Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education

Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership (GITEP) Unit 23, The Steadings Business Centre, Maisemore, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL2 8EY

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education and training Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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

Trainees feel extremely well supported by all members of the partnership. They value the close relationship between mentors, subject leads and professional leads. Trainees receive well considered, personalised support to enable them to succeed. This support is both academically robust and suitably adapted to ensure that all trainees have equitable opportunities. One trainee’s view that the course was ‘transformational’ in helping him to develop as a teacher was echoed by many others.

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

The curriculum is skilfully constructed to enable trainees to develop very strong knowledge of how to adapt their teaching to meet the additional needs of vulnerable pupils. Through the study of current educational research, trainees develop a strong understanding of how pupils learn, particularly in their respective subjects. Trainees’ school placements complement the centre-based curriculum very well. School placements enable trainees to strengthen their knowledge of behaviour management through well-structured mentoring that links explicitly to all other areas of the curriculum. Trainees learn about their responsibility to keep children safe throughout the programme.

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

Trainees study a very coherent curriculum, enabling them to connect their academic learning with classroom-based practice. They learn from subject leads, professional leads and mentors whose knowledge and practice are rooted firmly in evidence-informed research.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The partnership has 40 trainees all in the secondary phase. ◼ Trainees are placed in 30 schools in Gloucestershire and one in Herefordshire. ◼ The partnership operates postgraduate provider-led, School Direct fee-paying routes into teaching. Most trainees study for a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). ◼ The partnership includes schools that are judged as outstanding, good and requires improvement at their previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection team included one of His Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector. ◼ Inspectors spoke with partnership leaders, members of the partnership board, representatives of the two teaching school hubs and the University of Bristol PGCE programme director. Inspectors also spoke with trainees, former trainees, school- based mentors, subject leads and professional leads and senior leaders in schools. ◼ Inspectors also reviewed survey responses from trainees and school-based staff. ◼ Inspectors met with 11 trainees and 17 former trainees. ◼ As part of the inspection, focused reviews were carried out in mathematics, geography and modern foreign languages. ◼ Inspectors visited six partnership schools.

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better?

The partnership is driven by a profound moral purpose: to train high-quality teachers for schools in Gloucestershire and beyond. The partnership was created and funded by Gloucestershire secondary school leaders to enhance the quality of teaching for pupils in Gloucestershire schools.

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better?

Each member of the partnership informs the continuing development of the curriculum. As a result, the curriculum is extremely well integrated. Trainees connect their developmental learning across subject-specific sessions, mentoring and professional lead sessions, classroom practice and University of Bristol PGCE tutorials. Trainees study a highly ambitious curriculum that enables them to apply their academic learning in classroom contexts very well. Trainees learn in depth about current evidence-informed research that is pertinent to their subjects. By the end of the course, trainees are very well prepared to begin their careers as teachers.

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better?

The selection process to become a trainee is rigorous and supported by schools within the partnership. The partnership focus on subject-specific knowledge is prioritised throughout the process. Trainees’ placements are selected with extreme care to ensure that trainees develop a broad knowledge of school contexts.

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better?

Quality assurance processes are robust at every level of the partnership. The high-quality training of all members of the partnership ensures that trainees receive exceptional support in their placement schools. Leaders ensure and assure that the ITE curriculum is implemented successfully.

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better?

The curriculum complies with statutory requirements and goes well beyond to extend trainees’ knowledge and thinking about how pupils learn their respective subjects. Through collaboration with professional leads, subject leads and the partnership board, leaders have devised a meticulously planned curriculum that enables trainees to help pupils learn more and remember more. The PGCE modules are further designed to enrich and deepen trainees’ understanding of adaptive teaching and how pupils learn their subjects most effectively. The curriculum provides trainees with a well-sequenced, impressive bank of knowledge about the teaching of their subjects. Trainees are guided expertly by their mentors, professional leads and subject leads. Trainees are overwhelmingly positive about the guidance they receive.

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better?

The partnership is highly inclusive and ensures that all trainees receive equitable opportunities. Additionally, through the curriculum, trainees learn about their responsibility to provide equitable opportunities for pupils to achieve. Trainees develop a strong understanding of how to teach the literacy required for their specific subjects. All trainees learn how to teach early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics, and are acutely aware of the importance of reading for pupils to succeed in their subjects.

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better?

Leaders have established a well-integrated system through which they continually assess trainees’ development. This enables trainees to identify gaps in their knowledge with great precision. Mentors, professional leads and subject leads provide timely support that enables trainees to quickly master these areas.

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compliance criteria?

◼ The partnership meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70026 Inspection number 10249853

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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 Secondary Date of previous inspection 8 to 10 June 2015 and 9 to 11 November 2015

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Inspection team

Susan Aykin, Lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: School placements

Inspectors visited the following schools as part of this inspection:

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Name URN ITE phase

Balcarras School 136474 Secondary Thomas Keble School 137058 Secondary Churchdown School Academy 137634 Secondary Chipping Campden School 136960 Secondary The Cotswold School 136292 Secondary Chosen Hill School 136623 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

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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