Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes University School of Education, Humanities and Languages, Harcourt Hill Campus, Oxford OX2 9AT

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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 Requires improvement

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

The experience for trainees has transformed since the last inspection. Trainees value the first-class support they receive at Oxford Brookes University. Dedicated staff look after trainees well and seek the very best for each trainee. The provider’s values of character, equity and inclusion are at the heart of this. If a trainee needs support, staff are on hand right away. Trainees are happy and proud to learn in such a nurturing environment.

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

Trainees benefit from a thoroughly planned curriculum that prepares them for their first teaching post effectively. Trainees experience diverse school placements which enrich their knowledge of educating children in modern Britain. This includes exploring life in a small village school to working with pupils in specialist provision. As a result of the carefully crafted curriculum, trainees know how to keep children safe, how to run an effective classroom and how to cater for pupils with additional needs.

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

Leaders ensure that trainees master early on how to teach pupils to read by using a suitable systematic synthetic phonics programme. As well as learning to teach the national curriculum, trainees are immersed in what it is like to be a primary school teacher. Together, the provider and partnership schools strive for trainees to have a long-lasting teaching career.

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Information about this ITE provider

◼ Since the last inspection, Oxford Brookes now solely offers primary-phase teacher training. Trainees can either study a Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Honours) undergraduate degree in primary teacher education leading to qualified teacher status (QTS) or a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 186 trainees. This comprised 158 undergraduate and 28 postgraduate trainees. ◼ The provider is also accredited in offering an assessment only route. This is open to unqualified teachers working in primary, secondary or special schools. This academic year, there have so far been three entrants to this route to QTS. ◼ The provider works with 125 partner schools across Oxfordshire and other neighbouring local authorities. Nearly all were judged good or outstanding at their most recent inspection. ◼ For the start of the 2025/26 academic year, Oxford Brookes is in the process of

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Information about this ITE provider

moving its teacher training provision from Harcourt Hill to its Headington campus.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This was a reinspection and was carried out by four of His Majesty’s Inspectors. ◼ During this inspection, inspectors held meetings with the head of the school of education, humanities and languages; the programme lead for initial teacher training (ITT); and other leaders with oversight of ITE programmes. The lead inspector met with some members of the partnership advisory group. ◼ Inspectors held meetings with a wide range of other university staff, including course leaders, lead mentors and admission leaders. ◼ Inspectors met with staff in partner schools. These included headteachers, senior leaders and teacher mentors. ◼ Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation relating to the ITE programmes. This information included subject and phase curriculum documentation, course handbooks, trainees’ portfolios, assignments and their records of target setting, assessment documentation and mentoring records, and

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Information about this inspection

information relating to the DfE’s ITT criteria and supporting advice. ◼ Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to the leadership and management of the partnership. This included the provider’s self-evaluation documents, improvement plans, quality assurance documents and minutes from meetings of the partnership advisory group. In addition, inspectors considered surveys from trainees and staff. ◼ In the primary phase, the focused reviews were in early reading, mathematics, science, computing, design and technology and physical education. ◼ Inspectors spoke to 22 trainees and eight early career teachers. The inspection team visited eight schools as part of the inspection.

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better?

Leaders at Oxford Brookes University have brought about improvements with a relentless pace of change. This has led to a marked improvement in the quality of education and training for the next generation of teachers. Headteachers in the partnership schools describe a ‘reset’ for the better and an equal partnership. Leaders work collaboratively with partnership schools to train and recruit dedicated primary practitioners who want to make a difference to children’s lives.

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better?

The refreshed ITE curriculum is highly ambitious. It is firmly rooted in the core content framework and covers well both core and foundation subjects. Trainees learn content in a logical way so that they are ready to apply their knowledge on their teaching placements. They learn from insightful and passionate subject leaders who help deconstruct educational theory. As a result, trainees can apply what they learn about at the university to their teaching in a primary classroom.

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better?

Within the curriculum, leaders select purposeful content for the intensive training and practice (ITAP) elements. For example, the climate for learning ITAP is set at the start of the programme so that trainees quickly learn how to establish culture, high expectations and relationships with pupils.

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better?

For the placement-based training, teacher mentors are clear about what trainees need to know and master. The curriculum booklets and weekly bulletins provide the consistency needed across all partnership schools. Trainees’ academic assignments and tasks help them successfully apply their centre-based training to the realities of teaching. Trainees benefit from a well-structured reflective process that helps them to think deeply about their development as a teacher.

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better?

Leaders prioritise strongly the teaching of early reading. Trainees learn about and practise how to teach the different parts of a phonics programme so that pupils quickly become fluent readers. Trainees also recognise how important it is to regularly read stories aloud to deepen pupils’ vocabulary and understanding. A strength within the ITE curriculum is how the latest educational research informs trainees’ subject and teaching knowledge. This includes approaches to revisiting pupils’ prior learning and adaptive teaching strategies which are ambitious for all pupils.

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better?

The provider’s rigorous quality assurance checks are now forensic. Leaders have a clear handle on strengths and key priorities for the year ahead. The work on improving and checking the impact of mentoring now results in a more joined-up approach. Teacher mentors identify improved communication that helps to keep trainees on track in their learning and practice. The trainee progress profile helps guide the assessment of trainees. It ensures that the trainee, the placement school and the provider are clear about trainees’ strengths and next developmental steps. Leaders recognise that there are still areas of inconsistency as important changes settle in and that the impact of some improvements to the curriculum are not yet fully realised.

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(Information for the provider and appropriate authority)

◼ Within some aspects of the planned ITE curriculum, implementation is at an early stage. This means the intended impact is not yet fully seen in trainees’ overall achievement. The provider should continue with enacting its robust plans and quality assurance processes so that all aspects of trainees’ professional practice are consistently strong.

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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 Dates of previous inspection 26 to 29 February 2024

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Inspection team

James Broadbridge, 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 phase

Combe Church of England Primary School 123116 Primary John Blandy Primary School 140307 Primary John Henry Newman Academy 138774 Primary North Leigh Church of England School 142152 Primary St John Fisher Catholic Primary School 139480 Primary St Mary and St John Church of England Primary School 123213 Primary St Nicolas Church of England Primary School 123166 Primary Windale Primary School 146381 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 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

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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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