Bath Spa University

Bath Spa University Bath Spa University, Newton Park, Bath BA2 9BN

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Inspection dates 29 January to 1 February 2024

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Inspection judgements

The quality of education and training Good Outstanding

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Inspection judgements

Leadership and management Good Outstanding

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding Outstanding

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

The Bath Spa ITE partnership believes that all children deserve the very best teachers. Trainees are referred to as ‘Bath Spa Teachers’. They are expected to maintain high professional standards from the start. Their ambitious mindset is reflected in the views of school leaders, who often remark on the high calibre of trainees.

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

Approachable mentors help trainees to hone their skills and manage their workload. Trainees are often inspired by their specialist academic tutors, who show them how to adapt the curriculum to meet different pupils’ needs. Trainees build a strong understanding of curriculum design and pedagogy.

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

Some trainees undertake their placements within a ‘cluster’ of partner schools. These schools work together to recruit and train prospective teachers with the skills that are in local demand. Secondary trainees are carefully matched to placements that complement and enrich the university-based curriculum. Their training is of an exceptionally high quality. Primary trainees experience consistently strong support, although some would value clearer communication from the partnership, such as information about placement arrangements.

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

The university’s values of ‘care, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking’ shape the curriculum and development of trainees. A rich array of student support services wrap around the trainees. Very often, trainees benefit from highly effective personalised support which enables them to qualify and find employment as teachers. The partnership collaborates with many other ITE providers. It uses these links extremely well to rapidly incorporate new developments in curriculum design for trainees and mentors.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ There are 273 trainees enrolled in the academic year 2023/24. This includes 137 primary trainees and 136 secondary trainees. ◼ All trainees study for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. 14 trainees follow a School Direct (fees) route. Trainees follow the same centre-based curriculum, regardless of route. ◼ The university provides teacher training for the primary phase with age ranges 3 to 7, 5 to 11 and 7 to 11, and for the secondary phase with an age range 11 to 16. ◼ Primary trainees may specialise in one of the following: the arts, behaviour, English, mathematics, modern languages, science, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). ◼ Secondary trainees specialise in one of the following subjects: art and design, biology, business, drama, design technology, chemistry, computing, English, history, geography, mathematics, modern languages (French, German or Spanish), music, physical education (PE), physics, religious education.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The provider works with 207 schools, most of which are in the South West region. In their most recent Ofsted inspection, most were judged good or outstanding. At the time of the inspection, four schools had been judged requires improvement and none had been judged inadequate.

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Information about this inspection

◼ When Bath Spa University initial teacher education (ITE) provision was last inspected, both primary and secondary phases were judged outstanding. ◼ This inspection was conducted by seven of His Majesty’s Inspectors and two Ofsted Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors met with the head of ITE, the partnerships manager, two programme directors (primary), two programme directors (secondary), curriculum leaders of subjects and specialisms, and academic tutors. ◼ In addition, inspectors spoke with school-based staff, including headteachers, training coordinators and mentors. Inspectors held discussions with members of the strategic advisory group, which includes staff from across the partnership. ◼ The overall lead inspector held discussions with leaders responsible for overseeing the ITE provision, including the vice-chancellor and the head of the school of education. Inspectors also met with representatives from the university responsible for quality

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Information about this inspection

assurance and compliance with statutory requirements. ◼ The overall lead inspector held discussions with external partners, including representatives from one school-centred initial teacher training provider, one national provider of ITE, and the provider’s associate from the Department for Education (DfE). ◼ In the primary phase, focused reviews were conducted in early reading, mathematics, history, physical education, science and the SEND specialism. ◼ In the secondary phase, focused reviews were conducted in drama, English, history, geography, mathematics, modern languages and physical education. ◼ Inspectors visited 23 partnership schools and conducted focused review activities with one further school remotely. They met with 66 trainees and 33 early career teachers. Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and trainees. ◼ Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ self-evaluation

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Information about this inspection

documents and improvement plans, curriculum plans and resources, trainee assignments and portfolios, trainee support and access plans, evidence of safeguarding arrangements and information relating to DfE initial teacher training criteria. Primary phase report

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better?

The partnership’s ambitious curriculum for primary ITE fully includes the core content framework (CCF) and is informed by up-to-date research. Passionate and knowledgeable academic tutors draw on this research to develop reflective, curious and proactive trainees, who are professional from the start. Trainees know their strengths and what they could do to try to improve their practice further.

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better?

The introduction of a revised curriculum, ‘Teachers as Professionals’, helps trainees to link theory with practice, increase their subject-specific vocabulary and refine their self- awareness effectively. Conceptual knowledge of how children learn is reinforced and revisited through all subject curriculums. This includes safeguarding training, which is supplemented with reference to local contexts and procedures in partner schools. School staff contribute well to the ongoing development of the curriculum. For example, the university is working with partners to strengthen trainees’ practice in behaviour management. This collaborative approach helps to ensure that trainees are well-prepared for their first teaching posts.

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better?

The curriculum is sharply focused on helping each trainee to develop the necessary expertise, knowledge and skills to teach pupils with SEND and/or English as an additional language (EAL). Academic tutors model how trainees can adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with specific barriers to learning. As a result, trainees recognise their responsibility to adapt their teaching in different subjects so that all pupils can learn successfully. This is especially strong in PE.

