University of Huddersfield

University of Huddersfield School of Education and Professional Development, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH Inspection dates 22 to 25 April 2024

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Inspection judgements

Early years ITT Primary age- phase Secondary age-phase Further education age-phase

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness Good Good Good Good

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Inspection judgements

The quality of education and training Good Good Good Good

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Inspection judgements

Leadership and management Good Good Good Good

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good Good Good Good

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

The university is rightly proud of its commitment to trainees across all four phases of initial teacher education. Leaders and staff foreground the well-being of trainees. They are attentive to the needs of trainees and put additional help in place whenever this is needed. Trainees value the care and support that they receive. Staff listen to their views and adapt aspects of provision in response to their feedback. This support enables trainees to progress well through the curriculum.

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

Trainees, and the settings in which they are placed, benefit from the rich research environment provided by the university. This encourages trainees to make continual connections between research and their practice. They receive particularly strong insights into how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders in placement settings value trainees’ expertise in this area.

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

Trainees learn about the professional attributes that they need to develop. They learn how to manage behaviour well. Safeguarding is foregrounded across all four phases. Trainees understand the needs of learners who speak English as an additional language. In the early years and in the primary phase, trainees learn the importance of early reading and synthetic systematic phonics.

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

The professional qualities of trainees from the University of Huddersfield are valued by local employers. Their insight and training often enrich the settings in which they apply their practice.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ The University of Huddersfield is a higher education institution that provides training across all four phases of initial teacher education. ◼ The provider works with an extensive range of schools and settings. The majority of these partners are inspected by Ofsted. In 2023/24, those settings that had been graded by Ofsted spanned the range of judgements from outstanding to requires improvement. ◼ In the early years, the provider works with 11 settings across nine local authorities. ◼ In the primary phase, the provider works with 160 settings across 22 local authorities. ◼ In the secondary phase, the provider works with 63 settings across nine local authorities. ◼ In the further education and skills phase, the provider works with 29 settings across 15 local authorities. ◼ In the early years, 12 trainees follow the early years initial teacher training with EYTS course on the graduate entry route. ◼ In the primary age-phase, there are 170 trainees in 2023/24. Of these, 129 follow the

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Information about this ITE provider

BA (Hons) primary and early years education with QTS. Thirty-eight trainees follow this course in the 3 to 7 age range and 91 in the 3 to 11 age range. Ten trainees study the postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) in primary and early years with QTS in the 3 to 7 age range. Twenty-six trainees study the PGCE with QTS in the 5 to 11 age range. Seven of these are on the School Direct route. There are five trainees on the level 6 PGCE primary education with QTS teacher apprenticeship. ◼ In the secondary age-phase in 2023/2024, 64 trainees followed the PGCE route. Fifty- nine trainees received their training directly from the University of Huddersfield and five follow the school direct route. They were enrolled on the following subject courses in the 11 to 16 age range: art and design, computing, design and technology, drama, English, geography, history, mathematics, music, physical education (PE),

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Information about this ITE provider

science: biology, chemistry, physics. ◼ In the further education and skills phase, 10 trainees follow the postgraduate diploma in education and training pre-service and two trainees follow this course on an in- service route. Thirteen trainees follow the professional graduate certificate in education and training on a pre-service route and 28 follow this on an in-service route. One trainee follows the certificate in education on a pre-service route and 15 follow this on an in-service route. ◼ The university works with 3 school direct partners.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This inspection was carried out by 12 of His Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector. ◼ During the inspection, inspectors met with the dean of the school of business, education and law, the head of the school of education, the head of initial teacher education, senior leaders, phase leaders, placement leaders and members of the ITE strategy group. ◼ Inspectors met with staff in partner schools. This included headteachers, senior leaders, ITE tutors and class and subject mentors. ◼ Inspectors sampled a wide range of documentation relating to the ITE training programmes. Inspectors also reviewed a wide range of information relating to the leadership and management of the partnership. These documents included leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement planning documents. ◼ The inspection was carried out through face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings and on-site visits to partner settings. ◼ In the early years phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in communication

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Information about this inspection

and language, including early reading, personal, social and emotional development, mathematics and physical development. ◼ In the primary phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in art, early reading, English, history, mathematics, PE and science. ◼ In the secondary phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in English, geography, history, PE and science. ◼ In the FES phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in: art, design and crafts; child, health and social care; English, media and expressive arts; hospitality and catering; science , technology, engineering and mathematics. ◼ Over the course of the inspection, inspectors talked to 82 trainees and 16 early career teachers or recently employed trainees. ◼ During the visit, inspectors visited 23 schools and settings. ◼ Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s trainee and staff online surveys. Early years phase report

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Information about this inspection

The University of Huddersfield is ambitious for the early years trainees. Leaders are committed to providing trainees with the learning they need. Their work helps the early years teachers they train to become appropriately skilled and to understand the importance of their role. Trainees value how the course combines online training with placement-based learning. They say this helps them to study alongside employment.

