Norfolk Teacher Training Centre

Norfolk Teacher Training Centre Norfolk Teacher Training Centre, Ipswich Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 2LJ

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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?

The trainees who attend this close-knit ITE provider receive much encouragement. Course leaders foster an environment where individuals build each other up, celebrating successes. It ensures trainees nurture the self-belief needed to face challenges head-on and go on to become capable, committed teachers.

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

Well-thought-out centre-based training and complementary school placements greatly benefit trainees. Trainees learn and apply key principles from educational research. For example, trainees in the primary age-phase master how to teach pupils to read. First, trainees embed the terminology and concepts they need to know. Then, in their placement schools, they focus on honing their pedagogy. Trainees’ mentors organise this well. Co- planning and co-teaching help trainees learn fast from more experienced colleagues.

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

Trainees understand the highlights and difficulties of teaching. This is because course leaders and tutors share honest, inspiring anecdotes and practical advice. It manages trainees’ expectations and prepares them for life as a teacher.

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

Course leaders take regular feedback from trainees. They use this to revisit training or arrange bespoke development opportunities, such as on how to apply for a teaching job. Trainees appreciate how course leaders cater for their needs to set them up for success.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) opened in September 2014, offering training in the secondary age-phase. In September 2019, the provider introduced training in the primary age-phase. ◼ The SCITT is based at Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education. ◼ The provider currently works with 44 primary schools and 20 secondary schools. ◼ Most trainees complete their placement-based training in schools that were graded good or outstanding at their last inspection. ◼ At the time of inspection, there were 36 trainees in the primary age-phase and 20 trainees in the secondary age-phase. ◼ The provider offers three routes into teaching: School Direct (non-salaried), level 6 postgraduate teacher apprenticeship and the assessment-only route to qualified teacher status.

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Information about this inspection

◼ When the provider was last inspected, it only offered teacher training in the secondary age-phase. This is the first inspection to inspect the primary and secondary age-phase combined. ◼ The inspection team included three of His Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the director of the Norfolk Teacher Training Centre, the primary curriculum lead, the secondary curriculum lead and representatives from the provider’s governance. ◼ Inspectors held discussions with 39 trainees at their placement school and/or at the Norfolk Teacher Training Centre. ◼ Two inspectors carried out focused reviews in these primary-phase subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. One inspector carried out focused reviews in these secondary-phase subjects: English and modern foreign languages. ◼ As part of the focused reviews, inspectors met with subject and/or phase leaders, reviewed curriculum and trainee documentation and visited seven placement

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Information about this inspection

schools. During these visits, inspectors met with school leaders and mentors, observed trainees teaching and held discussions with eight trainees and four early career teachers who trained with the provider. ◼ In addition to visiting seven placement schools, inspectors communicated remotely with mentors and/or trainees from six other placement schools. Also, an inspector held a discussion with two teachers who completed the assessment-only route to qualified teacher status with the provider. ◼ Over the course of the inspection, inspectors reviewed a range of the provider’s documentation, as well as responses to the anonymous staff and trainee surveys.

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better?

Course leaders’ experience and expertise mean they carefully designed a curriculum through which the core content framework (CCF) threads seamlessly. This includes the careful selection of research to complement the centre-based training, ensuring compliance with all aspects of the CCF.

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better?

Course leaders check they and their tutors understand the CCF, as well as the research behind how adults learn best. Those leading centre-based training call upon their own education and experience to model for trainees how they expect them to teach pupils. For example, course leaders and tutors demonstrate the importance of having learners overlearn content to commit it to long-term memory. They do this well with behaviour management, which trainees revisit throughout their training. Revisiting key messages ensures trainees make their classrooms conducive to learning.

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better?

Trainees develop their subject-specific knowledge well. Course leaders carefully map out centre-based training that covers the national curriculum. This allows primary age-phase trainees to build their understanding of the subject-specific knowledge and skills they will need to know to teach the full breadth of subjects. This works particularly well in early reading, where trainees learn the theory behind how pupils learn to read, before observing it in action in school and then applying their training to lessons they teach themselves.

