Liverpool John Moores University

Liverpool John Moores University Maryland Street, City Centre, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 9DE

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Inspection judgements

The quality of education and training Good Good

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding Good

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

Trainees at Liverpool John Moores University benefit from ambitious, well-designed initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. Trainees achieve highly and they are well prepared to embark on the profession as early career teachers. They are valued by employing schools.

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

Trainees benefit from centre- and school-based experiences that are well integrated. These experiences enable trainees to apply and test theoretical perspectives on their everyday teaching practices. For example, trainees develop a toolkit to promote positive behaviour in their classrooms. Tutors and mentors help trainees to understand the importance of safeguarding pupils and themselves. These aspects of the training programme are timely and comprehensive.

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

Through the centre-based training, and through contrasting school-based placements, trainees gain valuable insights into the barriers that prevent pupils from learning well. For example, trainees develop an understanding of the importance of adaptive teaching. Trainees also discuss and debate strategies to address local and national inequalities in education. They learn how to make a positive difference to the education life chances of pupils, including those with additional needs, those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Trainees are expertly introduced to practice that is specific to their age-phase and/or subject. In the primary phase, trainees learn in depth about early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics (SSP). They explore the full range of national curriculum subjects. Trainees on secondary-phase programmes learn about the distinctiveness of their

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

subjects. All trainees’ programmes are underpinned by relevant wider reading and research.

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

The vast majority of trainees at Liverpool John Moores University are proud to be part of this caring partnership. Trainees are introduced to, and adopt, practices that support their work–life balance. Typically, trainees’ individual needs are appropriately considered by staff. Strong communication across the partnership benefits trainees’ learning and development.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ In the 2022/23 academic year, the partnership provided training for 517 trainees over a choice of two phases, primary and secondary. ◼ In 2022/23, the partnership trained a total of 341 trainees in the primary age-phase. This figure included 199 undergraduate trainees on the Bachelor of Arts with Qualified Teacher Status (BA QTS) route. These trainees were trained in the 5–11 primary age- phase. There were 177 primary-phase trainees studying on postgraduate routes. These included trainees following the university-led Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) or the School Direct Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) routes. Primary-phase trainees following PGDE or PGCE routes are trained to teach in either the 3–7 or 5–11 age range. ◼ In 2022/23, there were 176 trainees in the secondary age-phase. These included trainees following the university-led PGDE or the School Direct PGCE routes. The

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Information about this ITE provider

subjects offered across postgraduate routes in 2022/23 were art and design, biology, business studies, chemistry, computing, dance, drama, design and technology, English, geography, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, physical education, physics, religious education and world views, and social sciences. ◼ The provider works with a wide range of partner schools. The vast majority of these schools are inspected by Ofsted. In 2022/23, those settings that had been graded by Ofsted spanned the full range of judgements of outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate. ◼ The partnership works with 10 School Direct partners across the primary and secondary age-phases. ◼ In the primary phase, the partnership works with approximately 111 schools in 16 local authorities. ◼ In the secondary phase, the partnership comprises approximately 60 schools in 13 local authorities.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This inspection was carried out by four of His Majesty’s Inspectors and six Ofsted Inspectors. ◼ During the inspection, the inspectors met with the head of initial teacher training, other senior leaders, programme leaders and subject leaders. Inspectors met with members of the overall strategic development board, the School Direct steering board and partnership committees in the primary and secondary phases. ◼ Inspectors also held conversations with two pro-vice-chancellors, the associate dean of education, leaders with oversight of the school of education (including the school director), partnership managers, admissions managers and admissions officers. ◼ Inspectors met with staff in partner schools. This included headteachers, senior leaders, professional mentors, and class and subject mentors. ◼ Inspectors sampled a wide range of documentation relating to the ITE training programmes. This included: subject and phase curriculum plans; trainees’ assignments

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Information about this inspection

and their records of target-setting and mentoring; and information relating to the Department for Education (DfE) ITE criteria and supporting advice. ◼ Inspectors also reviewed a wide range of information relating to the leadership and management of the partnership. These documents included leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement planning documents. ◼ The inspection was carried out through in-person meetings, virtual meetings and on-site visits to partner schools. ◼ In the primary phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in early reading, English, geography, history, mathematics, languages, religious education and science. ◼ In the secondary phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in art and design, chemistry, English, history, mathematics, and religious education and world views. ◼ In the primary phase, inspectors spoke with 32 trainees and 12 early career teachers, either in person or remotely.