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Information about this inspection

The course content is well organised. The curriculum ensures that trainees gain detailed knowledge, alongside ideas about how to implement their learning into practice. Taught sessions are underpinned by pertinent research. Trainees use this research well to deepen their understanding.

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Information about this inspection

The curriculum is based around the statutory framework for the early years. Initially, trainees focus on the prime areas of learning. Teaching sessions link these areas closely together to support trainees’ understanding of the holistic nature of early years education. Trainees explore how children develop language and communication skills from the earliest stages of their development. For example, trainees are encouraged to identify ways to support a baby’s language development by encouraging them to watch how mouths move as trainees speak or sing. Trainees are well informed about how to adapt learning to meet the needs of all children, including those with SEND. Placement mentors value how well trainees are taught how to plan activities that meet the needs of all children.

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Information about this inspection

As the course progresses, trainees learn more about particular areas of the curriculum, such as creative development or phonological awareness. Some trainees would value this learning to be revisited more frequently. On occasions, this training is not revisited with sufficient regularity to ensure that they are fully prepared for their placements.

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Information about this inspection

Trainees implement much of the centre-based curriculum in their main placement setting. In addition to this, trainees experience a short placement in an alternative setting. This ensures that they work with children in different age ranges. However, not all trainees currently have the opportunity to work across settings with children from diverse backgrounds. Where this is the case, it can limit trainees’ understanding of how factors such as social disadvantage can affect a child’s learning and development. There is also some variation in how well the provider ensures that mentors understand the centre-based curriculum. This can affect how well this is reinforced. Leaders are aware of this and are developing an accreditation programme to ensure that mentoring is consistently effective.

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Information about this inspection

The provider uses assessment well to support trainees’ development. They identify strengths and areas for improvement that help trainees to build their expertise. At times, trainees feel this creates a heavy workload. The university is aware of this and is reviewing systems and processes to ensure that all experiences for trainees are of the highest quality.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ There is some variation in placement variety and in how often some aspects of training are revisited. This can affect trainees’ preparedness to teach. The provider should refine these aspects of the training programme to better prepare trainees for their role. ◼ There is variation in how well the provider ensures mentors know and are able to reinforce the central curriculum. This means that some trainees receive better support than others in applying their training to their practice. The provider should enhance mentoring systems so that all trainees benefit from effective guidance and support.

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compliance criteria?

The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria. Primary phase report

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compliance criteria?

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum that prepares trainees to be effective practitioners. Trainees develop autonomy through guided research. They apply this research to their own classroom practice, for example adapting their lessons to meet the needs of different pupils. Leaders foreground key aspects of the curriculum, such as SEND and phonics. This prepares students well for their first school placements. The full breadth of the core content framework is woven through trainees’ experiences.

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compliance criteria?

The university has established a course that is designed around national curriculum subjects in the primary phase. The commitment of leaders and staff to educational research inspires trainees to use guided research to deepen their practice. Trainees’ subject knowledge is enhanced by additional placements to observe teaching by expert colleagues.

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compliance criteria?

Where subject-specific training is well developed, trainees connect their university sessions thoughtfully to their placement experience in schools. This practice helps trainees to anchor their teaching in subjects such as PE. Where these connections are less well-developed, trainees’ practice is less secure. Quality assurance systems do not consistently pick this up.

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compliance criteria?

Trainees develop a deep understanding of early reading. Knowledge audits help to identify gaps in trainees’ understanding before they start the course. An effective training curriculum helps to address any gaps in trainees’ understanding. By the end of the course, trainees understand how to support pupils to read fluently.

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compliance criteria?

Leaders ensure that trainees learn how to adapt their teaching to include pupils with differing needs. Trainees gain a deep understanding of the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language. They receive incisive training on how to support pupils with SEND. Trainees’ expertise in SEND is highly valued by their placement schools. Much of the training in this area is exemplary.

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compliance criteria?