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better?

In the secondary age-phase, there are some subjects with very few trainees. To ensure these trainees receive subject-specific support, course leaders pair them with a subject expert. These matches result in regular meetings. Trainees use these meetings to talk through their ongoing auditing of their subject-specific knowledge. It allows trainees to address any gaps in their knowledge and learn new teaching strategies to broaden their pedagogy.

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better?

Course leaders and tutors facilitate the ongoing assessment of trainees. There is a clear cycle of introducing and reviewing training. The review involves both individual written reflections and group discussions where trainees make links between research and their classroom practice. Course leaders then use these insights to inform the curriculum and training opportunities, as well as individual support for any trainee who needs it. Leaders’ process for the initial assessment of apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours is not as precise as it ought to be. It leads to a few apprentices having targets for development that lack precision.

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better?

Most mentoring works well. Mentors make good use of the mentor training and use the course and training materials effectively. They understand their two main functions: to guide the trainee to integrate their centre-based training into classroom practice and to engage in a clear, manageable cycle of target setting to improve teaching. Consequently, most trainees move through the training programme well.

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better?

A small number of mentors do not make good use of the SCITT’s training opportunities to fulfil the role as course leaders intend. The weekly mentor meetings are becoming more of an informal catch-up. This results in weaker recorded reflections on centre-based training and broad targets that are difficult for a trainee to achieve in the time set aside. Leaders’ current way of quality assuring the work of mentors has not identified and resolved these inconsistencies in a timely fashion. Though leaders have plans to address this, they have yet to take effect.

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better?

Course leaders make every effort to better the provision for their staff and trainees. They share accurate information with governors and external partners that allows for open and honest evaluation. It means they can celebrate their many strengths and determine the best way forward to resolve problems. Also, they are outward facing and work collaboratively with other ITE providers to improve their own and others’ provision to support the trainees and schools they serve.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ A small number of mentors do not use the SCITT’s approaches to holding professional discussions with trainees and setting appropriate targets for their development. Some trainees rely on trial-and-error approaches or their own interpretations of how best to translate centre-based training into classroom practice. Leaders should ensure that all mentors work in line with the SCITT’s expectations, checking regularly that mentoring is of the highest standard. ◼ The initial assessment for apprentices lacks precision. It relies on a trainee’s subjective opinion where they assess their confidence against broad statements. Leaders should ensure the initial assessment captures precisely what a trainee does and does not know to efficiently inform their centre- and placement-based training.

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comply with the ITE compliance criteria?

◼ The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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apprenticeship provision?

◼ The provider meets the principles and requirements of apprenticeship provision in the primary and secondary combined phase.

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apprenticeship provision?

To check they receive their training entitlements, course leaders maintain rolling records of apprentices’ training and experiences. These make clear that all apprentices receive protected time for centre-based training and self-study. What apprentices learn and how centre- and placement-based staff check this during their training means apprentices typically develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to pass their end-point assessment. Nevertheless, the current initial assessment involves apprentices subjectively self-assessing against broad statements. Doing so does not precisely pinpoint their training needs. This encourages some mentors to set vague targets for a small number of trainees, which in turn hinders their progress.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70287 Inspection number 10277769

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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 School-centred initial teacher training Phases provided Primary and secondary combined Date of previous inspection 21 June and 21 November 2016

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Inspection team

Daniel Short, Lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Adam Cooke His Majesty’s Inspector Nathan Lowe His 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 phases

Attleborough Primary School 120926 Primary Aylsham High School 121164 Secondary City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy 141269 Secondary Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery 140990 Primary Mulbarton Primary School 120990 Primary Reepham High School and College 138829 Secondary Town Close Co-Educational Preparatory School 121237 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 phases

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Name URN ITE phases

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Name URN ITE phases

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Name URN ITE phases

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