University of Gloucestershire

University of Gloucestershire Francis Close Hall Campus, Swindon Road, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ

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Inspection judgements

Early years ITT Primary age-phase Secondary age-phase

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement Good Good

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Inspection judgements

The quality of education and training Requires improvement Good Good

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Inspection judgements

Leadership and management Requires improvement Good Good

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement Requires improvement Requires improvement

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

Trainees are well prepared for the realities of a career in teaching. They follow a curriculum that is carefully constructed and coherent. It is based on national and international research and local needs. A unique feature is the partnership’s emphasis on sustainability. This provokes trainees’ debate on the role that education plays in a sustainable future.

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

The ITE curriculum prioritises teaching about equality and diversity across all routes. By considering education from many perspectives, trainees are well equipped to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of 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?

Centre-based staff take the welfare of trainees seriously. They listen and respond to trainees and provide help and support. Trainees value these strong working relationships.

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

Trainees benefit from a good balance of centre-based teaching and school placements. This enables them to translate theory into practice and deepen their skills and knowledge effectively.

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

A strong partnership between the university and schools enables many trainees to benefit from a robust mentoring programme. However, leaders’ work to enhance the mentoring programme further is at an early stage. The personalised support that primary-phase trainees receive means that their needs are met exceptionally well. The centre- and school-based training support trainees to teach their subject and phase with confidence, including systematic synthetic phonics and early reading.

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

Secondary trainees learn appropriate content at the right time. Professional skills are interwoven with the subject knowledge trainees need to be successful. Regular ‘revisit’ sessions with subject leaders help cement trainees’ knowledge and skills well. Trainees are enthusiastic and feel ready to begin their teaching careers.

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

The curriculum for early years trainees covers the full content of the ‘Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage’. However, this has been a difficult year for trainees. Mentors and trainees have been disappointed by poor communication about the changes in the leadership structure that have had to be made.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The University of Gloucestershire has 380 trainees in total across the early years, primary and secondary phases. There are eight trainees in the early years phase, 332 in the primary phase and 40 in the secondary phase. ◼ Early years trainees follow a route that leads to the award of early years teacher status (EYTS). ◼ The primary-phase trainees follow a three-year undergraduate programme, a one-year postgraduate programme or a one-year School Direct fee-paid route. The undergraduate programme leads to a Bachelor of Education degree with qualified teacher status. The postgraduate programmes lead to a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). Trainees opt for either the 3 to 7 primary-age phase or the 5 to 11 primary-age phase. Undergraduate trainees may also choose a subject strength in mathematics. ◼ In the secondary phase, trainees follow a one-year postgraduate programme or a one- year School Direct fee paid programme. These programmes lead to a PGCE. Trainees on

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Information about this ITE provider

the School Direct programme choose the 7 to 14 age phase or the 11 to 18 age phase and enrol in the following subject courses: mathematics, drama and physics. Other secondary PGCE trainees are enrolled on the following subject courses: art and design, English, geography, history, mathematics and physical education. ◼ The partnership works with 370 schools in 17 local authorities and five School Direct providers. ◼ The current inspection grades of schools and settings in the partnership range from requires improvement to outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was carried out by 10 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two Ofsted Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors spoke with a range of staff and partners, including the head of the school of education and humanities; the academic subject leader: teacher education; other senior leaders and university phase leaders; members of the quality steering group; headteachers and senior leaders in schools and settings and teaching school leaders. ◼ Inspectors evaluated a wide range of documentation from the partnership. Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted surveys for staff and trainees that were carried out during the inspection. ◼ In the early years phase, inspectors spoke with eight trainees. In the primary phase, inspectors spoke with 20 trainees and six early career teachers. In the secondary phase, inspectors spoke with 24 trainees and eight early career teachers. ◼ Inspectors conducted three focused reviews in the early years phase. These looked at

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Information about this inspection

communication and language, mathematics and expressive arts and design. In the primary phase, the focused reviews looked at early reading, computing, geography, mathematics and physical education. In the secondary phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in art and design, English, history, mathematics and physical education. ◼ During the visit, inspectors visited six early years settings, 15 primary schools and eight secondary schools. Overall, inspectors visited 29 placement settings. Early years phase report

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better?

Since the previous inspection, unforeseen staffing turbulence has led to significant difficulties with the organisation and implementation of the curriculum. Consequently, trainees have not been able to get the most from their learning and some have felt let down.

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better?

Recently, leaders have listened to trainees’ concerns and taken the right action to re- establish positive relationships. As a result, most trainees now feel well supported and say their workload is considered. The centre-based team are responding to trainees and helping them through the final parts of the programme.

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better?