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Information about this inspection

◼ In the secondary phase, inspectors spoke with 35 trainees and 11 early career teachers, either in person or remotely. ◼ During the visit, primary-phase and secondary-phase inspectors visited 15 schools. ◼ Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for trainees. This comprised the views of trainees in the primary and secondary age-phases. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. Primary phase report

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better?

Leaders have established ambitious, well-considered ITE programmes for trainees in each route of the primary age-phase. Tutors and school-based mentors introduce trainees to, and refine their knowledge of, the key subject knowledge and pedagogical skills that trainees require in order to teach the full range of primary-phase national curriculum subjects. Trainees gain crucial insights about how to promote equality. By the end of their training, trainees have the breadth and depth of knowledge that they need to join the profession successfully as early career teachers.

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better?

Leaders have worked with great care and attention in designing their ITE curriculum. They have thought carefully about how to embed the DfE’s core content framework into each of the primary-phase programmes. Leaders work closely and effectively with partner schools to decide what trainees should learn in the centre- and school-based training. Leaders use experts from schools to help to teach trainees, for example about adaptive teaching for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is so that trainees develop a secure understanding of pupils’ additional learning needs.

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better?

Trainees develop a confident, well-informed understanding of early reading, including of SSP. They learn how to use SSP to teach all pupils to read, including those pupils with SEND and those who speak EAL. Tutors guide trainees on how to select and use a rich range of literature to inspire pupils about reading, such as stories written by authors from diverse backgrounds. Trainees fully understand how to build on children’s early communication and language development.

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better?

Trainees are well prepared to manage pupils’ behaviour. They learn how to foster a purposeful learning environment. Trainees understand their roles in protecting the welfare of pupils, and of children in early years. Trainees are well prepared for the wider responsibilities of being a teacher.

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better?

The primary-phase ITE programmes are taught by expert tutors and trainers. Leaders make sure that their staff actively participate in the work of national subject- and phase- specific organisations. Tutors and trainers expose trainees to pertinent education research to help them in their careers, for instance about different subjects, and pedagogy and education issues. Trainees value this input.

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better?

In the main, school-based mentors successfully use the ITE curriculum to assess the ongoing development of trainees’ pedagogical and subject- and phase-specific knowledge. This approach enables most mentors to identify the extra help and guidance that trainees require. Typically, it also enables mentors to set meaningful development targets. Nevertheless, some mentors do not use the ITE curriculum to assess trainees as well as they could. Some mentors do not take up the wide range of training and support offered by the partnership to develop their mentoring skills. These mentors sometimes have a less secure understanding of the content of the centre-based training curriculums. These inconsistencies mean that, from time to time, some mentors’ support for trainees is less focused and less helpful.

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better?

Leaders use their well-developed arrangements to identify the strengths and priorities for further improvements in the primary age-phase ITE programmes. They carefully draw on the insights of partner schools to review and refine the content of the ITE curriculum. This is so that primary-phase training prepares trainees for the realities of classroom teaching. Leaders pursue their clear vision of creating primary-phase teachers who are well prepared for the exciting opportunities ahead.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Some mentors do not take up the well-designed training opportunities that the provider makes available to them. This means that, on occasions, mentors’ knowledge of the centre-based training and how to extend this in school is less well developed. Leaders should ensure that as many mentors as possible take up the mentor training on offer. This is so that mentors are able to support trainees as effectively as they can. ◼ Sometimes, mentors do not use the ITE training curriculum as effectively as they could to assess trainees’ achievement and progress. This means that some mentors do not provide the most appropriate feedback and support to help trainees to improve their practice. Leaders should make sure that mentors fully understand and use the ITE curriculum to assess trainees’ knowledge and skills.

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compliance criteria?

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

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better?

Leaders are clear about the overarching aims and principles that underpin the ITE provision across all routes in the secondary phase. They have designed an ambitious curriculum that goes beyond the DfE’s core content framework. Leaders have ensured that trainees learn new knowledge and skills in a logical order. The ITE curriculums successfully enable trainees to build up the knowledge and skills that they require to begin teaching as an early career teacher.

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better?

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is underpinned by appropriate and pertinent research. Trainees discuss and debate relevant theory in the centre-based training and, typically, apply their understanding in their teaching practices in placement schools. They enjoy testing out whether theory works in practice. For example, trainees try out a wide range of behaviour management theories to establish what works best for them.

