University of Manchester

University of Manchester Ellen Wilkinson Building, Manchester M13 9PL

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Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness Outstanding Outstanding

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Inspection judgements

The quality of education and training Outstanding Outstanding

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Inspection judgements

Leadership and management Outstanding 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?

Trainees at the University of Manchester flourish in a partnership that places high-quality communication at its heart. Staff and mentors share aspirational expectations of how trainees can inspire future generations of children and pupils. Through exceptional centre- and school-based training experiences, trainees are fully equipped with the knowledge and skills that they need to successfully develop and refine their classroom practice. Trainees across all routes thrive.

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

In the primary age-phase, trainees readily apply their knowledge across the full range of national curriculum subjects, including early reading. Secondary age-phase trainees are deftly introduced to well-informed research that supports the delivery of their chosen subject specialisms. Trainees quickly develop the expertise to adapt their practice to suit the contexts of different schools and pupils’ additional needs. In their reflections, trainees balance pride in what they have achieved with measured ambition to further improve.

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

Trainees profit from highly proactive support that is tailored to their professional or personal needs. They are taught how to be mindful of their workload and well-being. Trainees are carefully grounded in their wider professional responsibilities, including safeguarding and managing pupils’ behaviour. This ensures that trainees throughout the partnership are extremely well prepared to confidently begin their teaching careers.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ In the 2023/24 academic year, the partnership provided training for 308 trainees over the primary and secondary age-phases. ◼ In 2023/24, there were 115 trainees in the primary age-phase. This included trainees following the university-led and the School Direct Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) routes. Trainees in the primary age-phase were trained in the five to 11 age-phase. ◼ In 2023/24, there were 193 trainees in the secondary age-phase. This included trainees following the university-led and the School Direct PGCE routes. Trainees in the secondary age-phase were trained in either the 11 to 16, 11 to 18 or 14 to 19 age-phases. The PGCE subjects offered in 2023/24 were: biology, chemistry, business education, economics and business education, English, geography, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages and physics. A small number of trainees complete cross discipline programmes in mathematics with economics, or physics

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Information about this ITE provider

with mathematics. ◼ The provider works with a wide range of partner schools. The current Ofsted inspection grades for those settings used, where Ofsted is the inspectorate, range from outstanding to inadequate. ◼ The partnership works with seven School Direct partners across the primary and secondary age-phases. ◼ In the primary age-phase, the partnership works with approximately 160 schools across 11 local authorities. ◼ In the secondary age-phase, the partnership comprises approximately 124 schools across 23 local authorities.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This inspection was carried out by six of His Majesty’s Inspectors and three Ofsted Inspectors. ◼ During the inspection, inspectors met with the head of initial teacher training, and programme and subject leaders across the primary and secondary age-phases. ◼ Inspectors met with members of the ITE management board, partnership committees in the primary and secondary age-phases, and representatives from the School Direct partnerships. ◼ Inspectors also held conversations with representatives from the university’s school of environment, education and development and spoke with leaders from The Manchester Institute of Education. ◼ Inspectors met with staff in partner schools. This included headteachers, senior leaders, professional mentors and class/subject mentors. ◼ Inspectors sampled a wide range of documentation relating to the ITE programmes. This included: subject and phase curriculum plans; trainees’ assignments and their

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Information about this inspection

records of target-setting and mentoring; and information relating to Department for Education (DfE) ITE criteria and supporting advice. ◼ 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, online meetings and on-site visits to partner schools. ◼ In the primary age-phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in early reading, English, geography, modern foreign languages, physical education and science. ◼ In the secondary age-phase, inspectors carried out focused reviews in chemistry, English, history, geography, mathematics and modern foreign languages. ◼ In the primary age-phase, inspectors spoke with 63 trainees and 13 early career teachers (ECTs), either face to face or remotely. ◼ In the secondary age-phase, inspectors spoke with 63 trainees and 12 ECTs, either

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Information about this inspection

face to face or remotely. ◼ During the inspection, inspectors visited 13 schools. ◼ Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and trainees. Primary phase report

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better?

Trainees in the primary phase benefit from first-rate training. This is because the provider has a clear and ambitious vision for what it wants trainees to understand and be able to do. Trainees receive excellent preparation for their roles as primary school teachers. Through the ITE curriculum, the provider skilfully places inclusion, diversity and action to address poverty at the heart of trainees’ learning.

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better?

The provider ensures that tutors and mentors have up-to-date, expert knowledge, including about primary school curriculum development, leadership and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It collaborates closely with partner schools to create, deliver, review and refine its ITE curriculum. Tutors and mentors expertly teach and coach trainees to become well-informed, articulate and skilful teachers.

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better?

Trainees build an in-depth knowledge of teaching and national curriculum subjects in the primary age-phase. They appreciate the foundations of these subjects in the early years. For instance, trainees understand how pupils’ learning of phonics should build on their early communication and language skills. Trainees gain specialist knowledge of how to teach systematic synthetic phonics to help pupils to learn to read fluently. They recognise the importance of giving weaker readers sufficient opportunity to practise their phonics knowledge so that they can catch up in their learning. Tutors inspire trainees to foster a love of reading in pupils. For example, through introducing trainees to high-quality fiction texts, tutors demonstrate how reading to pupils is a joy and a privilege.

