Goldsmiths, University of London

Goldsmiths, University of London 8 Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW

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Inspection judgements

The quality of education and training Good Good

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good Good

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

Trainees rise to the high expectations that leaders have of them. Partnership schools are unanimous in their praise for Goldsmiths’ trainees and the curriculum that trainees receive.

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

The ITE curriculum does what leaders intend it to do. Trainees develop the knowledge they need to succeed in their future teaching roles. They learn how to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who speak English as an additional language. Trainees become confident managing pupils’ behaviour and develop a strong understanding of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and inclusion.

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

Trainees are well prepared to teach their subjects and phases. In the primary phase, for example, trainees gain the knowledge and experience they need in the teaching of early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics. Secondary trainees also benefit from training on early reading. Specialist modules, for instance in SEND, mathematics and languages, enable trainees to deepen their subject knowledge and gain credits towards a master’s degree.

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

Typically, trainees feel that school mentors and partnership tutors support them well, including with their workload. However, not all trainees benefit from consistently high- quality guidance and support. Where this is the case, trainees find it harder to apply what they learn during the central training in their school-based placements.

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Information about this ITE partnership/provider

◼ The provider currently has 192 primary trainees and 177 secondary trainees. ◼ The primary phase has trainees on the School Direct (salaried and non-salaried) route, Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) route and the assessment-only route. ◼ Trainees in the secondary phase are all on the School Direct (non-salaried) route, PGCE route and the assessment-only route. ◼ The provider has 104 partnership schools in the primary phase and 84 partnership schools in the secondary phase.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was carried out by nine of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. Because of COVID-19, some meetings and discussions were carried out remotely. ◼ Inspectors met with partnership leaders, including the head of the ITE department, the two heads of education, the heads of the primary and secondary phases, the partnership management board and the partnership steering group. ◼ Inspectors met with a group of headteachers from partnership schools. Inspectors held meetings with trainees, school mentors, early career teachers and partnership link tutors. ◼ Inspectors scrutinised the partnership’s documents related to improvement planning and curriculum content. ◼ Inspectors reviewed the 109 responses to the trainee survey and the 19 responses to the staff survey. ◼ Inspectors spoke to 61 primary trainees, 50 secondary trainees and seven early career teachers. ◼ In the primary phase, focused reviews were conducted in early reading, science,

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Information about this inspection

mathematics, art and design, modern foreign languages, and humanities (history and geography). ◼ In the secondary phase, focused reviews were conducted in English, mathematics, art and design, biology, chemistry, languages, design and technology, and drama. Eleven partnership schools were visited. In the primary phase, 14 partnership schools were visited. Initial teacher education report

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better?

Trainees are prepared well to embark on their future teaching careers. Partnership leaders and staff are knowledgeable about the primary phase. The centrally delivered curriculum is ambitious and planned well. The entitlements of the core content framework are woven purposefully through all aspects of training, guidance, and support.

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better?

Trainees are introduced to and revisit important ideas about teaching the primary phase in a logical order. The content taught in each element of the central training is carefully chosen. Partnership leaders make sure that these different elements come together seamlessly to promote trainees’ readiness to teach the primary curriculum, including, for instance, early mathematics.

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better?

Partnership leaders also ensure that trainees apply what they learn centrally within their school placements. Right from the start of the course, trainees and schools receive clear information about curriculum content, including subject-specific research and training. This helps trainees to prepare for the centrally taught sessions and apply their understanding with increasing expertise.

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better?

The curriculum enables trainees to develop a secure understanding of early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics. Trainees learn that systematic synthetic phonics is the most effective approach for teaching pupils to decode to read. During school placements, well-selected directed activities enable trainees to rehearse and apply what they have learned about early reading. For example, trainees learn how to match books to the sounds pupils know and are well equipped to teach less-confident readers.

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better?

Most trainees benefit from high-quality support from school mentors and partnership link tutors. They feel supported with their workload and the development of their classroom practice, including, for example, in how to manage behaviour and assess pupils’ learning. They also value the effective guidance they receive on how to put theory into practice while on school placements.

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better?

Partnership leaders and staff check how well trainees are progressing through the planned ITE curriculum. When needed, they put in place further support to ensure that trainees are able to learn and apply what is expected of them. However, leaders’ approach to overseeing and developing the work of school mentors and partnership link tutors is not as well established. In some cases, leaders have not checked and made sure that targets are helpful in supporting trainees’ development. Sometimes, feedback does not match up closely with the content of the centrally delivered ITE curriculum. Leaders have already put in place improvement plans to improve their quality assurance processes. It is nevertheless too early to see the full impact of leaders’ actions.

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(Information for the partnership and appropriate authority)

◼ Leaders’ quality assurance of school-based support from partnership link tutors and school mentors is not consistently strong. Some guidance and feedback, including the targets trainees receive, do not focus sharply on helping trainees to apply and deepen their knowledge. In part, this is because leaders have not ensured that all school mentors are informed about the content of the centrally delivered training. Leaders should evaluate the impact of their new quality assurance systems and make sure that they use these systems to strengthen the quality and helpfulness of school-based support from mentors and link tutors.

