North Essex Teacher Training (NETT)

North Essex Teacher Training (NETT) c/o Tendring Education Centre, Jaywick Lane, Clacton on Sea CO16 8BE

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Inspection judgements

Primary and secondary age-phase combined

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education and training Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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

Trainees welcome the supportive environment that the partnership offers. They establish positive working relationships with their trainers, in the central team and partnership schools. Their enthusiasm toward becoming early career teachers is crystal clear.

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

While trainees are typically positive about their experiences, the training is not consistently well focused on the detail of trainees’ subject knowledge development. In both the primary and secondary phases, trainers do not check well enough how effectively trainees are extending their subject knowledge over time.

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

Most trainees are adept at promoting good behaviour in their lessons. They speak confidently about how they have improved their approach to planning for learning, using the research-focused concepts they are taught. They understand the principles of adapting teaching to meet pupils’ different needs, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language.

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

Primary trainees are taught how to use systematic synthetic phonics effectively in the teaching of early reading. Additional opportunities, such as learning about forest and beach schools, are valued. Productive communications across the partnership help facilitate personalised approaches, including opportunities for some secondary trainees to experience teaching a second subject.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The SCITT operates within The Sigma Trust, a multi-academy trust, with primary and secondary schools across the Tendring local authority area. ◼ Trainees follow various routes into teacher training. Most are enrolled as Postgraduate Certificate in Education trainees on a School Direct non-salaried pathway. ◼ There are 26 postgraduate and three undergraduate primary trainees, as well as 18 postgraduate secondary trainees. ◼ The partnership works with 30 primary schools and 12 secondary schools in Essex and Suffolk local authorities. Most of the partnership schools were graded good at their most recent inspection. A small number were judged as requires improvement and three of the primary schools were judged outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was carried out by three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors spoke with the chief executive officer of The Sigma Trust, the programme director, who also leads the primary phase, and the secondary programme leader. ◼ Inspectors also spoke with a staff member who has oversight of trainees’ well-being, a group of mentors, training and assessment tutors, primary and secondary headteachers, as well as the primary and secondary subject leaders. ◼ Inspectors spoke with 23 trainees in schools. They also spoke with two early career teachers, who completed their training in July 2021. ◼ Focused reviews were carried out in the following subjects: early reading, primary foundation subjects, secondary science, mathematics, English and art and design. ◼ Inspectors visited 12 placements during the inspection and conducted eight virtual visits via videoconferencing.

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better?

Leaders have taken effective action to improve the quality of education and training since the previous inspection. While there are elements of the provision that are not yet strong enough, they know what they need to do to continue to improve.

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better?

The ITE curriculum is increasingly ambitious. Leaders have thought more carefully about the rationale for curriculum choices, including about what trainees will learn and when. They have acted to ensure that trainees’ teaching practice is informed by up-to-date research. Consequently, trainees are now more effectively prepared for their early teaching careers. Significant improvements in phonics training mean that primary trainees are confident to teach early reading. They understand the importance of regular practice and ensuring that books match the sounds children are learning. They know how phonics can help older pupils to catch up.

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better?

While more time is given to subject training overall, the subject training in schools is underdeveloped, especially in primary foundation subjects. In both the primary and secondary phases, subject leads and mentors are inconsistent in evaluating the detail of trainees’ subject knowledge improvement over time. Too often, trainees’ targets lack subject specificity. This hinders formative assessment processes. Trainees do not get the precise guidance they need to move on quickly.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the ITE curriculum complies with the core content framework. Trainees understand the principles of planning for pupils’ learning. They can explain the importance of avoiding overloading pupils’ working memory and how to adapt the curriculum to support pupils with SEND. Equality and diversity and the teacher’s role in safeguarding pupils are well-understood themes interwoven through central and school- based training.

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better?

Links between the SCITT and partnership schools are strong. Mentor training takes account of recent educational research and curriculum changes. Schools receive weekly communications about the central training. Helpful prompts support mentors’ regular meetings with trainees.

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better?

Subject leaders are appointed based on their phase and subject expertise. However, some subject leads, most notably in primary foundation subjects, are new and still developing their skills in taking forward SCITT leaders’ curriculum intentions. The effectiveness of the implementation of new plans is yet to be fully evaluated.

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better?

Leaders take action to ensure that any shortfall in trainees’ experience is responded to quickly. Ongoing improvement work with mentors and subject leaders is sharply focused on continuing to improve the quality of education and training over time. Leaders are mindful of trainees’ well-being. Effective arrangements are in place to support individual needs.

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secondary combined phase?

◼ The subject knowledge training in schools is underdeveloped. In both the primary and secondary phases, subject leads and mentors are inconsistent in evaluating the detail of trainees’ subject knowledge improvement over time. Consequently, some key aspects are covered superficially. Leaders should ensure that trainees are supported to deepen their knowledge fully in the subjects and phases they are teaching. ◼ Trainees’ improvement targets lack subject specificity. This hinders formative assessment processes because trainees do not get the precise guidance they need to move on quickly. Leaders should ensure that the strengthened quality assurance arrangements now in place are as consistently rigorous in identifying weaknesses in the subject training as they are in ensuring high quality in the development of the generic principles of teaching and learning. ◼ Some subject leaders, most noticeably in the primary foundation, are new.

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secondary combined phase?

Consequently, they are still developing their skills in taking forward SCITT leaders’ curriculum intentions. Leaders should work closely with subject leaders to ensure that they have the training they need to deliver the curriculum consistently and effectively across partnership settings.

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comply with the ITE compliance criteria?

◼ The partnership meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70015 Inspection number 10226400

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ITE provider 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 provider details

Type of ITE provider School-centred initial teacher training Phases provided Primary and secondary combined Date of previous inspection 24 to 27 May 2021

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Inspection team

Christine Dick, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Adam Cooke Her Majesty’s Inspector Paul Wilson Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: Placement schools

Inspectors visited the following schools as part of this inspection:

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Name URN ITE phases

Cann Hall Primary School 138911 Primary Clacton Coastal Academy 135957 Secondary East Bergholt High School 137218 Secondary Frinton Primary School 114723 Primary Harwich and Dover Court High School 137946 Secondary Holland Haven Primary School 115256 Primary Mayflower Primary School 114747 Primary Mersea Island Primary School 115311 Primary Rolph Primary School 140506 Primary Saint Helena School 137944 Secondary Saint Osyth Primary School 142775 Primary Tendring Technology College 137118 Secondary Stanway Fiveways Primary School 114764 Primary The Stanway School 137972 Secondary White Hall Academy 138575 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

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Name URN ITE phases

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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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