After the previous inspection, the curriculum was revised fully. It now ensures that the full range of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) requirements are covered. However, some aspects of the course are not sufficiently demanding or consistently ambitious, based on trainees’ different starting points. Therefore, some trainees have not learned all that they could.

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better?

Senior leaders have not pre-checked all placement settings well enough. The quality of trainees’ experiences at alternative placements in other early years settings is too variable. A few trainees have been deployed to settings which are not good enough. In these instances, trainees do not see best practice.

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better?

Despite these shortcomings, the curriculum does provide trainees with a secure understanding of essential knowledge for early child development. The prime areas of the EYFS statutory framework are taught well. These include enabling trainees to understand the importance of effective communication and language and early reading. School-based placements help trainees to see this in action. This deepens their knowledge of systematic, synthetic phonics, including for pupils in key stages 1 and 2.

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better?

Trainees learn about safeguarding effectively. They know how to keep children safe. The curriculum also promotes effective practice for inclusion, to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and for pupils who speak English as an additional language. As a result, trainees quickly learn about the importance of swift, accurate identification of children’s needs.

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better?

The curriculum is underpinned by sound assessments of trainees’ knowledge and skills. These ensure trainees are supported to reach the teachers’ standards (early years) and award of EYTS.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, the arrangements for mentoring have improved. However, mentor and centre-based tutors’ targets are sometimes not aligned. This creates some minor complications for trainees. The recently introduced link tutors provide a useful point of contact. They have been instrumental in ensuring trainees now feel listened to, supported and nurtured. They have quickly established strong professional relationships with trainees.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Senior leaders have not taken timely or effective action to keep trainees informed of the changes to the course over the year. The arrangements and expectations have not been consistently well communicated or managed. As a result, some trainees and mentors have felt confused and frustrated. Leaders intend to close this course at the end of this academic year. Therefore, they have not recruited any trainees for next year. However, leaders must continue to implement plans to ensure trainees feel fully supported and enabled throughout the last weeks of the course. ◼ The curriculum is not sufficiently ambitious, particularly in building on trainees’ previous knowledge. As a result, trainees’ progress and accumulation of new knowledge are not strong enough. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and takes full account of trainees’ different starting points. ◼ The quality of alternative placements in early years settings is too variable. These have

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

not consistently added value to trainees’ knowledge, understanding or development. Leaders must ensure that all settings are fully checked and vetted so that trainees get the best experiences in all placements.

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compliance criteria?

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

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better?

The primary phase ITE curriculum is well sequenced. Trainees develop their knowledge and skills well. The ITE curriculum sets out precisely the fundamental knowledge that trainees need to know to be able to teach all subjects. Leaders’ checks ensure that the curriculum content is equitable across all training routes. Trainees apply up-to-date research to their teaching. Through wider opportunities, such as learning about sustainable education, trainees enhance their knowledge of teaching further. Leaders are ambitious and have high aspirations for trainees.

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better?

There is a sharp focus on preparing trainees to teach early reading. Leaders ensure that trainees have a strong understanding of systematic synthetic phonics. As a result of the high-quality phonics training, trainees are well prepared to teach phonics and the great majority of trainees feel confident to teach early reading.

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better?

Leaders ensure that trainees have a secure knowledge of how to adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND and for those pupils who speak English as an additional language. Leaders have effectively woven the principles of the core content framework throughout the ITE curriculum. Through a professional studies programme, trainees learn the wider knowledge and skills needed to be a teacher. However, the content of the professional studies programme is not as well sequenced as it needs to be. This leads to some trainees not fully understanding the content.

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better?

Leaders have raised the expectations of mentoring. Training for mentors is effective. New mentors appreciate the comprehensive support they receive. Trainees have regular and purposeful sessions with mentors. Centre-based staff review trainees’ weekly targets and provide swift responses to support trainees’ progress. The link tutor role provides a valuable layer of oversight to programme leaders. Trainees receive effective personalised support which they value. Leaders’ and mentors’ evaluations of trainees are accurate. This is because assessment systems are comprehensive and rigorous.

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better?

Leaders have recently developed their approach to quality assurance. As a result, leaders know quickly if a trainee needs additional help. Trainees say they feel well supported by centre-based staff. However, the new approach does not provide enough information for mentors about how well they are supporting trainees. Therefore, some mentors are unclear about how they can improve.

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better?

Headteachers, programme staff and trainees have great confidence in the partnership. They recognise the improvements that leaders have made this year. Many trainees secure employment in partnership schools.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Leaders ’ quality assurance systems do not yield enough information for mentors. As a result, some mentors are unclear about how well they develop and support trainees. The partnership should strengthen the arrangements for the quality assurance of mentoring. ◼ The curriculum sequencing of professional studies does not consider well enough the order of knowledge that trainees need to know. This leads to trainees not fully understanding some content as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that they improve further the sequencing of professional studies so that trainees develop their knowledge incrementally.

