Cornwall School Centred Initial Teacher Training. (Cornwall SCITT)

Cornwall School Centred Initial Teacher Training (Cornwall SCITT) Truro and Penwith College, College Road, Truro TR1 3XX

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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 Outstanding

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

Trainees are well prepared to become early career teachers (ECTs). Secondary-phase trainees learn about the distinctiveness of their chosen subject specialism. Right from the start, they deepen their knowledge through a careful mix of subject-based training and school placements. Similarly, primary-phase trainees appreciate the significant priority given to learning how to teach early reading and mathematics before they learn other subjects. This helps trainees get to grips with the realities of a career in teaching early on.

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

Trainees studying in remote areas of Cornwall, such as the Isles of Scilly, receive the same high-quality subject- and centre-based training as their peers. The explicit focus on understanding the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and developing strong knowledge in safeguarding and behaviour management builds trainees’ skills well. Primary-phase trainees take part in a residential visit to London. This feature of the programme provides a powerful insight into teaching in culturally diverse communities. All trainees receive appropriate training to enable them to teach pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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

Trainees are positive about the guidance and pastoral care they receive. Trainees state that ‘hub clubs’ provide valuable peer support. Trainees learn how to manage their workload effectively. School-based mentors and trainees form strong relationships. However, some aspects of leaders’ work to enhance the mentoring programme is not yet complete.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The SCITT has been providing teacher training since 2000. The primary phase joined Cornwall SCITT in 2015. ◼ This academic year, there are 60 trainees enrolled on the SCITT programmes. This includes 27 primary-phase trainees and 33 secondary-phase trainees. All course routes lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Most trainees also complete a level 7 Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) alongside QTS. ◼ Of the 60 trainees, 10 are on School Direct programmes and two of these trainees are salaried. The SCITT works with Aspire Academy Trust and The Roseland Multi Academy Trust to recruit trainees into the School Direct programmes (salaried and non-salaried). ◼ The partnership is currently working with 25 primary and 30 secondary schools across Cornwall. ◼ Trainees who follow the primary-phase programmes are trained to teach either the 3–7 age range or the 5–11 age range. Trainees who opt to train for the secondary

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Information about this ITE provider

phase are trained to teach the 11–16 age range. Secondary-phase trainees choose a subject specialism from science, computing, design and technology, English, geography, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, physical education or religious education. ◼ The primary-phase SCITT programme is based at Heartlands in Pool. The secondary-phase SCITT programme is based at Truro and Penwith College in Truro. ◼ The schools in the partnership have been judged as outstanding, good or requires improvement by Ofsted. Currently, no partner schools are graded inadequate by Ofsted.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection team consisted of three of His Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors spoke with the course director, primary and secondary programme managers and other staff. An inspector also spoke with the executive board and a range of representatives from primary and secondary partnership boards. Inspectors also spoke with centre-based and subject-specialist trainers, headteachers and trainees. ◼ An inspector talked to representatives of The Roseland Multi Academy Trust and Aspire Academy Trust regarding the School Direct route into teaching. ◼ In the primary phase, inspectors completed focused reviews in early reading, mathematics and history. In the secondary phase, inspectors completed focused reviews in mathematics and geography. Inspectors also met with trainees, centre- based trainers and ECTs from a range of other subjects. Inspectors visited 12 placement settings as part of the inspection. ◼ As part of the inspection, inspectors spoke with 18 trainees, 10 school-based tutors

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Information about this inspection

who undertake the role as mentors, and eight professional tutors. Inspectors also spoke to 19 ECTs who had previously studied at the SCITT. ◼ Inspectors considered information related to the Department for Education’s initial teacher training (ITT) criteria and supporting advice. ◼ Inspectors considered a wide range of information provided by the SCITT leaders, including information about policies, governance, safeguarding arrangements, trainee placements, staff development and the ITE curriculum.

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better?

