University of Hull

University of Hull University of Hull Cottingham Road Kingston upon Hull HU6 7RX

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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 Inadequate

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

Trainees are benefiting from the substantially improved programme that leaders have put in place. Partnership schools are now active partners in the development and delivery of the curriculum. Many trainees recognise this transformation. Trainees share leaders’ determination to address disadvantage, raise aspirations and to ‘be the change they want to see’.

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

In most areas, trainees experience a coherent, well-planned curriculum. Trainees engage with research and apply it to their own practice. The knowledge and skills that they gain at the university are picked up and further developed through their school placements. Trainees learn how to teach early reading well.

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

Trainees understand the realities of working as a teacher. Most are well supported to manage their workload and well-being. Trainees benefit from the expert tutors and mentors who help them. However, in a small number of cases, communication between the university and placement schools is not as clear or prompt as it could be. This impacts on the experience of a few trainees.

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

Trainees learn how to promote positive behaviour and develop positive working relationships with the pupils they teach. They successfully make adaptations to their teaching in order to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those pupils with English as an additional language (EAL). Trainees become confident and proficient practitioners, ready to embark on a teaching career.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The University of Hull provides teacher training for the primary phase. ◼ In 2023/24, there are 120 trainees enrolled as undergraduates on the Bachelor of Arts with Qualified Teacher Status route. These trainees are trained in the 5 to 11 primary age-range and chose to specialise in English, mathematics or science. ◼ There are approximately 170 schools in the partnership in seven local authorities. Most schools were judged to be good at their most recent Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

◼ When the University of Hull was last inspected by Ofsted, in January 2023, it was judged as inadequate. ◼ This inspection was carried out by four of His Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ During the inspection, inspectors met with the following staff: the deputy vice- chancellor of the University of Hull, the dean of the faculty of arts, cultures and education and senior leaders of the school of education. Inspectors met with members of the strategic steering committee. Inspectors spoke with subject tutors, mentors, headteachers and senior leaders in partner schools. ◼ Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation relating to the ITE programme. This information included: information relating to safeguarding; curriculum plans; trainees’ files and examples of their written assessments; records of trainees’ meetings with mentors, including examples of target setting; external examiners’ reports; quality assurance documentation; and course handbooks.

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Information about this inspection

◼ Inspectors evaluated information relating to the leadership and management of the partnership. This included leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement planning documents. Inspectors reviewed the provider’s compliance with the Department for Education (DfE) initial teacher training criteria. ◼ An inspector observed a training session that was attended by approximately 60 trainees. ◼ Inspectors carried out focused reviews in early reading, mathematics, science, geography, history and design technology. ◼ Inspectors visited six partnership schools as part of the inspection. Across the inspection, inspectors spoke with 16 trainees and eight early career teachers individually, or in small groups, to discuss their experience of the training programme. ◼ Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for trainees and staff that were completed during the inspection.

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better?

Leaders are committed to providing high-quality teaching for trainees in the city and beyond. As a result of the significant improvements that leaders have made, that vision is increasingly realised. Centre-based leaders have taken significant action to improve the curriculum, actively involving school-based practitioners. The majority of subjects within the ITE curriculum are well sequenced and securely meet the requirements of the core content framework. The curriculum enables trainees to engage with the latest educational research. During school placements, mentors build on what trainees have learned previously. Trainees reflect on their practice and confidently apply learned approaches to their teaching. Local headteachers value the quality of trainees and are happy to employ them on completion of the course.

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better?

Highly qualified tutors, drawn from a diverse pool of experts within the wider partnership, provide valuable centre-based training. This helps trainees to understand much of the subject-specific content in the primary national curriculum. They gain insights into adapting teaching methods for disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND or with EAL. Course leaders have taken significant steps to improve the teaching of early reading and phonics. As a result, trainees are now well-prepared to teach this.

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better?

Trainees generally thrive on the challenge and support that they receive from mentors and university staff. The recent introduction of ‘immersive days’ is preparing them well for their school placement. Mentors access university training events, supplemented by online sessions. These give most mentors clarity about their roles and how to reinforce the centre-based curriculum. Mentors value the precision of the documentation and the enhanced training and support that they now receive. However, sometimes communication between the centre and placement schools is not sufficiently timely or effective. This leads to some trainees having a more variable experience than others.

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better?

Enhanced quality assurance systems now drive continuous improvement. Weaknesses found at the previous inspection have been addressed. The third year of the course has been redesigned to improve trainee experiences in foundation subjects. As a result, trainees’ subject knowledge is building more consistently across subjects. Some of these changes are new and leaders know there is more work to do. In some subjects, trainees do not have the opportunity to revisit important subject-specific principles and content. Some struggle to apply this knowledge when planning sequences of learning.

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better?

The steering committee’s oversight of the programme has undergone a similarly positive transformation. These critical friends now carefully check the extent to which the decisions taken by the university are bringing about the necessary change so that trainees benefit. There are regular and rigorous checks on how well trainees are doing. Formative assessment supports trainee progression, while consistent curriculum assessment across placements is verified by leaders. The strategic, quality-driven approach ensures ongoing improvement within the ITE curriculum.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ In some subjects, trainees do not plan sequences of learning in sufficient depth as they have not revisited important subject knowledge or learned some subject-specific concepts thoroughly enough. This limits the extent to which trainees can consistently plan ambitious sequences of learning for pupils. The university should ensure that training prepares trainees well to enable pupils to learn successfully across the full range of curriculum subjects. ◼ Some mentors and schools are not fully aware of aspects of the ITE programme or their roles in reinforcing this. These inconsistencies in communication can mean that some trainees are less effectively supported than others. The university should ensure that all partners benefit from effective communication so that all trainees receive a consistently positive training experience.

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compliance criteria?

The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria. Initial teacher education report

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70031 Inspection number 10306358

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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 Higher education institute Phases provided Primary Dates of previous inspection 30 and 31 January and 2 and 3 February

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Inspection team

Eleanor Belfield, Lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Alison Aitchison His Majesty’s Inspector Malcolm Kirtley His Majesty’s Inspector Dughall McCormick His Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex: schools

Inspectors visited the following schools as part of this inspection:

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Name URN ITE phase

Beverley St Nicholas Primary School 149622 Primary Biggin Hill Primary School 139508 Primary Chiltern Primary School 143225 Primary Hedon Primary School 117851 Primary North Frodingham Primary School 117861 Primary Sigglesthorne Church of England Primary Academy 143823 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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