University of Chichester

University of Chichester Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO21 1HR

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness Outstanding Outstanding

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Inspection judgements

The quality of education and training Outstanding Outstanding

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Inspection judgements

Leadership and management Outstanding Outstanding

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good Good

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

The University of Chichester has a long history of acting on its strong moral purpose to promote access to education for everyone. Trainees flourish at this provider, where they develop into skilled and knowledgeable global citizens. University and school staff support trainees to thrive through their highly effective ‘team around the trainee’ approach.

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

Trainees develop comprehensive curriculum and pedagogical knowledge, which they apply skilfully and confidently in different contexts. Leaders help them to build an exceptional understanding through phase- and subject training about inclusive practice, effective safeguarding and how to secure high standards of behaviour. Trainees are supported to engage critically with research, reflect on their own development and learn to evaluate different approaches to teaching. This helps them to develop their own philosophy of teaching so they are well prepared for the challenges and opportunities in their future careers.

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

Trainees value the nurturing family ethos at Chichester. They feel known as individuals and recognise that their well-being and success are important to tutors and mentors. As one trainee commented, ‘They are there to catch you when you fall, but they are there to stop you falling in the first place.’ Trainees are supported to develop an excellent understanding of their strengths and what they need or want to get better at. They leave very well placed to continue on their journey towards being aspirational, inspirational and motivational teachers.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The University of Chichester offers several routes to gain qualified teacher status (QTS) in either primary or secondary education. Trainees study to teach pupils aged either 3–7 or 5–11 years in the primary phase and, for secondary education, 11–16 or 11–19 years. ◼ In the primary age-phase, most trainees complete an undergraduate route leading to QTS, with a smaller proportion completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). In the secondary age-phase, about half of the trainees complete the undergraduate route specialising in physical education (PE). Many other trainees follow the PGCE route. A few complete the undergraduate route with mathematics as a specialism. The university also offers the assessment-only route into teaching. ◼ At the time of the inspection, there were 151 secondary age-phase and 323 primary age-phase trainees. Seventeen of the primary age-phase trainees and five of the

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Information about this ITE provider

secondary age-phase trainees were following the School Direct route. There were also five trainees on the assessment-only route. ◼ The University of Chichester works with over 250 primary schools, more than 100 secondary schools and seven teaching alliances across seven local authorities. Almost all partner schools were judged to be good or outstanding by Ofsted at their most recent inspection.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was conducted by nine of His Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector. ◼ Inspectors met with a range of leaders, including the head of education, programme, phase and partnership leads, and subject tutors. The phase leads also met with several members of the primary and secondary age-phase steering groups. ◼ Inspectors spoke with 68 trainees, 44 mentors, 15 early career teachers and 27 senior leaders or headteachers either in person or remotely. They visited 18 schools in person. Inspectors took account of the views expressed in 90 inspection surveys returned by trainees and 81 returned by staff, including school-based staff who are involved in the programme. ◼ Inspectors carried out focused reviews in both phases to help them understand how well trainees are prepared to teach. In the primary age-phase, they focused on early reading, religious education, mathematics, history, science, art and design, and PE. In the

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Information about this inspection

secondary age-phase, the focus subjects were dance, PE, English, history and mathematics. Primary phase report

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better?

Leaders have a laser focus on high-quality provision. At the point of design, they capitalise on the expertise in the partnership, whether that is the research-based currency of university staff, schools’ perspective, networks or specialists in their field. Leaders do not stand still thereafter. The curriculum is dynamic and responsive, drawing on finely tuned quality assurance. Stakeholders’ voices are heard loud and clear. The strategic committee is instrumental in this continual strive for excellence, bringing a forward-looking, keen strategic eye with an equal measure of healthy pragmatism grounded in reality in schools.

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better?

The curriculum is meticulously planned to take trainees from the foundations of primary teaching, through to developing expertise and on to excellence. Leaders have firmly placed the substance of what trainees need to know at the heart of a curriculum that goes beyond the core content framework requirements. The sequencing and interweaving of professional and subject-specific knowledge are comprehensively planned and intricately linked to thorough assessment of trainees’ progress. Trainees’ learning is explicitly rooted in research and evidence-based practice, so they develop a sophisticated understanding of substantive and disciplinary knowledge.

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better?

The university’s unfaltering commitment to inclusive practice shines through. There is a deliberate focus on developing pupils’ language and vocabulary as a consequence of the pandemic. Trainees’ excellent grounding in adaptive teaching principles and strategies is enhanced by subject-by-subject consideration of the barriers pupils may face and their role as teachers in mitigating these. Learning to teach reading as the means of opening up the curriculum for pupils is frontloaded and foregrounded. Trainees learn that pupils may be early readers at any age and understand the primacy of systematic synthetic phonics. Trainees understand the absolute importance of developing pupils’ fluency and cultivating a love of reading.

