Lincolnshire ITT

Lincolnshire SCITT The Priory City of Lincoln Academy, Skellingthorpe Road, Lincoln LN6 0EP

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Inspection judgements

Primary and secondary age-phase combined

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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 Good

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

Trainees are overwhelmingly positive about the quality of training and support they receive. An ethos of consistently high expectations, high-quality training and professional care seamlessly permeates all aspects of the programme across the centre and schools. Many trainees are advocates for prospective applicants. As one trainee typically said, ‘The course is fantastic, but the support and care from the staff towards trainees is even better. I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking for a top course with the best professionals.’

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

All staff and trainees have complete clarity about what is taught and when. The programme is delivered by experts, including passionate subject specialists. Specific training for inclusive teaching ensures that trainees understand how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and pupils who speak English as an additional language. Early reading and phonics training is similarly well taught for all trainees.

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

Trainees’ development, from novice to ‘skilful independence’, is punctuated by professional reviews against well-considered ‘milestone’ criteria. Staff have a precise understanding of trainees’ strengths. Trainees engage in rich professional dialogue, leading to agreed ‘practice points’ that further their classroom readiness. Trainees say that communication is exceptionally responsive, including consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The Lincolnshire SCITT opened in January 2015. ◼ The partnership provides initial teacher education for trainees in either primary or secondary phases. ◼ The partnership currently oversees 82 trainees. There are 50 trainees in the primary phase and 32 trainees in the secondary phase. ◼ The partnership works with 87 schools: 67 primary and 20 secondary. These include four special schools. Trainees undertake training placements in two schools during the course that reflect different local contexts, pupil numbers and Ofsted judgements at their most recent inspection. ◼ Trainees who successfully complete the course are awarded qualified teacher status (QTS). Almost all trainees complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, accredited by the University of Lincoln. ◼ All trainees follow the core SCITT programme. The partnership offers School Direct, fee-paying and salaried routes towards QTS. The partnership also offers the award

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Information about this ITE provider

of QTS through the assessment-only route.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was carried out by two of His Majesty’s Inspectors and an Ofsted Inspector. ◼ Inspectors spoke to 27 current trainees and 25 former trainees. ◼ Inspectors met with the director of initial teacher training and the programme leaders for the primary and secondary phases. Inspectors also met with other members of the SCITT’s extended leadership team including regional partnership leaders. The lead inspector met with six members of the SCITT’s strategic partnership board. He also spoke with six other leaders of local partnership schools. ◼ Inspectors met with subject trainers, programme tutors and mentors. They also carried out short visits to training sessions. ◼ The lead inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for trainees and staff. He also considered the survey responses conducted by the SCITT. ◼ Inspectors carried out focused reviews of chemistry, history and mathematics in the

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Information about this inspection

secondary phase and early reading, mathematics, art and religious education in the primary phase. ◼ Inspectors made visits to 10 schools to meet with trainees, former trainees, mentors and school-based coordinators and mentors. These visits included short observations of trainees’ teaching and the feedback they receive.

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better?

The Lincolnshire SCITT is a highly regarded and expanding provider in the region. At its heart is a relentless desire for regional collaboration and improvement. Leaders have ensured that the strong partnership between the centre, regional hubs, university and schools is continually nurtured by strong, personable communication and course co- construction. The partnership board has an accurate understanding of the SCITT’s strengths and future development priorities. Staff are proud to be involved. They typically describe the SCITT as ‘supportive’, valuing a culture that promotes ‘longevity in the career’. Rigorous recruitment processes aptly reflect the SCITT’s partnership approach, involving all schools in matching trainees to placement settings.

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better?

The training programme is highly ambitious and thoughtfully sequenced against the SCITT’s three tenets of ‘learning to be a teacher, learning to teach and learning to teach a subject’. Almost all trainees successfully complete a postgraduate certificate in education, deepening trainees’ understanding and application of educational research and theory. Important concepts are regularly revisited, including classroom pedagogy, adaptive teaching, equality and diversity and effective behaviour management. Staff ensure that trainees experience placements in contrasting settings to consolidate their phase and subject understanding. Trainees are thoroughly prepared to teach phonics and early reading across both phases. Trainees’ learning consistently meets the minimum requirements set out in the Department for Education’s ‘Core Content Framework’ and exceeds them in aspects such as inclusive and adaptive teaching.

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better?

The SCITT’s assessment processes are exceptionally well developed. Central to the tracking process and ‘professional review’ conversations is the trainees’ personal development record. This record ensures that all trainees and trainers, including mentors, know what is expected of trainees and when, using reflective ‘milestone criteria’. Programme tutors ensure that the quality of mentoring is accurately calibrated to the centres’ high expectations. Mentors are well trained. They say they value the clarity of the assessment structure provided by the SCITT, describing it as ‘efficient’ and ‘thorough’.

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better?

The SCITT constantly checks the views of trainees about all aspects of their experience, including all training sessions and the quality of mentoring. Innovative tracking systems operate so that leaders precisely understand how well trainees are progressing and the quality of mentoring. On the very rare occasions when the SCITT’s high expectations are not upheld, staff know exactly what action to take. They do so swiftly, remedying any concerns. Course withdrawals are consistently low. The pastoral care extended to trainees to help keep them on track is exceptional. Staff are diligent towards ensuring that trainees maintain the highest professional standards. Trainees attain well, and many are employed by partnership schools.

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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 70336 Inspection number 10309349

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ITE provider details

This inspection was carried out in accordance with the initial teacher education inspection framework and handbook , which 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 12 June and 20 November 2017

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Inspection team

Chris Stevens, His Majesty’s Inspector Lead Inspector Vic Wilkinson, His Majesty’s Inspector Team Inspector Lisa Harrison, Ofsted Inspector Team 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

Lincoln Carlton Academy 137085 Primary Ling Moor Moor Primary Academy 138748 Primary Long Bennington Church of England Academy 138057 Primary North Kesteven Academy 136871 Secondary Saxilby Church of England Primary School 120583 Primary The Gonerby Hill Foot Church of England Primary School 120524 Primary

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Name URN ITE phases

The Priory Belvoir Academy 138819 Secondary The Priory City of Lincoln Academy 135564 Secondary The Priory Academy LSST 135565 Secondary The Priory Ruskin Academy 136194 Secondary William Farr Church of England Comprehensive School 136415 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

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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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