University of Sheffield

University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield – School of Education, The Wave, Floor D, 2 Whitham Road, Sheffield S10 2AH

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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?

The university provides trainees with an exceptional quality of training. They are given the skills and the knowledge that they need to become highly successful teachers. Trainees are thoroughly prepared for their responsibilities for vital areas of teaching practice, such as safeguarding and managing behaviour. Leaders ensure that trainees receive insightful training on how to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils with English as an additional language (EAL). Trainees acquire a deep understanding of how to teach their subject in the secondary phase. Trainees are very well prepared to teach in a wide variety of school contexts and to address the challenges and opportunities that each setting provides. Local headteachers believe that appointing a Sheffield University trainee enhances the quality of teaching in their schools.

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

Leaders at the university have established very high expectations for trainees. They have equally high expectations for staff in partner schools and their role in providing high- quality training. Leaders ensure that highly effective support is in place to realise these expectations. Trainees receive a unified experience across university and school settings, gaining an extremely strong grounding in the discipline and pedagogy of their own subjects. This insightful subject-specific input prepares trainees extremely well to teach their subjects.

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

Leaders’ commitment to the well-being of trainees is a significant strength of provision. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that trainees are listened to and that, wherever possible, their views are swiftly acted on. Trainees report feeling that they can rely totally on their tutors for guidance, both professionally and personally. This support is instrumental in securing very high levels of success for trainees.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ In the 2023/2024 academic year, the University of Sheffield has 85 trainees. All trainees are in the secondary phase. ◼ All trainees follow the Postgraduate Diploma in Education route. This is delivered through the university or a School Direct, fee-paid route. ◼ Of the 85 trainees, 18 follow the School Direct route. They receive the same university-based training as other trainees. ◼ In the partnership, there are 42 schools, with inspection judgements ranging from outstanding to inadequate. Partnership schools are located across 11 local authorities. ◼ In 2023/2024, trainees were enrolled on the following subject courses: English, geography, history, mathematics, physics with mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics and languages.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection team was made up of three of His Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ Inspectors met with the programme director and deputy programme director. They met with curriculum leaders for English, mathematics, science, history and languages, including staff seconded from partnership schools to support those areas. They also met with those responsible for quality assurance, safeguarding and student well-being, as well as the head of the school of education. ◼ Inspectors spoke with 27 trainees in partnership schools and 17 early career teachers who had trained at the University of Sheffield. ◼ The inspectors conducted focused reviews in the following subjects: English mathematics, chemistry, history and modern foreign languages. ◼ Inspectors visited six schools over the course of the inspection. They spoke with trainees or staff based at a further 15 schools.

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better?

Leaders have carefully structured an ambitious curriculum that prepares trainees to be highly effective practitioners. Curriculum content is carefully sequenced to deepen trainees’ knowledge. Key aspects of the curriculum, such as safeguarding and behaviour, are foregrounded to prepare students extremely well for their school placements. The full breadth of the core content framework is intelligently woven through trainees’ experience and written assignments. The university has established a course with a clear academic focus on EBacc subjects. This is underpinned by significant and wide-ranging subject expertise. This expertise broadens and deepens trainees’ knowledge. Trainees flourish on this course and establish a secure sense of their own identities as educators.

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better?

Course leaders’ commitment to educational research inspires partnership schools to engage jointly in this work. University staff and expert colleagues provide trainees with deep insight into this educational research. The seamless connection between university sessions and training in partner schools helps trainees to apply this learning confidently in the classroom. Trainees use their cumulative knowledge and experience to co-create, with their tutors, an enhanced pathway towards the end of the course. For example, trainees might focus on specific aspects of practice to support pupils with diverse needs. These are well considered and distinctive opportunities that help trainees to consolidate and deepen the learning that they have acquired.

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better?

The way that the provider promotes inclusion is exemplary. Trainees gain a well-informed understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND and EAL. Trainees’ confidence to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of these pupils strengthens considerably during the course. By the end of their training, trainees are acutely aware of a variety of needs and are inspired to further hone their own inclusive practice. Trainees spoke passionately about the impact of the course on their understanding of inclusion. For example, trainees describe the transformation of their own practice when hearing directly from pupils with SEND and EAL about what support they need from their teachers.

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better?

Partner schools are very well informed about what trainees learn at university. They ensure that school experiences complement this learning. Regular training and excellent communication ensure that trainees receive effective mentoring that enhances the curriculum. Incisive quality assurance processes, including annual external reviews of each subject curriculum further ensures that trainees get the best possible training. Leaders are swift in responding to these reviews to further refine and enhance trainees’ experience.

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better?

Through the annual training programme, mentors receive clear guidance about how to mentor trainees and set meaningful developmental targets. Where small levels of variability exist in the quality of mentoring, leaders take swift action to support trainees and address shortcomings. Weekly, guided formative assessment supports trainees to reflect on their current practice and co-produce impactful targets. Trainees benefit from high-quality mentor support and clear, jointly understood assessment. Trainees know exactly what they are working towards and why.

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better?

The university is guided by its moral purpose to work for the public good. Course leaders fulfil this by consistently providing high-quality and sought after teachers. This provider is the hub around which an exceptionally strong partnership has been built. Individual schools, ITE tutors and mentors are inspired to join the university in its mission to further improve the quality of education locally. The relentless drive for excellence from the university and its partners is one which is benefiting schools across the local area.

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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 Higher education institute Phases provided Secondary Date of previous inspection 23 April and 1 October 2018

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, His Majesty’s Inspector Lead inspector Richard Jones, His Majesty’s Inspector Team member David Mills, His Majesty’s Inspector Team member

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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

King Edward VII School 107140 Secondary Meadowhead School 138545 Secondary Newfield School 140821 Secondary Ridgewood School 137603 Secondary Wales High School 136331 Secondary Wath Academy 145848 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 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

government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Name URN ITE phase

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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