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better?

Leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure that trainees’ school experience is tightly aligned with, and builds on, university sessions. High-quality training and precisely scaffolded guidance keep mentors abreast of current educational thinking and course design. Mentors fully understand their role as expert colleagues, with a sharp focus on building on trainees’ theoretical knowledge to ‘learn how to’ in practice.

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better?

Lecturers often wear several ‘hats’, interchanging them effortlessly and complementing each other’s work to maximise trainees’ experience. As subject or professional tutors, they bring their expertise to bear through a meticulously designed and proficiently executed taught programme. In their link tutor role, they are pivotal in assuring a high-quality, deliberately interwoven school experience. As academic advisers, they are the guardians of trainees’ well-being and success, nurturing them where needed to overcome obstacles and ensuring that they are well equipped to enter the profession as changemakers.

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compliance criteria?

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

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better?

Leaders are relentless in their pursuit of excellence. They are unequivocally committed to enabling trainees to flourish as new entrants to the profession and they achieve this vision in full. This is underpinned by a superbly designed curriculum that is brought to life by high- quality teaching, mentoring and guidance.

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better?

The exceptionally ambitious curriculum is predicated on up-to-date and relevant research. It seamlessly extends beyond the core content framework requirements. Subject leaders are specialists in their field. Their skilful planning ensures that the modules in professional studies link purposefully with subject-specific training.

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better?

Leaders’ unwavering commitment to inclusion means that trainees develop a deep and comprehensive knowledge of how pupils learn. Trainees are very well equipped to identify, understand and address the barriers pupils may face. Trainees also benefit from frequent opportunities to observe teachers’ expert practice. Using the latest research, trainees are immersed in an ethos of reflective practice. As part of their school placement, they plan and then critically evaluate the lessons taught. This helps trainees constantly question how they can make the greatest difference to pupils’ learning.

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better?

Mentoring is consistently of a high quality and plays a vital part in the partnership’s success. Leaders select mentors carefully, train them thoroughly, support them diligently and expect excellence. Through the training journals and mentor briefings, mentors know exactly what trainees are learning. They are adept at strengthening and broadening trainees’ knowledge consistently. Mentors are also highly skilled at helping trainees to identify for themselves what they need to work on next. Consequently, trainees become knowledgeable practitioners who are well positioned to teach when they complete the course.

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better?

Clear and timely communication between partnership leaders and schools contributes significantly to how successfully the programme is delivered. They know trainees exceptionally well because each trainee’s development is overseen carefully. Subject tutors’ close work with mentors involves systematic and thorough checks on the quality of mentoring, feedback, target-setting and the assessment of trainees. These meticulous systems for quality assurance quickly identify any trainees who may be having difficulties. Bespoke support is put in place, which ensures that trainees can quickly overcome any barriers so that they begin to shine and flourish.

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better?

Stakeholders’ voices play a central part in enabling leaders to make ongoing innovations. For instance, school leaders are well represented on the strategic committee. They work highly effectively with university leaders to identify areas for further development. Additionally, the strategic committee considers in detail the impact and value of each proposed refinement to the training programme.

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compliance criteria?

◼ The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70013 Inspection number 10283141

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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 Higher education institution Phases provided Primary Secondary Date of previous inspection 10 May and 4 October 2017

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Inspection team

Laurie Anderson, Overall lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Alison Bradley, Phase lead inspector (primary) His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise Walker, Phase lead inspector (secondary) His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aimee Floyd His Majesty’s Inspector Alan Derry His Majesty’s Inspector Ann-Marie Bahaire Ofsted Inspector Harry Ingham His Majesty’s Inspector James Broadbridge His Majesty’s Inspector Linda Culling His Majesty’s Inspector Sue Keeling 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

Bersted Green Primary School 125873 Primary Bordon Infant School 115865 Primary Bordon Junior School 146002 Primary English Martyrs Catholic Primary School 126051 Primary Fernhurst Primary School 141266 Primary Jessie Younghusband Primary School 125880 Primary Lavant Church of England Primary School 125986 Primary Southway Primary School 138413 Primary St Mary’s Catholic Primary School 126037 Primary White Meadows Primary Academy 140794 Primary Chichester High School 140105 Secondary Davison Church of England High School for Girls 126093 Secondary Felpham Community College 126080 Secondary Horndean Technology College 116437 Secondary Ormiston Six Villages Academy 140199 Secondary The Sir Robert Woodard Academy 135744 Secondary Steyning Grammar School 148221 Secondary The Regis School 137782 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

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Name URN ITE phases

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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