Shapes Futures SCITT

c/o Stamshaw Junior School, Portsmouth PO2 8QH

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Inspection dates 29 January to 1 February 2024

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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’ passion for education is fully rewarded when they join this superb school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) programme. Leaders draw out individual talents and enable each trainee to develop their unique teacher persona. Leaders’ devotion to each trainee’s well-being is remarkable. Trainees are resilient, accomplished and exceptionally well prepared for a demanding career in teaching.

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

The SCITT’s superb reputation locally is well deserved. Headteachers vouch for the high calibre of trainees and seize every opportunity to appoint them in their schools. Most former trainees remain in teaching, and many become school leaders. Trainees’ views are typified by a comment: ‘This course has changed my life – and now I have my dream job.’

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

Trainees develop a confident presence and quickly learn to manage pupils’ behaviour highly effectively. Inspiring subject experts make a tangible impact on trainees’ knowledge across the whole primary-phase curriculum. All trainees are comprehensively trained to teach reading and know the momentous impact they will have on children’s early acquisition of language.

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

The programme’s care of the individual trainee is echoed in trainees’ deep understanding of pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities. A continuous focus on safeguarding throughout the course ensures that trainees are completely prepared for their future responsibilities.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ Portsmouth Primary SCITT offers a postgraduate SCITT programme leading to qualified teacher status in primary-phase education. Trainees also study for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education with the University of Chichester. ◼ At the time of the inspection, there were 20 trainees, all of whom were training on the 5 to 11 age-phase. ◼ The SCITT is overseen by the University of Chichester Academy Trust. There are 13 partner schools, with 12 in Portsmouth and one in Southampton. Nearly all schools have been judged good by Ofsted.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was conducted by two Ofsted Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors met with a range of leaders, including the SCITT lead, course coordinator, lead mentors and link tutors. The lead inspector also met with a representative of the University of Chichester, members of the governance board (including representatives from the University of Chichester Academy Trust), and a group of headteachers from the partner schools. ◼ Inspectors met with or spoke to all 20 trainees in the current cohort. They also met with groups of early career teachers who had been trained through the SCITT. ◼ Focused reviews were carried out in early reading, mathematics, physical education and computing. Inspectors met with subject leaders and visited five schools where they visited lessons, met trainees, spoke to headteachers and met with mentors and former trainees. Inspectors reviewed trainees’ folders of evidence and information about

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Information about this inspection

assessment and quality assurance. ◼ Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including training materials, evidence of external moderation and the SCITT’s self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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better?

Portsmouth Primary SCITT delivers a research-based programme that prepares trainees exceptionally well for their first year as an early career teacher. At all levels, leaders are unequivocally determined to assure the best teachers for Portsmouth schools and beyond. The SCITT’s moral purpose and commitment to the community radiate teaching expertise across the local area.

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better?

Nothing is on the programme without a crystal-clear purpose: from the meticulous and sensitive pairing of mentor and trainee to the assiduous oversight of SCITT leaders, governors and trustees. All aspects of the core content framework are completely absorbed into each element of the programme. Trainees are deliberately inspired to delve into well-founded education research that goes well beyond the minimum requirements. SCITT leaders have as high expectations of themselves as they do of trainees: they deliberately seek out and act on feedback to continually improve the programme.

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better?

Crucial subject knowledge and how to teach it go hand in hand with essential general pedagogical principles. A carefully staged sequence of ‘introduce, embed and apply’ ensures that trainees fully understand proven theory before they observe expert teachers in school and practise essential components of teaching.

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better?

Leaders ensure that subject leaders, link tutors and lead mentors are top-quality experts in their subject areas, with renown that extends beyond their own schools. All trainees reach a sophisticated level in their understanding of the principles of early reading. They all learn to teach systematic synthetic phonics with impressive conviction through the different schemes in their placement schools.

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better?

Understanding the different vulnerabilities of pupils is rightly a top feature of the programme. Training keeps right up to date with the changing local context, including the teaching of pupils who speak English as an additional language. For example, expert training from local agencies combines fundamental language principles with a sensitive commitment to equality and diversity. SCITT leaders ensure that the programme’s training principles are reinforced strongly in school placements.

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better?

Attention to detail at every stage characterises leaders’ quality assurance of mentoring, training and assessment of trainees. Mentoring thoroughly lives up to the highest expectations. Mentors are comprehensively trained, supported and quality assured. Mentors’ and trainees’ reflective, collaborative and mutually supportive relationships are a stand-out feature of this programme. From the start, trainees’ weekly reflections and tasks are used to track their well-being and progression through the course. Communication with trainees is notably encouraging and personal, contributing hugely to their self- confidence and strength of character. Trainees’ targets are manageable, bespoke and wholly in line with the taught programme.

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compliance criteria?

The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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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 SCITT Phases provided Primary Date of previous inspection 18 June and 12 November 2018

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Inspection team

Janet Pearce, Ofsted Inspector Graham Chisnell, 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

Craneswater Junior School 116223 Primary Milton Park Primary School 148755 Primary New Horizons Primary School 141530 Primary Stamshaw Infant School 146888 Primary Stamshaw Junior School 147176 Primary 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

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Name URN ITE phase

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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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