Education Development Trust

Education Development Trust Highbridge House 16-18 Duke Street Reading RG1 4RU

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of professional development and training Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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provider?

ECTs are expertly supported and empowered to make a positive difference to the lives of pupils through Education Development Trust’s (EDT) programme. They are highly positive about being part of the EDT family, saying, ‘Everyone does everything they can to support us becoming better teachers.’ Clear and efficient communication between the lead provider and their delivery partners fosters excellence across the ECF programme.

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provider?

ECTs actively build on their prior learning by developing, deepening, and enhancing the knowledge, skills and understanding of their phase and subject throughout the course. For example, the curriculum skilfully provides ECTs with the principles and practices to precisely meet the needs of all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, ECTs are exceptionally well prepared to teach.

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provider?

ECTs benefit from the sharp focus on high-quality mentoring. Mentors are regarded as ‘the beating heart’ of the programme. As a result of high-quality training, mentors meticulously tailor course materials to ECTs’ individual needs. School leaders highlight that ECTs from EDT are highly regarded as excellent classroom practitioners, with a deep understanding of relevant research to inform their teaching.

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Information about this lead provider

◼ There are 6,124 ECTs undertaking the lead provider’s ECT programme. Of these, 2,881 are in their first year and 3,243 are in their second year. ◼ EDT works with 18 delivery partners. These delivery partners include 14 teaching school hubs, one multi-academy trust, one learning alliance, one university and one learning federation. ◼ EDT does not provide any direct delivery to ECTs, all the training is delivered by delivery partners.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This inspection was carried out by five of His Majesty’s inspectors. The inspection was carried out through in-person meetings, online meetings and on-site and remote visits to delivery partners. ◼ Inspectors met with the lead provider’s representatives, including the managing director (UK), the chief education and skills officer and the education policy and solutions director. Inspectors also met with the principal education adviser, the quality assurance lead, the senior partnerships manager, the senior education adviser and other leaders from EDT. Inspectors also met with representatives from the board of trustees and the executive leadership team. ◼ Inspectors carried out focused reviews within eight delivery partners. For each focused review, inspectors held discussions with delivery partner leaders and facilitators, spoke to ECTs, spoke to school leaders and mentors and considered appropriate documentation.

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Information about this inspection

◼ Inspectors also considered Ofsted’s online survey responses from ECTs, mentors, delivery partners and school leaders.

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better?

Excellence is at the core of EDT’s vision and work. Leaders’ commitment to quality assurance and improvement is a shining strength. Since the last inspection, the lead provider has sharpened its processes, implementing rigorous and systematic checks to sustain high-quality delivery and learning. They work tirelessly and collaboratively to support these processes. Delivery partners readily work alongside the lead provider in this continual improvement. As a result of this work, staff demonstrate complete clarity about their roles and their contributions to enhancing the programme for ECTs.

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better?

Expert delivery of the curriculum ensures that ECTs deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding. A rich mix of experienced leaders and experts in educational research teach on the programme. The curriculum builds on ECTs’ individual starting points. For example, mentors utilise the ‘stretch’ materials provided to enhance ECTs’ understanding of teaching pupils with SEND further. In addition, ECTs actively learn to critically evaluate research and apply it to their school settings. The curriculum is enriched with specific examples from strong classroom practice so that ECTs can apply their knowledge very effectively in their teaching. They benefit from engaging in professional learning communities, which further strengthens their practice. As a result, the quality of training is extremely high.

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better?

Adept mentoring tailors the curriculum to meet individual ECTs’ needs. The curriculum is broken into manageable blocks of learning, balancing workload for both ECTs and mentors. Pre- and post-block assessments help ECTs and mentors to know how well ECTs’ learning is progressing. Together with their mentors, ECTs learn how to apply their knowledge and build new habits in their own professional practice. Furthermore, ECTs identify their strengths and areas for development precisely. They actively engage with regular opportunities to revisit key knowledge and concepts, continually deepening what they know and can do.

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better?

Facilitators are carefully selected to deliver the programme. The lead provider expertly equips these facilitators, as well as mentors, with the necessary skills through detailed and precise professional development. For example, the newly introduced ‘cascade model’ for training facilitators ensures complete fidelity to the curriculum.

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better?

Governance is extremely strong. Trustees accurately understand the lead provider’s strengths and areas for further development, ensuring improvement priorities target the right areas at the right time. For example, recent upgrades to the lead provider’s digital platform have significantly improved the experience for delivery partners, mentors and ECTs.

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better?

The lead provider consistently ensures compliance with all relevant legislation. ECTs know how to raise concerns about safeguarding, equalities, or any aspect of the training programme. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the lead provider’s work, and one ECT, whose comment was typical of many, said, ‘I understand how the knowledge and skills that we learn directly benefits the children in my classroom, especially those with SEND.’

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Lead provider details

This inspection was carried out by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) in accordance with the early career framework (ECF) and national professional qualification (NPQ) framework and handbook .

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Lead provider details

The framework and handbook set out the statutory basis for ECF and NPQ inspections in England.

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Lead provider details

Lead provider programmes offered ECF and NPQ Dates of previous inspection 20 to 23 March 2023

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Inspection team

Linda Culling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Aitchison His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jackie Stillings His Majesty’s Inspector 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 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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