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better?

Some trainees take on curriculum specialisms, such as in English, mathematics, science, the arts, or PE. Each year, a group of trainees specialises in SEND. These trainees enjoy furthering their subject knowledge and extending their learning beyond the classroom with a view towards leadership in their future careers.

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better?

Through centre- and school-based training in early reading, all trainees develop their knowledge and understanding of systematic synthetic phonics. However, those who train to teach pupils aged 5 to 11, or 7 to 11, gain only a basic grounding in child development and early years curriculum and pedagogy. This does not equip them with the necessary knowledge to help older pupils with development gaps to catch up.

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better?

Trainees regularly engage in critical self-evaluation. They are well supported by their academic tutors and school-based mentors to identify and work on any gaps in their knowledge. Many mentors go above and beyond what is expected of them, to nurture and support trainees to improve their practice. The university provides valuable training for mentors which takes into account their different levels of experience.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Some trainees do not acquire sufficient knowledge of child development and the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework. This limits their expertise in meeting the needs of pupils with gaps in their early learning and development. The partnership should ensure that all primary trainees draw on a secure understanding of child development and the EYFS so that they can support children and pupils to close gaps in their 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?

The partnership has constructed an exceptional curriculum for secondary trainees, which consistently enables them to become confident teachers of their respective subjects. Each member of the partnership reflects and communicates the curriculum and its aims clearly. This is true across the full range of clusters, schools and subjects. Leaders across the partnership share the same vision of excellence. They ensure that secondary trainees are very well prepared to teach. One school leader’s comment echoed the views of others when they said, ‘Such is the calibre of Bath Spa trainees, I would recruit every one if I could.’

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better?

The curriculum is very well integrated. Trainees connect their learning across subject- specific sessions, mentoring, ‘core’ training sessions and teaching practice. Through seamless collaboration between the university and schools, trainees learn to leverage current research in the classroom. The curriculum is highly ambitious. It extends well beyond the CCF. As a result, trainees become extremely knowledgeable about how pupils learn.

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better?

Reflective practice is pivotal to the success of trainees. The curriculum is structured to ensure that that they revisit key ideas systematically, deepening their understanding each time. Reflective writing and progress points, as well as academic assignments, are assessed regularly. Trainees receive highly incisive feedback. Trainees know their next steps very well. This process is overseen by a team of academic tutors whose notable expertise in subject pedagogies is highly valued by trainees. Consequently, trainees are extremely well supported in developing their knowledge and understanding of teaching their subjects in the secondary phase.

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better?

Trainees become very proficient in planning and teaching their subjects to meet the varied needs of pupils with SEND. They learn in depth how to support pupils with the language and literacy demands of their subject disciplines. This helps them to ensure that pupils with EAL can learn successfully. Trainees learn to adapt their teaching to promote the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

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better?

Trainees are overwhelmingly positive about the guidance and support they receive from their mentors. Leaders provide mentors with valuable training which reflects their level of experience. Through their highly effective support and expert feedback, mentors reinforce and enhance the university-based curriculum.

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better?

Leaders make sure that the curriculum is implemented very successfully across the full range of secondary settings, and that each trainee can learn equitably. Individual barriers to learning are addressed rapidly. Trainees, in turn, learn how to support pupils’ emotional and physical well-being very well. For example, leaders ensure that trainees are well-equipped to teach personal, social and health education. Leaders model a collaborative commitment to excellence that enables trainees to flourish.

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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 HEI Phases provided Primary Secondary Date of previous inspection 8 June and 19 October 2015

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Inspection team

Lydia Pride, Overall lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas, Phase lead inspector (primary) His Majesty’s Inspector Susan Aykin, Phase lead inspector (secondary) His Majesty’s Inspector Jason Edge His Majesty’s Inspector Angela Folland His Majesty’s Inspector Hilary Goddard Ofsted Inspector Rachel Hesketh His Majesty’s Inspector Gillian Hickling Ofsted Inspector Kelly Olive 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 phases

Beacon Rise Primary School 109133 Primary Cheddar First School 147822 Primary Fosse Way School 137493 Primary Oldfield Park Junior School 143558 Primary Pensford Primary School 146978 Primary Pucklechurch CE Primary School 109171 Primary St John’s CEVA Primary School 140452 Primary St Mary The Virgin CEVA Primary School 147145 Primary St Michael’s CE Primary School 109228 Primary Weston All Saints Primary School 142754 Primary Widcombe Infant School 143010 Primary Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy 140351 Primary Beechen Cliff School 146972 Secondary Chipping Sodbury VC School 148295 Secondary The City Academy 144509 Secondary The Crypt School 136578 Secondary Hayesfield Girls School 136966 Secondary Kingdown School 137230 Secondary Melksham Oak Community School 146344 Secondary Norton Hill School 136335 Secondary Oldfield School 136483 Secondary St Gregory’s Catholic College 109329 Secondary St Laurence School 137057 Secondary

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Name URN ITE phases

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

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 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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