Titan Teacher Training

Titan Teaching Training 75 Harborne Road, Harborne, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 3DH

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Inspection dates 12 June to 15 June 2023

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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?

Trainees are proud to train at Titan Teacher Training, and wear the badge with pride. Trainees choose Titan because of the excellent reputation that precedes it. Trainees say that when they join, they become part of the ‘Titan family’. This is because the course leaders take the time to get to know each individual trainee. An ongoing focus on positive mental health and well-being helps trainees get the support they need to flourish in their training year. Trainees feel very well supported in their placement schools and this is enhanced by well-thought-out centre based training. Trainees are overwhelmingly positive about the course.

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

Leaders, trainees and school partners share a moral purpose of developing high-quality teachers that are skilled to teach in inner-city Birmingham schools. As a result, leaders ensure that trainees have a deep understanding of how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils who speak English as an additional language. Trainees receive regular training relating to their subject and phase. Primary trainees are fully confident in teaching pupils to read using systematic synthetic phonics.

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

Leaders are passionate about ensuring all trainees are confident and well informed about the most pertinent research available. This is a course that challenges trainees academically, but leaders are rightly unapologetic about this. They want to create fully reflective and educationally informed trainees. And they do.

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

Leadership at all levels is excellent. The course leaders have ensured that there is absolute clarity in the roles and expectations of mentors, lead school mentors and lead subject mentors. Communication with all stakeholders is regular and purposeful.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The SCITT offers a postgraduate route to qualified teacher status (QTS). All trainees take the opportunity to study for a post graduate certificate in education (PGCE) with Birmingham City University. ◼ This provider trains both primary and secondary teachers. ◼ The SCITT also offers the School Direct and assessment only routes. ◼ In the 2022/23 academic year, there were 15 trainees enrolled on the partnership’s ITE programmes. This included two primary-age phase trainees, 12 secondary-age phase trainees and one assessment only trainee. ◼ The partnership includes 14 primary schools and 14 secondary schools across inner- city Birmingham. ◼ Four schools in the partnership are currently judged as requires improvement by Ofsted. There are no inadequate schools and all other schools are judged to be good or outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This inspection was carried out by two of His Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector. ◼ The inspection activities were a combination of face-to-face and remote meetings. ◼ Inspectors spoke with a range of SCITT leaders, staff and partners, including the director of the SCITT and the Initial Teacher Training associate. They met with members of the SCITT’s management board and the operational board. ◼ Inspectors also met with headteachers from partnership schools, school lead mentors, mentors, subject lead mentors and trainees. ◼ Inspectors carried out focused reviews in early reading, mathematics, design and technology, computing and English. ◼ Inspectors visited seven partnership schools. They spoke with 15 trainees and 11 early career teachers. ◼ Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and trainees.

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better?

The broader education issues programme is extremely ambitious. Leaders have ensured that it at least matches the expectations of the Department for Education’s core content framework, and regularly goes beyond it. For example, trainees learn about looking after their finances, taking care of their voice and also how to interpret published data. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is carefully constructed around four underpinning pillars that help trainees to, ‘become a professional, become a subject and phase expert, become an adaptive teacher and become a high expectation teacher’. Leaders deliver the curriculum in a logical order. For example, during induction, trainees are taught to debunk certain educational myths, such as learning styles. Another strength is leaders’ determination to ensure both primary and secondary trainees know how to teach pupils to read.

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better?

However, while all trainees are very well prepared to teach in the classroom, some subject-specific learning is not consistently integrated into school-based practice. In the primary phase, for example, trainees are very well prepared to teach systematic synthetic phonics and early mathematics. But in some foundation subjects the specific learning to enable primary trainees to teach the foundation subjects is not always clear. Similarly, subject leaders do not ensure that trainees and mentors have an explicit understanding of the content and the learning taking place during subject-specific training. This means that opportunities are missed to consolidate and purposefully integrate some of the subject- specific learning. That said, this does not impact on the trainees’ ability to teach their subject or phase.

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better?

Leaders use ongoing formative assessments to closely monitor the progress of all trainees. The process ensures that mentors and trainees regularly reflect on progress and enables them to set precise targets. Formal assessment points have been expertly sequenced over the programme. They have been designed to show how trainees know and can do more, and ensure swift intervention is put in place if any trainee is struggling.

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better?

The systems in place for mentoring are exceptionally strong. It is clear that leaders do not leave anything to chance. The systems ensure that trainees do not ‘fall through the net’. Mentors and lead school mentors are clear about their responsibilities. On the very rare occasions when mentors are not carrying out their role with due diligence, programme leaders are quick to identify and address this. These systems consistently ensure mentoring quality and robustness.

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better?

There are many effective layers of accountability within the SCITT. All partner headteachers are members of the management board, and all school and subject lead mentors form the operational board. Trainee representatives also sit on these boards. This ensures that, as well as a level of accountability, all partners have a say in constructing the programme that is bespoke to the needs of the local area. All partners speak with immense pride about their relationship with Titan and the quality of the trainees produced.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Some elements of the subject-specific programme are not as clearly defined and sequenced as the broader educational sessions. This means that mentors are unable to clearly integrate the subject dimensions into classroom practice. Leaders should ensure that there is an accurate and detailed overview of the subject-specific elements and content and that trainees, subject tutors and mentors know and understand them.

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comply with the ITE compliance criteria?

◼ The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70074 Inspection number 10247735

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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 20 May and 15 October 2015

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, Lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Ed Leighton Ofsted Inspector Mel Ford 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

Anglesey Primary School 132074 Primary Aston Manor Academy 136882 Secondary Erdington Academy 143413 Secondary Holyhead School 137034 Secondary St James CE Primary School 103401 Primary St Matthews’ CE Primary School 103404 Primary University of Birmingham School 140863 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 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

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Name URN ITE phases

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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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