Liverpool Hope University

Liverpool Hope University Hope Park, Liverpool, Merseyside L16 9JD

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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 Requires improvement Requires improvement

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

All staff share the university’s vision to train new teachers who reflect the values of the ‘Hope Teacher’. This vision underpins all aspects of the training programmes and develops teachers with a strong sense of moral purpose and high expectations of themselves and the pupils whom they teach.

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

Primary-phase trainees learn how to teach all the subjects in the primary national curriculum. They also receive effective training on the importance of systematic synthetic phonics in the teaching of early reading.

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

Secondary-phase trainees benefit from a well-planned curriculum that reflects their specialist subjects. They learn about the distinctiveness of their chosen subject and receive a careful balance of subject-specific and generic approaches to teaching. This prepares trainees to teach their specialist subjects.

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

Leaders embrace working with providers across the initial teacher education (ITE) sector to design and develop their programmes. Communication is a strength. Leaders’ commitment to professional research is also threaded throughout trainees’ learning experiences. Leaders ensure that trainees are immersed in research. This helps trainees to become critical thinkers who use research successfully to inform their practice and help them grow as a professional. Leaders ensure that pastoral support is a core part of the trainees’ experience. Staff understand trainees’ needs very well and provide comprehensive support when needed. Services such as those provided by the resilience mentor help trainees to overcome difficulties and continue their courses. This demonstrates the provider’s commitment to supporting trainees’ mental health and well-being.

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

Trainees benefit from effective training about how to educate pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language (EAL). They also have opportunities to reflect on support for these pupils within specific subject training and through effective mentoring arrangements. This helps trainees to have a deeper understanding of how to scaffold learning for pupils with SEND and pupils who speak EAL.

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

The safeguarding training is a real strength of the course. It enables trainees to develop a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures and protecting children. Leaders continually develop the safeguarding content of courses and adapt it in the light of changing contexts in the community and beyond. For example, leaders provided trainees with additional bereavement training to help them have a better understanding of how to support pupils who may have lost family members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Leaders take trainees’ well-being and workload very seriously and ensure that they take all reasonable steps to provide them with support and guidance to protect their mental health. Trainees can access a wide range of pastoral support. For example, the resilience mentor is highly effective at helping trainees who need specific support to successfully complete their course or to progress through to the next year.

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

Trainees manage pupils’ behaviour well. They develop a range of behaviour management strategies based on the approach of positive reinforcement. Leaders also provide additional specialist training to help trainees to manage behaviour effectively. For example, a drama specialist works with trainees on developing the use of their voice when managing behaviour. Trainees also learn how to adapt behaviour management strategies when teaching across more practical subjects, such as physical education (PE), music and art.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ In 2021/22, the partnership had 886 trainees over two phases (primary and secondary). ◼ There were 651 trainees in the primary age-phase and 235 trainees in the secondary age-phase. ◼ In the primary phase, the following training routes are available: the undergraduate Bachelor of Arts with Qualified Teacher Status (BA QTS) route; the Post Graduate Masters in Education QTS route (MEd QTS); the core Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) route; and the PGCE School Direct fee-paid route. Trainees opt for either the three- to-seven primary age-phase or the five- to-11 primary age-phase. ◼ In the secondary phase, the partnership offers the core PGCE route and the PGCE School Direct fee-paid route. In 2021/22, trainees were enrolled on the following secondary subject courses: art and design, business, biology, chemistry, classics, computing, drama, English, geography, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages,

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Information about this ITE provider

music, PE, physics and religious education. ◼ In the primary phase, the partnership works with approximately 416 schools in 23 local authorities. ◼ In the secondary phase, the partnership comprises approximately 150 schools in 23 local authorities. ◼ The partnership works with providers that have been inspected by Ofsted. These providers have overall effectiveness grades that include outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This inspection was carried out by 12 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector. ◼ The inspection was carried out through in-person meetings, virtual meetings and on-site visits to partner schools. ◼ Inspectors spoke with a range of staff and partners, including: the dean of education; the head of ITE; the head of quality assurance and teacher education development; university-phase leaders; School Direct representatives; subject leaders; internal and external quality assurance partners; and representatives of the phase steering committees. ◼ Inspectors reviewed a wide range of information relating to the leadership and management of the partnership. This information included leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement planning documents. ◼ Inspectors also held conversations with leaders responsible for early career teachers (ECTs), partnership mentors, professional mentors and headteachers.

