Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT

Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT Toot Hill School, The Banks, Bingham NG13 8BL

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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 provider?

Trainees value the extensive support that they receive. Many said that pastoral care is ‘phenomenal’. Trainees appreciate the guidance they receive to manage their own mental health and well-being. They said that they know that they are well cared for and that their welfare is safeguarded.

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

The programme is skilfully planned so that trainees are gradually introduced to the realities of the teaching role. Trainees said that initially, the training felt daunting; however, they had received expert guidance during the course from leaders and school- based staff. As a result, they have become confident and skilled. They enjoy being part of the life of a school.

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

Diversity and inclusion are threaded through the curriculum. Trainees learn to have high expectations of all pupils. They are prepared well to teach pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All trainees know the importance of, and are suitably skilled in, teaching pupils to read, including the teaching of phonics.

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

Leaders are ambitious to ensure that all trainees gain a rich training experience. They have established international links. The training is enhanced by placements in schools abroad. One trainee spoke for many when saying that these opportunities ‘changed my thinking about what is possible in education’.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT partnership covers both primary and secondary age- phases combined. ◼ The partnership currently has 65 trainees. There are 22 trainees in the primary phase and 43 trainees in the secondary phase. ◼ There are 40 schools in the partnership. The lead school is Toot Hill School. ◼ The partnership offers school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT). Trainees work towards the award of qualified teacher status and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, which is accredited by the University of Nottingham. All trainees follow the School Direct route. ◼ The partnership works with a range of partner settings and primary and secondary schools. These are a mixture of settings of different sizes and local contexts. Schools within the partnership were judged outstanding, good or requires improvement at their previous Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was carried out by three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors spoke with the senior education lead of Nova Education Trust and the director and deputy director of the SCITT. They met with the quality of curriculum and development leads for the primary and secondary age-phases, and the pastoral well- being and recruitment lead. The lead inspector met with the accounting officer and members of the local governing body. She spoke with the key stakeholder group. ◼ Inspectors spoke with 21 current and former trainees from the both the primary and secondary age-phases. ◼ Inspectors undertook focused reviews of reading and history in the primary age-phase and English, design and technology, and physical education in the secondary age- phase to evaluate the quality of education and training across the partnership. ◼ Inspector visited 10 schools to meet with trainees, mentors and headteachers. These

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Information about this inspection

visits included observations of trainees’ teaching.

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better?

The curriculum is sequenced carefully to enable trainees to develop their teaching skills and subject knowledge progressively. The ‘strands and phases’ are well understood by all stakeholders. The course curriculum is appropriately built around both the subject and the phase. It extends beyond the requirements of the Department for Education (DfE) core content framework.

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better?

The curriculum is well integrated. Valuable use is made of available expertise, such as school leaders, to enhance the quality of the training. Trainees gain deep insights into how pupils learn, including checking pupils’ understanding and ensuring that their learning is not disrupted by others. They learn from the best available research, including from their university and subject tutors. The subject-specific sessions help trainees to place the theory into practice. These are delivered by subject tutors who are specialists in their field. Trainees are prepared well to begin their early career in teaching.

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better?

School-based mentors are highly committed professionals. They take seriously their role in sharing their expertise to benefit trainees. They receive comprehensive training that prepares them well for their role. Many school leaders commented on the positive impact of the mentor training on wider school improvement. At times, however, insufficient strategic checks take place to ensure that mentors can fulfil every aspect of their role as effectively as possible. A few mentors do not have sufficient time to devote to the role, for example.

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better?

Leaders, working with international partners, have developed a diagnostic approach to assessment. They hold professional conversations with mentors. They set targets and plan their next steps. Trainees value this approach. They feel that they have ownership of their learning. It has reduced workload. At times, there are insufficient strategic checks in place to make sure that trainee reflections lead to the setting of appropriate targets and prompt actions of support.

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better?

Course leaders make sure that all trainees understand the theoretical underpinning to the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics. Trainees observe expert practitioners. Primary age-phase trainees learn how to apply their knowledge in how to segment and apply sounds. They learn how to support pupils who are struggling to learn to read.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious course. They have built a strong reputation locally, regionally and internationally. Leaders in partner schools are committed to the partnership. They said that Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT plays a crucial role in supporting recruitment and ensuring high-quality teachers are available to teach children in Nottinghamshire schools.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ There are not enough systematic checks in place to make sure that what is planned for trainees is being delivered consistently well. For a few trainees, this reduces the impact of the carefully planned and sequenced curriculum. Leaders should evaluate and review their quality assurance systems. They should establish a systematic approach to check the consistent implementation of all aspects of the curriculum. This will support all trainees in being exceptionally well prepared for their roles.

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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 70320 Inspection number 10238505

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ITE provider details

This inspection was carried out in accordance with the ‘Initial teacher education inspection framework and handbook’. This framework and handbook set 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 19 June and 4 December 2017

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Chris Davies Her Majesty’s Inspector Hazel Henson 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 phase(s)

Toot Hill School 136878 Secondary Meden School 138411 Secondary The Newark Academy 144489 Secondary Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology 140984 Secondary South Nottinghamshire Academy 137112 Secondary Barnby Road Academy Primary and Nursery School 136274 Primary Firbeck Academy 139326 Primary Radcliffe-on-Trent Junior School 122670 Primary Robert Miles Infant School 144183 Primary Victoria Primary School 145018 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 phase(s)

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Name URN ITE phase(s)

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Name URN ITE phase(s)

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Name URN ITE phase(s)

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

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