The Sheffield SCITT

The Sheffield SCITT Notre Dame High School, Fulwood Road, Sheffield S10 3BT

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Inspection judgements

Primary and secondary age-phase combined

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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 Good

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

Trainees value their deep immersion in schools from the very start of the programme. They gain valuable insight into theoretical learning that forms a strong foundation for their professional practice. The curriculum is delivered by knowledgeable and skilled staff. Trainees develop strong expertise in their phase or subject specialism. The programme, rooted in school-based practice, enables trainees to develop their proficiency very well.

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

The core training programme is very well structured and logically sequenced so that trainees periodically revisit key learning. Safeguarding and behaviour management are key elements of the programme. Primary trainees gain important insights into early reading. Trainees successfully learn how to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a particular strength of the programme.

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

Many trainees choose to pursue the optional Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) qualification. This extends their depth of academic learning and ability to apply this in practice.

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

The programme ensures that trainees are well prepared for the demands of being a teacher. Many value how the programme helps them to become reflective practitioners. They are very well supported. One former trainee, typical of many, commented, ‘I can’t imagine being any more prepared.’ Trainees are motivated by staff to start their teaching careers.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ There are currently 43 trainees on the programme. There are 22 in the primary phase and 21 in the secondary phase. ◼ The courses cover the primary-age range for pupils aged three to seven, five to 11 and five to 11 with mathematics. ◼ Current trainees on the secondary-age range course choose specialisms in English, mathematics, art and design, physics, chemistry, biology, history, religious education, modern foreign languages and physical education. The SCITT offers a full range of secondary subject specialisms. ◼ There are 31 schools in the full partnership, in five local authorities. The SCITT works with three lead partner providers. They are St Bernard’s Catholic High School, Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust and Mercia Learning Trust. ◼ Sheffield SCITT is part of the St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust. ◼ The partnership offers School Direct and postgraduate fee-paying routes to qualified

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Information about this ITE provider

teacher status. Trainees have the option to study towards a PGCE, which is accredited by the University of Hull. ◼ The partnership works with a range of settings, primary and secondary schools. The majority of these settings have been inspected by Ofsted, with judgements ranging from outstanding to requires improvement.

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Information about this inspection

◼ The inspection was carried out by three of His Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ The inspectors spoke with 18 current trainees and 16 former trainees from both primary and secondary age-phases. Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff and trainees. ◼ The lead inspector spoke with the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer for St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust. He met with representatives of the SCITT management board. He spoke with leaders from the three lead partner providers. Inspectors met with the director and leaders of the partnership. Inspectors spoke with key stakeholders. ◼ Inspectors carried out focused reviews of reading and geography in the primary age-phase. They carried out focused reviews of mathematics, science and English in the secondary age-phase. ◼ Inspectors visited nine schools to meet with trainees, mentors, ITE coordinators and headteachers. These visits also included observations of some trainees’ teaching.

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Information about this inspection

◼ Inspectors considered information related to the Department for Education’s initial teacher training criteria and support advice. ◼ Inspectors considered a wide range of information provided by leaders, including information about governance, safeguarding arrangements, trainee placements, the ITE curriculum, training resources and policies.

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better?

Leaders are driven by a shared mission to provide high-quality training that prepares new teachers who are ready to launch their teaching careers. The SCITT provides care and strong pastoral support for trainees. Trainees benefit from an ambitious and expansive curriculum. All trainees gain an in-depth understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND and how to adapt their teaching to meet their needs. They develop a mature appreciation of how to address the barriers faced by pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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better?

Primary age-phase trainees benefit from consistently high-quality provision. Trainees access a curriculum that successfully blends educational theory and research with school- based learning. They acquire the pedagogical and subject knowledge to teach their subjects well. Leaders make sure that trainees understand the importance of early reading and phonics. The theoretical knowledge that trainees learn is applied and further developed in school placements. Communication between all partners in the primary age- phase is a real strength. This helps to provide trainees with consistently effective training and support.

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better?

Trainees in the secondary age-phase benefit from strong core training. They learn important theoretical insight through the SCITT’s ambitious core curriculum. However, there is some variation in how well trainees’ subject knowledge is developed across the partnerships, especially in relation to how research and practice are aligned. Nonetheless, trainees appreciate and benefit from the core, subject-specific training and the learning gained in working with lead providers and school-based mentors.

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better?

Regular communication between trainees, school leaders and school-based mentors means that trainees gain from learning that is purposefully linked to the core curriculum. School- based mentors understand their responsibilities and fulfil their roles very well. They understand the programme design and how it builds trainees’ knowledge and confidence over time. In addition, in the secondary age-phase, some mentors have autonomy to determine and implement the subject-specific curriculum. This is mostly implemented well. However, there is some inconsistency in that some trainees do not gain the same depth of subject-based research in their learning as their peers. On the whole, trainees value the guidance and training received through the support of well-trained mentors.

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better?

Leaders have developed effective ways to assess trainees’ progress against the planned curriculum. They use assessment to help trainees build their understanding of their strengths and areas for development over time.

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better?

Leaders check on the quality of many aspects of the programme. They identify, and act on, areas that need improvement. The checking process is more robust in the primary age-phase than in the secondary provision. The quality assurance of the secondary age- phase provision is less effective than primary in its identification of any inconsistency in the implementation of the planned curriculum.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ There is variation in how well the subject curriculums are taught in the secondary age-phase by different delivery partners. Quality assurance systems do not consistently identify this. This leads to some variation in the quality of subject learning that trainees experience. The provider should work with delivery partners in the secondary age-phase to ensure that trainees experience a consistently strong curriculum.

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comply with the ITE compliance criteria?

The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70306 Inspection number 10310964

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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 and secondary combined Date of previous inspection 19 June and 27 November 2017

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, Lead inspector His Majesty’s 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 phases

Notre Dame High School 138361 Secondary Hungerhill School 137899 Secondary Maltby Academy 136042 Secondary The McAuley Catholic High School 140865 Secondary Sheffield Park Academy 131895 Secondary Sacred Heart School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy 140439 Primary Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School 106643 Primary St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School (Hallam) 140588 Primary St Marie’s School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy 138848 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 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 children looked after, 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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