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Information about this inspection

◼ Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for trainees. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. ◼ In the primary phase, inspectors spoke with 59 trainees and eight ECTs either in person or remotely. ◼ In the secondary phase, inspectors spoke with 43 trainees either in person or remotely. ◼ During the visit, primary-phase and secondary-phase inspectors visited 23 schools. ◼ In the primary phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in early reading, English, geography, mathematics, religious RE, PE, computing and science. ◼ In the secondary phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in art and design, chemistry, English, geography, history, drama and mathematics. Primary phase report

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better?

Leaders live by their vision to craft future teachers who are research informed, creative and reflective. They strive to ensure that trainees see their career as a vocation – a way of changing children’s lives and making a difference. High-quality research underpins all aspects of the partnership’s ITE curriculum. A strong focus on research helps trainees develop critical thinking skills and an awareness of how current educational theory influences their teaching.

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better?

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum that is coherent and delivered in a logical order. All aspects of the ITE curriculum are carefully designed to ensure that trainees apply the theory that they have learned in the centre-based training to their daily school practice. The core content framework (CCF) statements are appropriately aligned with the ITE curriculum and they are carefully interwoven into every subject, phase and training route within the primary age-phase. Effective subject training helps trainees to plan a series of lessons and build pupils’ knowledge progressively across all areas of the primary national curriculum and early years foundation stage framework.

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better?

Leaders work closely with partnership schools and involve them fully in shaping and reviewing the ITE curriculum. School leaders contribute effectively to trainee recruitment, course lectures and strategic leadership meetings that evaluate the effectiveness of the primary ITE curriculum.

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better?

Centre-based tuition is well planned and delivered. Leaders ensure that professional tutors are suitably qualified and experienced. Trainees particularly value the additional input from guest lecturers with subject-specific expertise.

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better?

Training in early reading and systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) is a priority and is well implemented. Centre-based training is comprehensive and effective. Trainees know how to adapt their teaching and how to assess pupils in early reading and phonics. Trainees know the important role that SSP plays in the teaching of early reading.

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better?

Leaders select school placements carefully. The provider monitors the performance of partnership schools and the feedback from trainees. This is to ensure that placements are of high quality and that these are well matched to trainees’ circumstances. Leaders ensure that in-placement support and training complement those provided by the partnership.

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better?

Leaders have improved the quality assurance systems. There is now increased scrutiny and accountability at every level. Trainees and mentors have welcomed the introduction of the online tool that hosts all documentation relating to trainees’ progress. However, this system in still in its infancy and not all mentors have received training to enable them to use it effectively. Mentoring in schools makes a significant contribution to the development of trainees’ knowledge and skills. The partnership’s training programme delivers helpful ongoing support and guidance for mentors. This includes use of the CCF and subject-specific training for mentors. Quality assurance visits are successful in allowing the provider to evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring. However, these evaluations are not always shared with mentors to help them improve the quality of their work.

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better?

There are clear systems in place to assess trainees. Leaders have successfully ensured that the ITE curriculum is the vehicle for establishing how well trainees are progressing on their chosen ITE programme. The e-profile provides an ongoing narrative of trainees’ progress throughout the programme. Leaders adopt a holistic approach. They draw on information from different sources to accurately assess whether trainees are on track to become effective teachers.

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(Information for the partnership and appropriate authority)

◼ Leaders have recently introduced an online system, known as the e-profile, to capture and track the progress that trainees make through the planned ITE curriculum during school placements. However, some trainees and school staff have not yet had sufficient training or feedback to utilise this system to its full capacity. Leaders should provide all mentors and trainees with training and feedback to enable them to know and use this system effectively. This will provide leaders with more precise detail on how well trainees are progressing in their practice. ◼ Feedback about the quality of mentoring is not as effective as it could be. This is because some mentors do not receive sufficiently detailed and focused feedback to understand how to improve their work. Leaders should strengthen arrangements to monitor and support mentors’ ongoing development, so that they can provide more effective guidance and support to enable trainees to become highly successful primary

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compliance criteria?

◼ The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria. Secondary phase report

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about the content of the secondary-phase ITE curriculum. Working with partner schools, they have designed an ambitious curriculum that develops trainees’ generic pedagogical knowledge and subject expertise. In addition, leaders have ensured that the DfE’s CCF is taught in full. Overall, the ITE curriculum prepares trainees across every subject, phase and training route well for the start of their teaching career.