Partner schools are well informed about what trainees learn at university. They use this information to make sure that school experiences complement this learning. Regular formative assessment with mentors support trainees to reflect on their practice. However, the way in which targets are set for trainees is not as consistent as it should be. On occasions, targets do not support trainees’ deeper development of practice well enough.

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compliance criteria?

Leaders are guided by their moral purpose to provide a high-quality experience for all trainees. This is realised through a partnership that contributes effectively to the ongoing development of the primary courses. However, quality assurance systems are not used to full effect to give leaders a coherent view of the impact of the course, including trainee destinations.

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compliance criteria?

The support that trainees receive to meet their own needs is exemplary. Leaders make thoughtful adaptions to the course that help to remove any barriers that trainees might face. Leaders have established a highly inclusive and supportive culture from which all trainees benefit.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ On occasions, the targets set for trainees do not support their development as fully as they could. The provider should work with mentors and academic tutors to develop more effective target setting that better enhances trainees’ progression. ◼ The provider does not use quality assurance processes to full effect to check the impact of the course. Variations in subject training or information on trainee destination are not identified consistently well to support improvement. The provider should improve the use of quality assurance systems to further improve provision for trainees.

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compliance criteria?

The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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principles and requirements of apprenticeship provision?

The provider meets the principles and requirements of apprenticeship provision in the primary phase.

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principles and requirements of apprenticeship provision?

The provider carries out a thorough assessment of trainee’s learning needs at the start of the apprenticeship course. Staff in placement settings work closely with university staff to support trainee’s progression. Mentors provide effective training and support. Clear protocols are in place to ensure that trainees get the time that they need to complete wider training to prepare them for the profession. Trainees benefit from regular observations of their practice that support their development. The training, support and oversight they receive helps them to develop into skilled and competent teachers. Secondary phase report

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better?

The secondary phase curriculum prepares trainees well for the teaching profession. Clear principles are developed throughout the course. For example, trainees learn core pedagogical knowledge which is developed throughout the course and linked to the subjects that they teach. Trainees develop a thorough and sophisticated understanding of inclusion and how to adapt teaching to meet the needs of pupils with different needs. This is a particular strength of the curriculum. This is exemplified through the ways in which trainees use assessment in the classroom to help them know the pupils in the room. In conversation, trainees skilfully articulate their approaches for supporting pupils with SEND. For example, trainees can discuss monitoring techniques and adaptations to scaffolding tasks, dependent on the class and particular pupils they are working with.

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better?

Course leaders have thoughtfully applied the principles of the core content framework to their own curriculum. For example, trainees ask expert colleagues to provide feedback on their use of behaviour management strategies derived from the theory and research that they have learned. Trainees use this feedback to develop short-term actions and long-term development points. This process is applied across the course and ensures the ongoing application of theory into practice.

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better?

Leaders have developed highly effective processes to assess the progression of trainees through the course. Curriculum goals are shared with schools. Mentors are given clear information about how to assess trainees. Regular meetings allow trainees to reflect on their practice. Trainees’ professional conversations with academic tutors provide further opportunity both to allow trainees to demonstrate what they have learned and for course leaders to refine the targets that they set trainees. There is a clear and purposeful connection between all those involved in the assessment of trainees. As a result, trainees feel well supported and receive tailored support where necessary.

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better?

Leaders provide training for mentors that enables them to understand the principles of the course and their responsibilities for the trainees that they support. Course leaders’ use of interim visits, feedback from trainees and placement evaluations gives them an understanding of the strengths of mentoring, target setting and trainee reflections. This informs areas for improvement. Leaders do not use this information as well as they could in order to share best practice across the course.

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better?

Course leaders make judicious use of research and expertise to build the knowledge that they want trainees to apply. This is carefully linked to subject sessions by expert subject tutors. The research helps trainees to understand how and why certain approaches are successful with pupils. The success of the programme is exemplified through the high regard that school leaders have for trainees coming through the University of Huddersfield programme.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ The learning from ongoing quality assurance activities is not shared as well as it could be. This means that some strengths are not built on. Leaders should develop systems to share the best practice which currently exists to further enhance the programme for trainees.

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compliance criteria?

The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria. Further education and skills phase report

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compliance criteria?

Leaders align an ambitious and high-quality initial teacher education curriculum clearly to the further education and lifelong learning sector (FES). They have high expectations of trainees to move through their training from ‘becoming’ teachers, to ‘being’ teachers. They follow programmes that are firmly underpinned by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) professional standards. Trainees are made fully aware of how well they meet the ETF standards as they train and of their progression to qualified teacher learning and skills status on completion. However, some trainees do not benefit from carefully planned opportunities to experience teaching across the FES remit. This limits their exposure to teaching across the wide range of provision types.