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better?

Trainees, university tutors and school-based mentors fully understand how trainees’ centre- based and school-based learning builds on the DfE’s core content framework (CCF). Trainees develop great confidence. They excel in their teaching. For example, trainees understand how to adapt their delivery of curriculums to meet the needs of pupils, such as pupils with SEND, or those who speak English as an additional language (EAL).

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better?

Tutors and mentors model rigour and professionalism to trainees. They guide trainees to understand the importance and relevance of pertinent educational research, including that by national associations, to their work as teachers. Trainees are very well placed to contribute to educational debates and the further advancement of knowledge about primary education.

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better?

Thorough formative assessment processes accurately capture trainees’ progress through the ITE curriculum. This results in individualised, high-quality support for trainees that enables them to flourish.

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better?

The provider has a deep understanding of how to get the best from trainees and from staff across the partnership. It has established an extremely well-considered approach to its work at all levels. The provider is deeply evaluative, reflective and robust in designing and measuring the impact of its work, including that of tutors and mentors. This leads to highly sophisticated ongoing refinements to the ITE programme.

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compliance criteria?

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

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better?

Trainees in the secondary phase are provided with exceptional education and training. The provider has designed an extremely ambitious and enriching curriculum that builds extensively beyond the CCF. For example, trainees actively participate in, or contribute to, a wide range of conferences which inspire and equip them to be successful teachers of the future.

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better?

The provider’s vision for excellence, which encompasses values such as inclusion, tolerance, respect and social justice, underpins the curriculum. Leaders ensure that training about equality and diversity, SEND and EAL is fully embedded into trainees’ different experiences. This successfully deepens trainees’ understanding and broadens their application of the wide range of pedagogical practices that they learn about.

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better?

The provider has established a remarkable culture of collaboration in the secondary phase. For example, schools and subject experts actively participate in designing and critiquing subject-specific curriculums. This ensures that the curriculum covers relevant and appropriate subject knowledge to support trainees to be specialists in their fields. Schools that work with this provider feel extremely valued for the contribution that they make to ITE programmes.

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better?

The provider’s highly effective communication ensures that mentors and trainees fully understand the components of the ITE curriculum. Centre- and school-based training are seamlessly interwoven to ensure that trainees have a comprehensive and profound understanding of what it is like to be a teacher. This ensures that school-based mentors play an intrinsic part in delivering the high-quality curriculum aims.

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better?

School-based mentors are skilfully supported by expert university-based tutors. This equips mentors to reflect on the most appropriate approaches to support trainees’ progress through the ITE curriculum. Mentors’ high expectations and well-focused feedback supports trainees to gain extensive knowledge while honing their classroom practice.

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better?

Trainees demonstrate a deep understanding of the purpose and process of high-quality critical reflection on their own, and others’, practice. This is a highly developed feature of training programmes. Opportunities to reflect on reading, research and debate are threaded through all aspects of the course, including discussions with mentors.

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better?

Assessment processes are effective and efficient. At each stage of the programme, trainees are acutely aware of how well they are progressing through the ITE curriculum.

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better?

The provider carefully considers the workload of tutors, mentors and trainees. Mentors appreciate how they develop professionally through being part of the partnership. They value the provider’s consideration of their well-being, as well as that of trainees. The provider ensures that its high aspirations and expectations for trainees are upheld well. Tightly focused checks on the quality of training programmes provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the ITE curriculum. This enables the provider to ensure that trainees’ individual needs are carefully addressed through well-matched support.

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compliance criteria?

The provider meets the DfE statutory compliance criteria.

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ITE provider details

Unique reference number 70046 Inspection number 10308783

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ITE provider details

This inspection was carried out in accordance with the ‘Initial teacher education inspection framework and handbook’.

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ITE provider details

This framework and handbook 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 institution Phases provided Primary Secondary Dates of previous inspection 30 April 2018 and 8 October 2018

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Inspection team

Michael Pennington, Overall lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Tim Vaughan, Phase lead inspector (primary) His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Elaine Mawson, Phase lead inspector (secondary) His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dawn Davies Ofsted Inspector Valerie Elson Ofsted Inspector Sue Farrimond Ofsted Inspector Ben Hill His Majesty’s Inspector Jenny Jones His Majesty’s Inspector Jackie Stillings 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

Arundale Community Primary and Nursery School 106184 Primary Claremont Primary School 105408 Primary Godley Community Primary Academy 142704 Primary Moorside Primary School 105910 Primary Plymouth Grove Primary School 105443 Primary Seymour Park Community Primary School 106325 Primary St Lukes RC Primary School 105966 Primary Webster Primary School 139445 Primary Dean Trust Ardwick 141884 Secondary Macclesfield Academy 150483 Secondary Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls 130318 Secondary Stretford High School 106370 Secondary Urmston Grammar School 136297 Secondary Wright Robinson College 146239 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 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

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 phases

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 phases

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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