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better?

Leaders ensure that the secondary-phase ITE curriculum is underpinned by credible research. For example, as part of the initial professional studies (IPD) sessions, trainees learn about up-to-date research on adapting teaching for pupils with additional needs. This sharp focus on pertinent research is also reflected in subject-specific seminars. The strong focus on research enables trainees to understand and reflect on the unique debates about how to teach their subject specialisms. This prepares trainees well as they embark on the profession as ECTs.

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better?

Leaders have developed the IPD programme to build trainees’ subject and pedagogical knowledge step by step. This includes aspects such as behaviour management and how to assess pupils in their chosen specialist subject. Leaders make effective use of external experts to deliver aspects of the programme.

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better?

The curriculum is purposefully designed to ensure that the generic content that trainees learn in their IPD sessions is appropriately applied to their subjects. For example, trainees in drama learn to use their knowledge of managing behaviour in the context of large, open spaces. This approach is preparing trainees well for the realities of teaching their subject.

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better?

School-based staff receive helpful information about the partnership’s curriculum. This includes a description of the specific content that trainees learn as part of their centre- based training. As a result, staff in partnership schools understand how the different aspects of the programme work together. Leaders have also developed a system to support trainees’ learning in schools. Leaders have ensured that trainees have a clear understanding of the activities that they must complete on their placements. This approach is supporting trainees well by giving them deliberate and well-planned opportunities to put theory into practice. However, leaders have not ensured that some trainees complete these activities as intended.

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better?

The systems for checking trainees’ progress are effective. Leaders have identified the precise knowledge that trainees are expected to know and remember as they progress through the ITE curriculum. Mentors and tutors make regular checks to ensure that trainees are on track to successfully complete the course. They provide trainees with meaningful feedback. Trainees spoke very highly of the support they receive from their subject course leaders. Leaders have established robust and multi-layered systems for checking the quality of their ITE curriculum, including mentoring arrangements. For instance, they have made good use of external experts to check on the breadth and depth of subject-specific ITE curriculum plans. In addition, tutors check to ensure that mentors are meeting leaders’ expectations. As a result, leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the partnership.

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phase?

(Information for the partnership and appropriate authority )

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phase?

◼ Leaders have not ensured that all trainees complete all their school-based activities. This means that some trainees are not able to put the theory from centre-based learning fully into practice. Leaders should ensure that trainees have the opportunity to complete all school-based activities to enable them to fully develop their teaching skills.

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compliance criteria?

◼ The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70130 Inspection number 10220026 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 Higher education institution Phases provided Primary Secondary Date of previous inspection 14 to 17 June 2021

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Inspection team

Ann Pritchard, overall lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Heather Simpson, phase lead inspector (primary) Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Stevens, phase lead inspector (secondary) Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vincent Ashworth Ofsted Inspector Jo Evans Her Majesty’s Inspector Emma Gater Her Majesty’s Inspector Nicola Harwood Her Majesty’s Inspector Mark Howes Her Majesty’s Inspector Jonathan Leonard Her Majesty’s Inspector Heather Phillips Her Majesty’s Inspector Wayne Simner Her Majesty’s Inspector Amanda Stringer Her Majesty’s Inspector Bianka Zemke 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

Belle Vale Community Primary School 104519 Primary Rudston Primary School 137888 Primary Fairfield Primary School 111197 Primary Greenbank Community Primary School 133332 Primary Holy Cross Catholic Primary School 104633 Primary Kensington Community Primary School 136118 Primary LIPA Primary School 141103 Primary Liverpool College 139686 Primary Northway Primary and Nursery School 104565 Primary Oakdene Primary School 104781 Primary Oakfield Community Primary School 133322 Primary Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School 133337 Primary St Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Primary School 104676 Primary St. Mary’s Church of England Primary School West Derby 104624 Primary St Sebastian’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery 104664 Primary Wavertree Church of England School 104616 Primary Calday Grange Grammar School 139144 Secondary St Julie’s Catholic High School 104712 Secondary All Hallows Roman Catholic High School 131512 Secondary

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Name URN ITE phase

Upton Hall School (FCJ) 137929 Secondary All Saints Catholic High School 135479 Secondary The Blue Coat School 137916 Secondary Archbishop Beck Catholic High School 104717 Secondary 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

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Name URN ITE phase

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Name URN ITE phase

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Name URN ITE phase

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

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