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compliance criteria?

◼ The partnership meets the Department for Education (DfE) statutory compliance criteria, including for the assessment-only route. Secondary phase report

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better?

Partnership leaders are aspirational for secondary trainees. The ITE curriculum reflects these aspirations. Curriculum content is selected carefully to ensure that trainees are ready for and confident about their future teaching careers. The requirements of the core content framework are catered for purposefully and in full.

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better?

The ITE curriculum is planned to ensure that trainees have high expectations for all pupils, irrespective of background or starting points. Trainees are encouraged to think deeply about subject curriculum choices and content, and how these choices consider pupils’ needs and experiences. This approach prepares trainees well to engage in professional debate about how to improve pupils’ outcomes, well-being, and behaviour. Partnership staff also ensure that trainees access and reflect on the very latest research within their subject. Trainees become committed to keeping up to date with this research and see its value in shaping their teaching practice.

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better?

Trainees are taught to understand how pupils learn, as well as how to support pupils to remember knowledge in the long term. Subject tutors are knowledgeable and have high expectations. They are skilled in helping trainees to apply their developing knowledge in the context of their subject specialism. For example, drama trainees learn about ways that practical performances can be used to improve pupils’ recall of knowledge.

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better?

Placement schools enjoy strong relationships with the partnership, and subject tutors visit trainees regularly. Typically, school leaders and mentors are well informed about the requirements of the programme. Most school mentors ensure that the guidance they offer aligns with the subject content that trainees learn during the centre-based training. Where this is the case, the different parts of the training programme come together very effectively to promote trainees’ development as teachers. Trainees value the clear, consistent messages about their progress through the ITE curriculum, and how they can make further improvements. The partnership’s guidance on how to assess trainees’ development is helpful and clear. In most cases, subject tutors and school mentors make effective use of this guidance to identify and plan for trainees’ individual needs.

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better?

However, in a small number of cases this does not work as well. Leaders have not checked that all mentors are familiar with the central training and the partnership’s expectations for mentoring. This leads to some misconceptions and inconsistencies about the mentoring programme’s role in supporting and assessing trainees. Because of this, some trainees feel they receive conflicting messages about what is required of them.

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better?

While their work is recent, leaders are taking effective steps to strengthen quality assurance, and in particular their oversight of the mentoring programme. For example, subject tutors are now keeping a closer eye on the feedback provided to trainees as part of the mentoring programme.

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[Information for the partnership and appropriate authority]

◼ In a few instances, leaders have not made sure that the mentoring programme provides trainees with consistently clear and helpful guidance. This reduces trainees’ readiness and confidence to teach their subject. Leaders must evaluate and review the new quality assurance systems to ensure that all trainees benefit from a high-quality mentoring programme.

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compliance criteria?

◼ The partnership meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE partnership/provider details

Unique reference number 70122 Inspection number 10167808

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ITE partnership/provider details

This inspection was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) 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/provider details

Type of ITE provider Higher education institution Phases provided Primary Secondary Date of previous inspection 12 October 2015

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Inspection team

Ruth Dollner, Overall lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Alison Colenso, Phase lead inspector (primary) Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lisa Strong, Phase lead inspector (secondary) Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, team inspector Alice Clay, team inspector David Radomsky, team inspector Gary Rawlings, team inspector Mark Smith, team inspector Nick Turvey, team inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: Provider settings, schools, and colleges

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

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grade

Horn Park 143598 Primary September 2015 Good Myatt Gardens Primary School 100713 Primary September 1999 Good

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grade

Childeric Primary School 146221 Primary September 2000 Good Wingfield Primary School 148615 Primary September 2016 Good John Keats Primary School 145888 Primary September 2020 Not yet inspected Halstow Primary School 143597 Primary September 1997 Outstanding Christ the King Primary School 100450 Primary September 2021 Good

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Heber Primary School 100793 Primary September 2018 Good Galleywall Primary School 142875 Primary September 2021 Outstanding Kensington Avenue Primary School 146724 Primary September 1998 Good

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grade

Valence Primary School 101222 Primary September 2020 Good Judith Kerr Primary School 139907 Primary September 2014 Good Cardwell Primary School 100155 Primary September 2016 Outstanding Old Palace Primary School 100892 Primary September 2008 Outstanding St Joseph’s College 137681 Secondary April 2012 Good Winchmoore School 136750 Secondary May 2015 Good Arts and Media School Islington 131690 Secondary May 2014 Good

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Ark Walworth Academy 135315 Secondary April 2014 Good Kingsdale Foundation School 136309 Secondary April 2012 Outstanding Cheam High School 136785 Secondary April 2012 Outstanding Central Foundation Girls’ School 100975 Secondary April 2012 Good

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George Green’s School 100974 Secondary May 2015 Good St Paul’s Way Trust School 143379 Secondary April 2016 Good Eltham Hill School 100182 Secondary May 2014 Good The John Roan School 147439 Secondary April 2012 Requires Improvement 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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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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