Cambridge Training Schools Network, CTSN SCITT

The Cambridge Teaching Schools Network Training Partnership Comberton Village College, West Street, Comberton, Cambridge CB23 7DU

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Inspection dates 28 February to 3 March 2022

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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?

Primary and secondary trainees receive a good quality of education and training. Trainees access a well-designed curriculum that supports them to develop the knowledge and skills to become effective, reflective and thoughtful teachers. Trainees and their trainers share a passion and commitment for learning. Trainees are well prepared to become confident and highly competent teachers.

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

Trainees read a wide range of well-chosen, up-to-date educational research. They consider the messages from their reading with care as they apply their learning to the classroom. This is where they practise and improve their teaching knowledge and skills. Trainees gain a firm understanding of the theory and practice that underpins effective teaching.

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

Primary trainees learn how to teach early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics (SSP), confidently and proficiently. Trainees have many planned opportunities to work closely with expert colleagues, including their mentors and partnership subject trainers.

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

Trainees know how to use a range of methods to check pupils’ understanding. They learn how to sequence lessons so that pupils build on what they already know. Trainees are taught how to adapt learning effectively for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils who speak English as an additional language, so these pupils can access an ambitious curriculum.

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

Trainees speak positively of the staff who work with them. They hold their mentors in high esteem. Trainees are given effective guidance and support to manage their workload.

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Information about this ITE partnership/provider

◼ The partnership provides training for 63 primary and 55 secondary trainees. ◼ The partnership provides training in the 4 to 11 primary age range and in the 11 to 16 secondary age range. The partnership also provides training in the 14 to 19 routes for some secondary subjects. ◼ There are 86 schools in the partnership. ◼ Trainees undertake the school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) and School Direct (non-salaried) routes leading to qualified teacher status. T rainees complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Education with Anglia Ruskin University. ◼ The lead schools in the partnership are Comberton Village College, Saffron Walden County High School and Barrow CEVC Primary School.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was conducted by four of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs). Inspectors met with the programme leaders, subject trainers, senior tutors, professional mentors and ITE coordinators. Inspectors also met with representatives of the Anglia Ruskin University and spoke with headteachers at the schools visited. ◼ Inspectors met with representatives of the strategic board. ◼ Inspectors spoke with groups of trainees, mentors and early career teachers. ◼ In the primary phase, inspectors completed focused reviews in early reading and foundation subjects. In the secondary phase, inspectors undertook focused reviews in history, geography, English and modern foreign languages. ◼ Inspectors visited five primary schools and six secondary schools to meet with trainees, mentors and headteachers. Some observations were made of trainees’ teaching.

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better?

Outstanding leadership has brought about good and improving quality of education and training. Leaders have made significant changes to this growing and complex partnership. As a result of their highly skilled leadership, school leaders and staff across the partnership wholeheartedly embrace leaders’ vision for excellence. Programme leaders understand what excellent teacher training looks like.

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better?

Leaders’ well-crafted curriculum ensures trainees securely build on and develop strong pedagogical and subject knowledge from the start. Leaders have ensured that centre- and school-based pedagogical and subject training are fully integrated into the overall training programme. They have woven the core content framework into each aspect of the training programme. Reflective practice underpins the training programme for trainees and staff. They become confident in weighing up the merits of different educational theories. Trainees adapt their teaching in light of their reflections. All trainees gain the Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

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better?

Leaders ensure that trainees place pupils’ learning and welfare at the heart of all they do. Trainees confidently demonstrate how they plan effectively and teach lessons that support and meet the individual needs of pupils, including those pupils with SEND.

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better?

Leaders have made sure that their work complies with all aspects of the ITE core content framework. Programme leaders have woven subject-specific training into general teacher training. Trainees learn how to teach specific subjects well.

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better?

Primary trainees demonstrate a commitment to the teaching of reading, including SSP. Trainees learn to teach SSP across a wide age range. As a result, trainees learn the core fundamentals of teaching SSP and develop strong knowledge and skills to support pupils to catch up and become confident and fluent readers.

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better?

Programme leaders have highly effective quality assurance systems to check that the curriculum is delivered consistently well. The subject tutors are suitably qualified to teach the training programme effectively. The delivery of the training programme is of a consistently high standard. As a result, trainees are on track to meet the teachers’ standards.

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better?

Leaders have continued to make well-focused curriculum changes over the past two years. Programme leaders manage the changes needed with considerable clarity of thought. They have improved the consistency of mentoring to ensure that all trainees receive good quality support and feedback. For example, they have introduced ‘action steps’ to improve the quality of weekly targets that guide trainees’ learning. Leaders have clearly set out plans and expectations for the role and importance of mentors. However, some mentors are not yet applying the partnership’s chosen approaches with consistency and confidence. This means that a small number of trainees do not always receive the same high-quality support as others. Leaders are putting suitable actions in place to address this variance.

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better?

Trainees speak very positively about the pastoral support they receive. Leaders make sure that reasonable adjustments are made for trainees who need them.

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(Information for the partnership and appropriate authority)

◼ Leaders are making the right curriculum decisions. They have made necessary changes to the teacher training curriculum and how it is taught. The quality of education and training is good and improving. Leaders need to make sure and check carefully that all mentors understand and apply the partnership’s approaches, with consistency and to the high standard that leaders expect.

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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 70249 Inspection number 10212700

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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 20 to 22 October 2014

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector John Lucas Her Majesty’s Inspector Christine Dick Her Majesty’s Inspector Katherine Douglas Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: Partnership settings, schools and colleges

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

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Name URN ITE phases

Chesterton Community College 136887 Secondary Fen Ditton Primary School 145423 Primary Impington Village College 137826 Secondary Linton Village College 136442 Secondary Queen Emma Primary School 136241 Primary Saffron Walden County High School 136776 Secondary

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Name URN ITE phases

Swavesey Village College 136580 Secondary The Vine Inter-Church Primary 134894 Primary Thurston Community College 124802 Secondary Trumpington Park Primary School 144770 Primary Waterbeach Community Primary School 110621 Primary 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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Name URN ITE phases

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 children looked after, 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 medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-

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Name URN ITE phases

government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Name URN ITE phases

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Name URN ITE phases

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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