Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead SCITT

Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead SCITT Town Hall, St. Ives Road, Maidenhead SL6 1RF

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Inspection judgements

Primary and secondary age-phase combined

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education and training Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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What is it like to be a trainee at this ITE partnership?

This partnership aims to boost the supply of high-quality teachers, primarily, but not exclusively, for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM). The course content aligns with many local initiatives and approaches which helps trainees to hit the ground running in their placement schools and first jobs. Most trainees thrive in their early years of teaching, and many enjoy successful careers within RBWM.

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What is it like to be a trainee at this ITE partnership?

Trainees come to realise the realities and responsibilities of the job and are excited for their futures. The partnership manages carefully the gradually shifting demands between learning theory and learning through practice. Vital aspects such as behaviour and meeting the needs of all pupils are introduced early and frequently revisited. Helpful ‘behaviour surgeries’ with an expert are understandably popular. Trainees develop confidence and competence in relevant subjects and phases, including phonics for primary trainees.

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What is it like to be a trainee at this ITE partnership?

Thoughtfully planned placements build rich learning experiences for trainees, often tailored through additional opportunities to address a specific need. Trainees’ understanding is further enriched through experience of the phases before and/or after their own.

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What is it like to be a trainee at this ITE partnership?

All training partners work closely together. The pastoral care offered to trainees is excellent. Leaders constantly seek trainees’ feedback, responding rapidly and effectively to any issues that arise.

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Information about this ITE partnership

◼ This training provision was originally set up by RBWM in 2002 as an employment- based route into teacher training, evolving into its current form in 2015. There are currently 52 partnership schools, all within the borough. ◼ The partnership offers school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) towards qualified teacher status in the primary and secondary phases on either the school direct or school direct (salaried) routes. ◼ The partnership includes nursery, infant, junior, primary, first, middle, upper and special schools. Most, but not all, were judged good or better at their last inspection. ◼ At the time of this inspection, the partnership was training 31 trainees. ◼ The RBWM SCITT works with Buckinghamshire New University to make the award for trainees working towards the Post-graduate Certificate of Education.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was conducted by three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors met with the SCITT director, SCITT tutor and members of the groups responsible for the strategic oversight of the training programme. They also spoke with trainers, mentors, headteachers and other school leaders. ◼ Collectively, the inspection team spoke to 21 trainees and 11 former trainees. They communicated with a total of 22 partnership schools. ◼ To evaluate how well trainees are prepared to teach, the inspection team carried out focused reviews. In the primary phase, inspectors did focused reviews in early reading, mathematics, history and geography, as well as history and drama in the secondary phase. ◼ Inspectors visited six partnership schools in person and conducted one additional visit remotely. They also took account of the views of 30 trainees and 55 staff via Ofsted’s online surveys.

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better?

There is a strong sense of ownership and pride in this SCITT programme from all involved. Both partnership and school leaders work constructively together, dedicated to, and passionate about, this route into teaching. There is a compelling sense of coherence with local initiatives. However, this agenda reflects national improvement priorities, so trainees are similarly well prepared to teach beyond the borough should they so wish. Leaders' determination to continue to challenge themselves, and each other, has resulted in an approach that never makes assumptions and constantly seeks improvement. The training curriculum is carefully designed to cover much breadth and depth in the available time. Different elements of the training are closely linked, giving trainees ample opportunity to put their learning into practice. Input draws from a wide range of expert colleagues and successfully incorporates the core content framework across both school-

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better?

and centre-based training. Trainers are credible and knowledgeable in their fields. Leaders maintain close oversight of suitable expert colleagues for trainees to learn from, redirecting them where necessary to secure the best experience.

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better?

Leaders have selected the most crucial initial teacher education curriculum content to foreground from the outset. This allows important elements to be revisited, extending trainees’ knowledge, competence and confidence over time, for example in understanding learning theory. Due prominence is given to the pivotal role of phonics in teaching early reading for all primary trainees. However, the timing and order of primary humanities training mean that some trainees’ misconceptions are sometimes not promptly checked.

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better?

Mentors play a vital part in the partnership’s success. They are committed, understand the purpose and importance of their role and prioritise trainees’ entitlement to high-quality, school-based training. Following the partnership’s programme carefully, mentors ensure that their weekly discussions with trainees are focused, purposeful and linked with central input. However, given greater knowledge of the specific content within topics covered during central sessions, mentors have the scope to reinforce the main messages more directly. There is a considerable programme of training, monitoring and support for mentors. However, while mentors feel valued, some are not cognisant of receiving feedback about what they are doing well or could be doing even better.

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better?

The partnership systematically follows individual trainees' progress through the training curriculum. Helpful targets challenge and develop trainees during their school-based training. Paperwork and evidence requirements have been set with the workload in mind, and trainees do not find them burdensome.

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(Information for the partnership and appropriate authority)

◼ The order and timing of the training in history and geography for primary trainees leave the potential for them to develop misconceptions that may not be promptly identified or addressed. There are long gaps between crucial elements of the programme. Leaders should ensure that the primary training curriculum in these subjects introduces trainees to helpful content in a timely manner and maximises opportunities for them to practise what they have learned in a constructive way. ◼ Mentors do not have a sufficiently precise knowledge of the specific content of the central 'Friday training’. Consequently, the partnership has not equipped them as well as it could to follow important points up precisely with trainees in school. Leaders should ensure mentors know enough about the content of central training sessions so they can reinforce the main messages in school. ◼ The current approaches to feeding back to mentors about the quality of their

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(Information for the partnership and appropriate authority)

mentoring are not as effective as they could be. Some mentors are not conscious of receiving developmental feedback about their work. Leaders should strengthen arrangements for helping mentors’ ongoing development to make their guidance and support for trainees the best it can be.

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comply with the ITE compliance criteria?

◼ The partnership meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE partnership details

Unique reference number 70246 Inspection number 10219580

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ITE partnership details

This inspection was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) in accordance with the ‘Initial teacher education inspection framework and handbook’. This framework and handbook sets out the statutory basis and framework for initial teacher education (ITE) inspections in England from September 2020.

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ITE partnership details

Type of ITE partnership SCITT Phases provided Primary and secondary combined Date of previous inspection 13 May 2013

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Inspection team

Clive Dunn, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Dan Lambert Her Majesty’s Inspector Catherine Old Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: Partnership settings, schools and colleges

Inspectors contacted trainees and staff at the following schools, as part of this inspection:

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grade

Cookham Rise Primary School 109856 Primary September 2015 Good

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grade

Dedworth Middle School 142791 Primary/Secondary September 2015 Requires Improvement Hilltop First School 109833 Primary September 2015 Outstanding Trevelyan Middle School 143390 Primary/Secondary September 2015 Good Wessex Primary School 109821 Primary September 2015 Good Windsor Girls’ School 141852 Secondary September 2015 Not yet inspected guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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