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compliance criteria?

Tutors at the university and partner colleges ensure that the taught curriculum is consistently delivered to meet trainee needs. The curriculum is shaped and influenced by pertinent and up-to-date research that promotes evidence-based practice. As a result, trainees develop their confidence to explore, consider and challenge traditional foundational models of pedagogic thought. However, in a few instances, mentors promote the use of contested theories and teaching approaches in uncritical ways. This results in centre-based training tutors spending additional time correcting potential misconceptions.

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compliance criteria?

Tutors carefully plan and sequence the curriculum, starting with the pedagogical craft of teaching, learning and assessment. They effectively teach trainees how to apply and use assessment strategies to check and identify gaps in learning. Trainees reflect on how well their learners acquire knowledge and skills through the pedagogical approaches that they use. Such reflection helps trainees to apply very well-considered and highly effective approaches to teaching.

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compliance criteria?

Trainees value the collaborative nature of the pre-service and in-service programmes. They appreciate events such as the annual specialist conference that builds a shared community of practitioners. Such opportunities enable trainees to understand theoretical perspectives on topics of interest to them in their subjects. This includes balancing theory and practice in music technology or promoting multicultural teaching strategies in art and design.

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compliance criteria?

University and partner college staff create inclusive environments through effective teaching that encourages trainees to respect difference, diversity and inclusivity. However, while trainees are taught how to support learners with SEND, they do not routinely apply this in their practice.

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compliance criteria?

Trainees benefit from very helpful pastoral support from their tutors, which they value highly. Where they experience anxiety due to workload or personal pressures, trainees can rely on the swift and sensitive support of staff.

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compliance criteria?

Leaders and managers carry out effective quality assurance activities to check that training and mentoring is of sufficiently high-quality. Tutors, centre managers and mentors participate in quality cycle activities, such as joint observations and standardisation activities that help to identify strengths and weaknesses. Leaders use feedback well from trainees to shape and influence the sequencing of modules and curriculum content, including assessment to better support trainees in their centre-based training.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ On occasions, contested theories are promoted in placement settings in uncritical ways. This means that some trainees develop misconceptions. Leaders should enhance mentoring systems so that central training is better reinforced and to avoid misconceptions developing for trainees.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Some few trainees do not benefit from wide enough exposure to the range of education and training opportunities in the lifelong learning sector. This limits their experience of teaching at the different levels. The provider should ensure that all trainees benefit from experiences that prepare them as fully as possible for the range of provisions in the further education and training sector.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Too many trainees do not benefit from sufficient opportunities to apply their SEND training to their practice. This can limit their ability to adapt the curriculum for learners with SEND. Leaders should ensure that trainees have a better opportunity to apply their SEND training to their ongoing practice .

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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 Early years Primary Secondary Further education and skills Dates of previous inspection 9 May and 14 November 2016

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Inspection team

Malcolm Kirtley, Overall Lead Inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, Phase Lead Early Years His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, Phase Lead Secondary

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Inspection team

Chloe Rendall, Phase Lead Further Education and Skills

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Annex: Placement settings, schools and colleges

Inspectors visited the following settings, schools and colleges as part of this inspection:

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Name URN ITE phases

Dalton School 131849 EY Manor Wood Primary School 107913 EY West Bretton Junior and Infant School 108167 EY All saints CE primary school 107569 Primary Carlton Junior and Infant School. 107600 Primary Eckington Junior School 144293 Primary Field Head Primary Academy 139357 Primary Lindley Church of England Infant School 141057 Primary Lydgate Junior and Infant School 107678 Primary Moldgreen Community Primary School 107691 Primary Old Earth Primary school 137398 Primary Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary Academy 148484 Primary Roberttown CE(VC) Junior and Infant School 107721 Primary Brighouse High School 136604 Secondary Brigshaw High School 143238 Secondary North Huddersfield Trust School 136502 Secondary Rastrick High School 137444 Secondary Royds Hall 146327 Secondary Salendine Nook High School Academy 137869 Secondary Leeds City College(Luminate) 135771 FES New College Bradford 143689 FES Shipley College 130534 FES

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Name URN ITE phases

The College of West Anglia 130763 FES University of Huddersfield 133822 FES 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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