback trainees receive from mentors is of the highest quality, especially in relation to primary trainees’ teaching of the foundation subjects. However, it is too soon to see the impact on outcomes for current trainees.

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Inspection judgements

3. Leaders carefully analyse and evaluate the quality of the partnership through much-improved quality assurance systems. Since stage 1 of the inspection, improvement plans have been streamlined and leaders have ensured that stakeholders are fully aware of and contribute towards the partnership’s plans for improvement. For example, partner schools are aware that improving secondary trainees’ ability to meet the needs of different pupils through their teaching is a priority for the year ahead. It is too soon to see the impact of this on current trainees.

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Inspection judgements

4. Leaders have tackled the emerging areas for improvement identified at stage 1 of the inspection rapidly. For example, they have changed the primary three to seven course to include a greater focus on three-year-olds and have reviewed and implemented a new lesson observation form to emphasise the impact of trainees’ teaching on pupils’ progress. This is already improving the quality of feedback that current trainees receive from host teachers.

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Inspection judgements

5. In 2016/17, completion rates were below the national average for trainees on secondary courses and overall. Completion rates improved in 2017/18 so that they were above the most recent national average overall and for secondary training routes. Completion rates for trainees following the primary routes have remained high across both years of the partnership. However, completion rates for male trainees remain below the national average, as do completion rates for secondary mathematics and secondary geography trainees.

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Inspection judgements

6. Leaders take every opportunity to maximise the recruitment of trainee teachers. They attend and host a wide range of events and offer school experience placements and internships. Partner schools are fully involved in the thorough recruitment processes. They host interviews and assessments ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 2018 alongside RKTT. Activities are designed to assess applicants’ aptitudes and whether they have the personal qualities to succeed in teaching. Appropriate checks are made to check trainees’ academic ability.

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Inspection judgements

7. At the end of their training programmes, trainees exceed the minimum expectations of their practice as set out in the teachers’ standards. In 2017/18 the proportion of primary trainees achieving grade one overall declined, while the proportion of secondary trainees achieving grade one increased. Over time, the majority of trainees demonstrate excellent practice in some of the teaching standards, for example in creating a positive climate for learning and fulfilling wider professional responsibilities. The partnership has identified that on the primary routes trainees’ assessment of pupils’ learning is relatively weaker than their competence in other teachers’ standards. On the secondary course, trainees are weaker at ensuring their teaching meets the needs of all learners, especially the most able.

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Inspection judgements

8. A new tracker, recently introduced by leaders, is improving the monitoring of current trainees’ attainment over the course. This allows course leaders to monitor more closely the progress trainees make in each of the teachers’ standards, allowing earlier intervention if necessary.

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Inspection judgements

9. Employment rates have been consistently high across both years of the partnership’s operation. Employing headteachers frequently comment that they are impressed with the quality of the NQTs and that, in most cases, NQTs have made a strong start to their teaching careers. NQTs fully immerse themselves in the life of their employing schools, for example running extra-curricular activities.

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Inspection judgements

10. Trainees and NQTs use their strong subject knowledge to plan interesting and engaging learning. They quickly create strong relationships with pupils, leading to a positive atmosphere for learning. Trainees and NQTs typically manage pupils’ behaviour well. However, secondary trainees do not attain as highly as primary trainees in this teaching standard. The most skilful NQTs and trainees use questioning very well to assess and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For example, they make sure that questions are followed up with ‘how’ or ‘why’ so that pupils carefully consider their answers and give more reasoned responses.

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Inspection judgements

11. NQTs say, and inspection evidence confirms, that meeting the needs of all learners remains a challenge, particularly when working with the most able pupils. The higher-attaining NQTs are able to carefully consider the additional needs of pupils and plan appropriately challenging learning activities, but this is not consistent. Some primary NQTs lack confidence in and knowledge about external assessments, especially those at the end of key stage 1. This was particularly the case when NQTs found themselves teaching in Year 2. They were unsure of the national standard expected by the end of this key stage. ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 2018 12. Leaders maintain excellent relationships with partnership schools. Partner schools value the highly organised approach of the deputy directors and particularly their regular emails, which are useful and informative. However,

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Inspection judgements

the partnership contains too few schools that face challenging socio-economic circumstances. Consequently, the partnership is working to engage with a wider range of these schools so that more trainees feel confident to seek employment in a wide range of contexts.

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Inspection judgements

13. Training provides a good balance of theory and practical experiences. The programme acknowledges the core content for ITT and is flexible in meeting the needs of the trainees. Trainees reflect well on their practice and are confident in linking theory to practice. Trainees complete subject knowledge audits at the start of their course and then regularly throughout so that subject knowledge continually improves. Consequently, employers are impressed with NQTs’ strength of knowledge and expertise in their subject.

