Middlesbrough College

Middlesbrough College Middlehaven, Dock Street, Middlesbrough, TS2 1AD

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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 Requires improvement

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

Trainees gain substantial new knowledge and skills to prepare them to be 21st-century educators. They learn from expert tutors and mentors who help them secure their understanding of contemporary teaching strategies. Trainees are nurtured to try new approaches and develop their individual craft to be effective teachers.

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

Trainees learn how to manage behaviour effectively in their classrooms. For example, trainees in catering and hospitality use consistent entry strategies to ensure that lessons have positive starts. Trainees manage their lessons well and create calm, purposeful environments which are conducive to learning.

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

During their programme, trainees become increasingly capable of adapting their planning and teaching for learners with special education needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. They develop these skills through their centre- based training, which tutors enhance by inviting guest speakers to talk to trainees about topics such as supporting learners with dyslexia and neurodiversity, taking a trauma- informed approach and translanguaging.

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

Trainees gain experience in the wider role of a teacher, including curriculum design, quality assurance and pastoral responsibilities. Through opportunities to observe colleagues teaching different levels, qualification types and subjects, most trainees gain an understanding of the wider sector in further education. Trainees understand the realities of teaching, and most feel well prepared to move on to the next steps of their career, including being aware of options for professional formation.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ Middlesbrough College has 36 trainees in the further education and skills phase. ◼ There are 10 trainees on the level 5 certificate in education and 25 trainees on the level 6 professional graduate certificate in education. Fewer than five trainees are working towards a level 5 learning and skills teacher apprenticeship. ◼ The majority of trainees are placed or working at Middlesbrough College. Leaders work in partnership with three colleges, an independent learning provider and the NHS. The current inspection grades of the colleges and the independent learning provider are good or outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

◼ When Middlesbrough College was last inspected by Ofsted in May 2022, it was judged as requires improvement. ◼ This inspection was carried out by two of His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI). ◼ During the inspection, inspectors spoke with several members of staff who are mentors for trainees across the partnership. Inspectors met with the principal and deputy principal, senior leaders from the higher education team, senior leaders responsible for safeguarding, human resources and student services staff, and a governor with overall responsibility for initial teacher education (ITE). Inspectors met with members of the ITE programmes team, including the associate director for ITE, the head of quality for ITE, the head of ITE and ITE tutors. Inspectors also met with the curriculum area manager at Askham Bryan College. ◼ Inspectors spoke with 18 trainees and two early career teachers across the partnership. ◼ Inspectors completed focused reviews in science, engineering, technology and

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Information about this inspection

mathematics (STEM), creative arts, catering and hospitality, health and care, and hairdressing. ◼ Inspectors sampled a range of documentation relating to the ITE programme. This included curriculum plans, trainees’ written assessments and evidence of quality assurance procedures. ◼ Inspectors spoke with trainees at four partnership providers as part of the inspection either through visits to providers or telephone calls.

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better?

Leaders have made significant improvements to their ITE provision over the last two years. They have established new leadership and governance of the department and repositioned it to be intrinsically linked to the college’s teaching and learning department. In addition, they have redesigned the curriculum, improved quality assurance arrangements and enhanced the training and support for mentors. Although trainees on the programme during this time have experienced disruptions, this has not impeded their progress. Leaders and managers have a clear strategy and rationale for their ITE programme. They aim to provide a high-quality teaching workforce for the further education sector in the region, particularly in new and highly-specialised subject areas that meet local skills needs. They have designed an ITE programme which is well suited for trainees who come directly from industry with no prior experience in teaching.

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better?

Leaders and managers have developed an ambitious curriculum which links centre-based training, mentor expertise and trainee practice constructively. Managers and tutors plan the curriculum logically based on up-to-date, relevant educational research, such as dual coding, interleaving and cognitive science. Trainees can confidently explain these concepts and use them in their teaching practice.

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better?

Well-qualified tutors provide valuable centre-based training which models effective teaching practice. In written assignments, trainees produce work of a good academic standard using high-level thinking and critical evaluation. Trainees welcome the helpful feedback that they receive from tutors and mentors, including from observations of their teaching practice. They develop increasingly secure knowledge and skills during their programme, which improves their teaching practice and confidence in the classroom.

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better?

Leaders and managers have established rigorous procedures to assure themselves of the quality of the ITE programme. They have effective oversight of how well trainees are prepared to teach their subject and embody the professional behaviours expected of qualified teachers. They have taken action to improve and increase communication across the programme, enabling them to be responsive and make ongoing improvements.

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better?

At the start of the new ITE programme, too many trainees did not pass the first module at the first attempt. Leaders, managers and tutors responded quickly to this issue by creating additional resources to support trainees in structuring their assignments and enhancing their academic writing skills. They also improved access for trainees to existing academic support. Trainees used this additional support to improve, and all achieved in subsequent assessments.

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better?

Leaders and managers have made substantial changes to mentoring on the ITE programme. Particularly successful are the fortnightly mentor meetings at which mentors and tutors discuss and explain upcoming topics on the ITE curriculum. Mentors are well prepared to discuss up-to-date pedagogical strategies confidently with their trainees, supporting the vital link between theory and practice in their specific subject. However, a few mentors do not check consistently that trainees have the breadth of up-to-date subject knowledge required to teach their subject well.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ There have been many necessary changes to the ITE programme over the last two years, which have caused disruption to trainees who were on a programme during this time. Leaders need to ensure that trainees receive a consistent and stable experience throughout their programme. ◼ A few mentors do not assure themselves of the quality of trainees’ subject knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that trainees have opportunities to discuss requisite subject knowledge and identify where additional training or support may be needed. ◼ At the beginning of the academic year, trainees were not fully prepared for their first assignment. Leaders need to ensure that trainees gain the academic knowledge and skills to be successful in their assessments.

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principles and requirements of apprenticeship provision?

The provider meets the principles and requirements of apprenticeship provision in the FES phase, drawing on the knowledge of the college’s experienced apprenticeships team.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 2580203 Inspection number 10270278

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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 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 ITE in FE Phases provided Further Education and Skills Date of previous inspection 3 to 6 May 2022

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Inspection team

Karen Anderson, Lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: Provider placements

Inspectors visited the following colleges as part of this inspection:

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Name URN ITE phase

Middlesbrough College 2580203 FES Askham Bryan College 130595 FES Northern School of Arts 130571 FES 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

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 phase

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 phase

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 phase

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

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