Leaders make deliberate decisions about the content and order of the essential knowledge that trainees must learn in the ITE curriculum. The curriculum is designed around subject and phase. Skilled staff ensure that centre-based training and placement-based training complement each other well. High-quality assignments ensure that trainees draw on recent research.

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better?

From the very start, trainees learn about how and why adaptive teaching is a fundamental building block of teaching. This is reinforced by an enrichment placement in a special school. Trainees learn how to spot pupils who are falling behind in their learning and how to fill the gaps.

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better?

Over time, trainees become confident and assured in their subject or phase. Consequently, headteachers speak highly of the preparedness of the trainees whom they employ. The SCITT makes a strong contribution to teacher recruitment in the local area.

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better?

In the secondary phase, the curriculum is comprehensive and well established. It goes well beyond the core content framework (CCF) requirements set by the Department for Education (DfE). It covers all elements of the CCF in a meaningful and effective way. Leaders ensure that trainees meet the high expectations set of them. As the course progresses, trainees apply the significant body of knowledge they gain to any new subject content and school placements very well.

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better?

In the primary phase, the curriculum aligns appropriately with the CCF. The ITE curriculum covers every subject in the national curriculum. Centre-based training provides trainees with a solid grounding in teaching. Trainees are well prepared in both the 3–7 and the 5– 11 routes into teaching. Course leaders’ work to reorganise and strengthen some curriculum content relating to the early years foundation stage (EYFS) is relatively new. As a result, these aspects of curriculum content are not fully developed.

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better?

Leaders assess what trainees know in a variety of ways. They use this information to shape future training for trainees effectively. However, some assessments that primary- phase trainees are expected to complete do not enable them to deepen and apply their prior learning as well.

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better?

Leaders ensure that all trainees gain a secure knowledge of how to develop pupils’ early reading using systematic synthetic phonics. Trainees in the 3–7 and 5–11 routes into teaching gain a deep-rooted understanding about early reading. Mentors play a vital role in assessing how well trainees are learning the ITE curriculum. Leaders communicate well with mentors and provide regular training. However, the current quality assurance systems to check the impact of mentoring do not provide leaders with the precise information they need to further develop mentors’ knowledge and skills.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Leaders’ quality assurance of mentoring is not as precise as it needs to be. There are inconsistencies in the mentoring trainees receive. Leaders should ensure that the quality assurance of mentoring improves so that all mentors have strong subject knowledge, and all trainees receive high-quality mentoring. ◼ A minority of the assessments that leaders expect primary trainees to complete are not sufficiently precise. This means that trainees do not maximise their opportunities to deepen and apply their understanding of prior learning. Leaders must ensure that programme leaders prepare consistently high-quality assessments so that these are as strong in the primary phase as they are in the secondary phase. ◼ Leaders’ work to reorganise and strengthen some curriculum content relating to the EYFS is relatively new. This limits the amount of practice that trainees have in applying their EYFS knowledge early on in the course. Leaders must ensure that the

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

ITE curriculum enables all trainees to deepen their EYFS knowledge in all areas of learning in a timely way.

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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 70016 Inspection number 10249820

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ITE provider details

This inspection was carried out in accordance with the ‘Initial teacher education inspection framework and handbook’.

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ITE provider details

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 Secondary Date of previous inspection 9 June and 7 December 2015

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Inspection team

Julie Carrington, Lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Favager-Dalton His Majesty’s Inspector Marie Thomas His Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: Placement schools and colleges

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

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Name URN ITE phase(s)

Bosvigo School 111875 Primary Cusgarne Primary School 145077 Primary Devoran School 111872 Primary Penpol School 111849 Primary Perran ar Worthal Community Primary School 111863 Primary Trevithick Learning Academy 136598 Primary Tregony Community Primary School 142668 Primary Humphry Davy School 112067 Secondary Penryn College 136852 Secondary Penrice Academy 136573 Secondary The Roseland Academy 136572 Secondary Penair School 136567 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(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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