West Essex SCITT

West Essex SCITT Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust St John’s CE Primary School High Road Buckhurst Essex IG9 5RX

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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 benefit greatly from training with a provider that stays ahead of the curve. This includes the early roll out of intensive training and practice (ITaP). Trainees complete four ITaP cycles: behaviour management; how pupils learn; deliberate and purposeful questioning; and adapting teaching, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These spotlights set trainees up for the realities of teaching. The ‘concept maps’ reduce workload. They guide trainees to apply research-informed strategies to their teaching. Consequently, trainees have a controlled command of the classroom.

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

Course leaders’ enthusiasm for the content they teach is infectious. It galvanizes trainees to engage in school-based tasks and self-study, including in early reading and safeguarding. Feeling inspired, trainees go into schools living out the provider’s aim to raise standards for all pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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

Crystal clear communication occurs between course leaders, mentors and trainees. Each understand their role in ensuring trainees comprehend course content and how best to apply it to their teaching. Supportive instructional coaching means trainees accurately identify their strengths and areas for development. By the time they complete their training, trainees have the capability, compassion and confidence to successfully take on a class of their own.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ This school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) is part of the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, a multi-academy trust. The provider is based at St John’s Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Buckhurst Hill. Most of the centre-based training takes place at The Alderton Junior School. ◼ The SCITT received accreditation in December 2014 to offer training in the primary age-phase. It welcomed its first cohort of trainees in September 2015. ◼ At the time of inspection, there were 24 full-time trainees. ◼ The provider works with 26 primary schools. Trainees complete their school-based training in these schools, all of which were graded good or outstanding at their most recent inspection. ◼ For trainees to achieve qualified teacher status, the provider offers the school direct non-salaried route into teaching. There is also the option for trainees to complete a postgraduate certificate in education via the University of Derby.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection team included one of His Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector. ◼ Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the director, deputy director, manager, and nine members of the steering group. ◼ Inspectors held discussions with all the trainees, either at their contrast placement school or at the centre-based training. Inspectors also took account of the 13 responses to Ofsted’s trainee survey. ◼ Inspectors carried out focused reviews in early reading and the foundation subjects, focusing specifically on geography and art and design. ◼ As part of the focused reviews, inspectors met with leaders, facilitators, and lead mentors, reviewed curriculum and trainee documentation, and visited five contrast placement schools. During these visits, inspectors met with school leaders and mentors, observed seven trainees teaching, observed feedback meetings between mentors and trainees, and held discussions with trainees.

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Information about this inspection

◼ In addition to visiting five contrast placement schools, inspectors communicated remotely with mentors from five other placement schools. Also, an inspector held a discussion with four early career teachers who trained with the provider. ◼ Over the course of the inspection, inspectors reviewed a range of the provider’s documentation, such as handbooks, improvement planning and minutes from meetings. Inspectors also took account of the 33 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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better?

All those who work for the provider strive to develop happy, highly skilled teachers. Leaders, including those who form the steering group, are visionary and altruistic. Visionary in how they realise their aims through efficient systems, and altruistic in how they engage in educational research and share best practice to raise standards beyond their own provision. Additionally, a strong cycle of reflection brought about by layers of internal and external quality assurance, means the provision continues to go from strength to strength.

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better?

The eagle-eyed provider spots and secures the services of subject experts. These individuals work collaboratively to develop an ambitious curriculum that goes beyond the minimum entitlement of the core content framework. The ‘individual training records’ help to seamlessly intertwine centre-based training with school-based experiences. This develops trainees who think critically about curriculum design and teaching. For example, the theory behind how pupils learn to read was brought to life through an inspirational school visit. Trainees then keenly completed their phonics audit, ascertaining their next steps for ensuring they become teachers who read and readers who teach.

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better?

Course leaders cleverly ensure buy-in from partner schools, extending their reach beyond the classes their trainees teach. Headteachers, for example, utilise the provider’s accessible training resources to upskill school staff’s pedagogical knowledge. This has the added benefit of extending trainees’ support network, where colleagues in partner schools also understand the research-informed practices the provider teaches trainees.

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better?

Mentoring is impressively high-quality. The provider is dedicated to investing in people. Provision includes a detailed induction, bespoke ongoing support, and rigorous quality assurance. Mentoring is sequenced so that trainees are more likely to be successful from the start. Lead mentors regularly meet with general mentors. They show them how to guide the trainee to reflect on their teaching and the centre-based training. Subsequently, there is no discrepancy between those who have been mentoring for the provider for years and those who took up the role more recently.

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better?

Highly effective systems underpin the assessment of trainees. Lesson observation templates, for example, change in line with the phases of the curriculum. This guides mentors to focus on elements for which trainees recently received centre-based training, alongside any short-term targets specific to individual training needs. It helps to gather robust evidence over time, leading to an accurate career entry profile. These allow induction tutors to put in place the training and support early careers teachers need to continue their strong progress.

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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 School-centred initial teacher training Phases provided Primary Dates of previous inspection 18 June and 14 November 2018

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Inspection team

Daniel Short, Lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Robert James 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

Christ Church C of E (VA) Primary School and Nursery 117473 Primary Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Harlow 136967 Primary Staples Road Primary School 146001 Primary St Mary’s Voluntary Controlled Church of England Junior School 117409 Primary

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Name URN ITE phase

White Bridge Primary School 145603 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 looked after children, 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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