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Inspection judgements

14. Trainees benefit from exceptional pastoral care and support through a bespoke and personalised approach. When things do not go according to plan for trainees, the directors and TPLs are quick to act to ensure that the appropriate support is in place to enable trainees to succeed. Relationships between RKTT staff, mentors and trainees are strong. Trainees are confident that they will be supported through difficult times.

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Inspection judgements

15. Primary trainees benefit from effective training and a clear focus on the teaching of phonics and early reading. The feedback from mentors, together with the tasks set by RKTT, lead to trainees feeling confident in teaching these fundamental aspects of the curriculum, as reflected in trainees’ responses to Ofsted’s online trainee questionnaire.

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Inspection judgements

16. Primary trainees and NQTs, on the whole, have a strong knowledge of how to teach mathematics. Training emphasises a ‘teaching for mastery’ approach. Trainees and NQTs understand the importance of securing pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts. They are confident in ensuring that pupils have the opportunity to apply their developing knowledge in a range of different situations to secure their mathematical proficiency. NQTs who followed the primary course with mathematics in 2017/18 had many opportunities to be involved more widely in current mathematical thinking and debate, for example by attending the local maths hub. Very few trainees took advantage of these additional training opportunities.

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Inspection judgements

17. Most primary NQTs agree that they have had appropriate training to ensure that they have the knowledge and understanding to teach PE well. For the latest group of primary trainees on the three to seven route, this has been extended to include input on physical development and physical activity for three-year-olds because this was lacking for trainees during stage 1 of this inspection. There is also greater emphasis on meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities within this subject. ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 2018 18. Through regular ‘Hub Days’, secondary trainees have input to strengthen their subject knowledge and understanding of pedagogy. Training is delivered by experienced practitioners from across the partnership and their delivery of these sessions is a real strength. This helps trainees and NQTs to be well prepared for teaching because they improve their knowledge and learn the

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Inspection judgements

craft of being a teacher from experts. Trainees and NQTs say that they learn a lot in these sessions and can quickly apply their learning to their own teaching practice.

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Inspection judgements

19. While all trainees were found to have had experience of teaching across the full primary curriculum, inspectors found that trainees had insufficient knowledge of the key concepts that underpin the teaching of the different subjects of the national curriculum. Trainees had fewer opportunities to plan, teach, assess and receive feedback on their teaching of the foundation subjects, for example. Course directors have quickly improved this so that the current cohort of trainees have a richer experience.

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Inspection judgements

20. Placements, on the whole, are well planned and provide trainees with experience in different settings. Approximately half of the trainees have a placement in a school that is judged to require improvement or is in challenging socio-economic circumstances. Where they do not, they take part in a mini-placement in partnership schools to ensure that they develop their skills, for example in teaching pupils who speak English as an additional language or developing their understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND. These mini-placements are valued, but NQTs say that they are not a substitute for a more in-depth experience.

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Inspection judgements

21. Trainees and NQTs have a strong knowledge of safeguarding, diversity and equality. The course provides appropriate information that trainees can apply in schools. NQTs quickly adapt to safeguarding policies in schools and speak confidently about their roles in ensuring pupils are safe. They are knowledgeable about different types of vulnerabilities and aware of the latest government guidance such as ‘Keeping children safe in education’.

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Inspection judgements

22. Most school mentors provide excellent feedback that supports and challenges trainees to develop their teaching. Mentors value and respond well to the mentor training that RKTT provides. Training is differentiated according to mentors’ experience and ensures that new mentors have a full understanding of the responsibilities of the role. Trainees and school staff value TPLs highly and say that they provide strong support and quality assurance of mentoring.

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Inspection judgements

23. Employing schools are very positive about the transition documentation that is provided by RKTT to support the effective transition from trainee to NQT. Almost all schools speak extremely positively about the quality of the NQTs that they have employed. They are particularly impressed by NQTs’ professionalism, reflectiveness and willingness to seek advice and guidance if needed. NQTs are typically very positive about their preparedness to teach in a variety of schools, ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 2018 although a small number say that they would not be able to complete their NQT year in a school facing more challenging socio-economic circumstances.

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Inspection judgements

24. RKTT is fully compliant with the ITT criteria and meets legislative requirements. The partnership has recently been approved for the assessment-only route into teaching, but had not recruited to this route at the time of the inspection.

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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

Allerton Church of England Primary School, Leeds Cookridge Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Leeds Harrogate Grammar School, Harrogate Hillcrest Academy, Leeds Ilkley Grammar School, Ilkley Ireland Wood Primary School, Leeds Lawnswood School, Leeds Rossett School, Harrogate Rossett Acre Primary School, Harrogate South Craven School, Keighley Temple Learning Academy, Leeds Titus Salt School, Baildon ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE 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 6–8 June 2018 26–28 November 2018 Debbie Redshaw HMI SCITT Primary and secondary N/A N/A

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ITE partnership details

Harrogate Grammar School Arthurs Avenue Harrogate HG2 0DZ ITE inspection report: Red Kite Teacher Training ITE Partnership November 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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