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compliance criteria?

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

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for trainees. They have designed a distinctive ITE curriculum that carefully amalgamates professional studies, the subject curriculum and school placements. This fully complies with the core content framework. Trainees use their university learning and school experiences well to shape their understanding of how to teach their subject.

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better?

Subject leaders have coherently mapped out what they want trainees to learn. They reinforce learning in ‘revisit Wednesdays’ where trainees recall knowledge and discuss their experiences. Trainees have a good grounding in educational theory. Nevertheless, a minority of trainees do not apply this well. They do not understand the importance of carefully sequenced component knowledge so that pupils learn effectively.

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better?

School-based professional leads and mentors know the centre-based curriculum well and align school placements to the university programme. Where mentoring is strong, trainees value the curriculum expertise and educational literature that mentors share with them. This builds on their centre-based learning. However, this is not a feature of all mentoring. Sometimes, trainees’ support is not informed by current educational thinking. This does not help to strengthen their understanding of curriculum.

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better?

Trainees have a secure understanding of teaching pupils with SEND. The programme provides useful insight into specialist provision. Trainees use their knowledge well to plan adaptive teaching.

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better?

Leaders assess trainees’ progression through three distinct phases of the curriculum: developing, broadening and enhancing. Trainees appreciate formative feedback from subject leaders and mentors. The newly sharpened targets help trainees to understand their next steps. In addition, leaders’ quality assurance provides professional leads and mentors with useful feedback, modelling and guidance to help them better support trainees.

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better?

Trainees say that the partnership is responsive to their personal needs and well-being. Subject leaders know trainees well and help them to balance their workload.

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better?

The secondary phase is well led. Partners are keen to contribute to its development. Leaders have created a genuine partnership with local schools. School leaders are confident that trainees will contribute fully to the life of their schools.

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better?

Leaders and the School Direct partner work productively together to provide a distinctive curriculum with parity to the PGCE programme. School Direct trainees describe an enriching experience that has deepened their subject knowledge and understanding of what it means to be a teacher. Leaders respond to the needs of schools in the local area and have adapted the curriculum to include areas such as sustainability. Leaders have successfully piloted trainees’ development of a second specialist subject. This has improved trainee employability. Leaders are keen to develop this further to address local staff shortages in particular subjects.

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phase?

[Information for the provider and appropriate authority ]

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phase?

◼ A few trainees do not connect curriculum theory to their practice. They do not understand the importance of carefully sequenced component knowledge so that pupils learn effectively. Leaders should ensure that all trainees apply their academic thinking on curriculum design to their practice. ◼ There is variation in the quality of mentoring. While some mentors share curriculum thinking informed by educational research, others do not have this knowledge. This does not help trainees to strengthen their understanding of curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that their improvement plans for mentoring are finalised and enacted with impact.

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compliance criteria?

◼ The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70045 Inspection number 10216922

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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 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 Higher education institution Phases provided Early Years Primary Secondary Date of previous inspection 21 to 24 June 2021

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Inspection team

Sarah McGinnis, Overall lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Paul Williams, Overall lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Stewart Gale, Phase lead inspector – Early years Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matt Middlemore, Phase lead inspector – Primary Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracey Reynolds, Phase lead inspector – Secondary Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs Her Majesty’s Inspector Sue Costello Her Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Favager-Dalton Her Majesty’s Inspector Paula Marsh Ofsted Inspector Lydia Pride Her Majesty’s Inspector Marie Thomas Her Majesty’s Inspector Richard Vaughan Ofsted Inspector

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Annex: Placement settings, schools and colleges

Inspectors visited the following settings and schools as part of this inspection:

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Name URN ITE phases

Winchcombe School 136764 Secondary Dean Magna School 137387 Secondary Cleeve School 136772 Secondary Henley Bank High School 145480 Secondary Holmleigh Park High School 147300 Secondary All Saints Academy 136016 Secondary Gloucester Academy 148036 Secondary Charlton Kings Junior School 137266 Primary Fairford CE Primary School 115622 Primary Badsey First School 145000 Primary Ashton-under-Hill First School 116650 Primary St Lawrence CE Primary School 145524 Primary Belmont School 147577 Primary Bishops Cleeve Primary School 137271 Primary Gardners Lane Primary School 131249 Primary Andoversford Primary School 115735 Primary Robert Le Kyng Primary School 126281 Early Years Angel Day Nursery EY480940 Early Years Lake View Nursery EY 454697 Early Years Madresfield Early Years Centre 205288 Early Years Walford Nursery and Primary School 116743 Early Years guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website:

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Name URN ITE phases

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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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