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better?

Trainees’ professional and subject-specific studies are clearly and purposefully interwoven at this partnership. For example, trainees get a secure grounding in generic pedagogy, as well as the subject-specific knowledge that they need to teach their subject well. Tutors and many mentors help trainees to understand the connections between what they are learning and how to use and apply this knowledge in placement schools. For example, trainees are able to apply their knowledge of adaptive teaching with confidence to their chosen subject specialism.

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better?

The provider has developed a network of strong relationships with partner schools. Communication between the different partners is a strength. Furthermore, all partners display a strong commitment to supporting the ambition of social justice for all pupils. Trainees buy into this vision. They understand the importance of breaking down barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils with SEND. They also learn about ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils in their care.

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better?

Trainees benefit from a wide range of opportunities to reflect on their ongoing development. They become increasingly reflective practitioners as they move through their training programme. For the most part, leaders ensure that there are effective systems to provide trainees with suitable feedback about how they are progressing through the ITE curriculum. However, occasionally, leaders’ assessment systems are not used as effectively as they should be by some mentors to ensure that trainees receive the most appropriate feedback and targets for improvement. Added to this, some mentors do not engage fully with all of the training that the partnership provides to them. This means that some mentors are occasionally unclear about what is being taught in the centre and how to reinforce this on school-based placements.

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better?

Leaders communicate high expectations to all of the School Direct partners that deliver their programmes to trainees. They ensure that partners clearly understand these expectations. Leaders ensure that trainers who are delivering the curriculum on these routes are suitably qualified. Leaders check on the quality of education and training provided by lead schools across all School Direct routes.

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better?

Leaders equally use a range of suitable checks to evaluate how well the secondary-phase ITE programmes that are delivered at the university are supporting trainees to become effective teachers. They carefully consider the information that they gather during school visits from the implementation of the ITE curriculum, checks on the effectiveness of mentors’ work and responses to trainee surveys to make suitable improvements to their ITE programmes.

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better?

Trainee well-being is at the heart of leaders’ work. Trainees appreciate the wide range of mechanisms that staff across the partnership use to provide care, guidance and support. Trainees are well supported to understand the wider roles and responsibilities of being a teacher, for example in safeguarding pupils and protecting their own welfare.

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phase?

(Information for the provider and appropriate authority )

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phase?

◼ Some subject mentors do not engage fully with the training and resources provided by the partnership to support them in their roles. This means that, from time to time, some mentors do not fully understand what is being taught in the centre-based training. Leaders should ensure that mentors engage fully with the training opportunities on offer. This is so that trainees receive a consistently strong training experience and so that mentors are clear about their role. ◼ At times, the ongoing assessment of trainees’ learning is not matched sufficiently well to the content of the ITE curriculum. This means that, on occasions, some trainees are not as well informed as they could be about how well they are progressing on their ITE programme. Leaders should ensure that all partners use the ITE curriculum as the vehicle for assessing trainees’ ongoing learning and development.

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compliance criteria?

◼ The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70032 Inspection number 10277281

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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 14 May 2018 and 19 November 2018

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Inspection team

Michael Pennington, Overall lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Tim Vaughan, Phase lead inspector (primary) His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Elaine Mawson, Phase lead inspector (secondary) His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Felicity Ackroyd Ofsted Inspector Dawn Davies Ofsted Inspector Valerie Elson Ofsted Inspector Sue Farrimond Ofsted Inspector Emma Gregory His Majesty’s Inspector Aly Spencer Ofsted Inspector Lisa Woolley Ofsted 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 phase(s)

St Anne’s Catholic Primary School 104681 Primary Belle Vale Community Primary School 104519 Primary Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School 145438 Primary Broadgreen Primary 104611 Primary Christ the King Catholic Primary School 104629 Primary Dovedale Community Primary School 141960 Primary Mount Primary School 104993 Primary Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Primary School 104930 Primary Roby Park Primary School 104420 Primary Archbishop Blanch Church of England High School 104705 Secondary Bellerive FCJ Catholic College 138183 Secondary Everton Free School 138379 Secondary Kings Leadership Academy, Liverpool 137675 Secondary St Hilda’s Church of England High School 104721 Secondary Turton School 105253 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 phase(s)

copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Name URN ITE phase(s)

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(s)

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(s)

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(s)

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

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