Colchester Institute

Colchester Institute

Address: University Centre Colchester, Sheepen Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3LL Unique reference number (URN): 2827047

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Achievement Strong standard

Trainees develop significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours which prepare them very well to teach in further education and skills. Their adept reflections help them to progress quickly and achieve well at each stage of the programme. Apprentices feel highly prepared for their end-point assessment. College leaders are keen to celebrate when former trainees are promoted.

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Achievement Strong standard

Through the master classes taught by experts on managing classroom behaviour, trainees learn and apply a wide range of different strategies to manage classroom behaviour. Trainees purposefully arrange the classroom to encourage learners to collaborate, behave well and to participate in lessons. Trainees promptly and skilfully tackle issues such as lateness to lessons. Trainees gain relevant knowledge that helps them expertly adapt their teaching strategies to support learners with barriers to learning. Trainees use the information about learners' specific needs to plan highly effective teaching for individual learners. They check regularly and sensitively modify the support when needed.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the initial teacher education (ITE) curriculum is ambitious, flexible and highly relevant, including for trainees coming from industry or who have barriers to learning. Tutors use their high levels of expert knowledge very well to design an ITE curriculum that provides trainees with an in-depth understanding of a wide range of relevant learning theories, teaching strategies and other topics, such as safeguarding. Trainees apply this knowledge very successfully in their own teaching.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Tutors place a high priority on research in the ITE curriculum. They ensure that trainees have the understanding and skills to evaluate contested theories and recognise the benefits of contemporary evidence-based approaches. Tutors skilfully model a range of teaching strategies to showcase highly effective practice. For example, they use collaborative approaches to learning when trainees present their findings on a research topic.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Tutors ensure that trainees develop a deep understanding of inclusive teaching. Trainees learn from highly experienced specialists, who provide masterclasses in ways to adapt teaching methods to meet the needs of learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Tutors also draw on the expertise within the trainee group to present and reflect on subjects they know well, such as trauma-informed practices.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Trainees receive extensive guidance that helps them to develop their academic writing skills and use of language. They receive individual support with spelling and grammar, including personalised support from library staff. Trainees benefit from dedicated lesson time to discuss feedback on the practical application of this support on their teaching skills and meeting the needs of their learners.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Mentors understand the ITE curriculum well. They provide very helpful subject-specific advice to help trainees plan and teach particular topics. For example, trainees teaching construction learn from their mentors how to teach learners about health and safety. As a result, trainees use their sector experience and teaching skills to successfully cover topics such as using ladders when working at heights.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Tutors and mentors use assessment especially well to plan further training for trainees and to help trainees to improve their teaching. Both tutors and mentors quickly and accurately identify gaps in trainees' knowledge and teaching skills and provide helpful support to address these. They set trainees very useful actions for improvement and highlight further research to consider. Mentors and tutors help trainees to systematically reflect on the feedback from both observations and assignments to develop their teaching skills.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Trainees have access to an extensive range of highly effective pastoral, wellbeing and workload support during their course. Tutors systematically check on trainees' wellbeing at

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Expected standard

the start of lessons. Trainees understand the importance of prioritising their own wellbeing in order to support their learners.

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Expected standard

Leaders pro-actively seek and analyse trainees' views on the quality and effectiveness of the support they receive. Trainees speak very highly of the support, confirming that staff go significantly above and beyond expectations to support their wellbeing.

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Expected standard

Trainees demonstrate consistently high levels of professional behaviours in all aspects of their work and study. They have a sound and comprehensive understanding of how to keep themselves safe as a teacher. Trainees systematically evaluate and adapt their behaviour as a result of what they learn. They ask for support from colleagues when they encounter difficult situations with young learners.

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Expected standard

Leaders promote widely their zero-tolerance approach towards tackling bullying, harassment and unlawful discrimination. Trainees know that inappropriate behaviours in college are not acceptable and that leaders respond immediately to any incidents. Trainees reflect these high standards and expectations in the lessons they teach.

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Expected standard

Trainees understand very well leaders' ambitious expectations of them, including for attendance and behaviour. Their attendance to work and training is high and trainees demonstrate extremely high levels of commitment to their studies.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders create a safe and welcoming environment where trainees feel well-cared for. As a result, trainees can talk openly about their individual needs and any barriers to learning that they may have. Leaders review individual trainee needs through frequent discussions and, consequently, adapt the support trainees receive.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders understand well the needs of their trainees. They gather relevant information about any specific needs, such as medical, social and emotional needs. Leaders also work with trainees to identify and understand adaptations that may have worked successfully for them in previous learning environments. Therefore, leaders can quickly put in place relevant support that meets trainees' learning needs and help the trainees in their own teaching environment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

As college staff, trainees benefit from employee assistance services and reasonable adjustments. For example, trainees who need support with their mental health can access counselling support. Leaders also provide tailored support for trainees with barriers to learning such as dyslexia. For example, trainees get additional help with academic writing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Although leaders know and support their individual trainees very well, they do not systematically analyse data about trainee profiles. Leaders do not consider well enough any trends or themes in diversity or in the progress trainees with specific protected characteristics make.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that they systematically analyse data about trainee cohorts, including any protected characteristics, to ensure they can identify trends and consider the extent to which local communities are represented.

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Next steps

Leaders should expand the range of partnerships to offer trainees experience in a broader range of provider settings outside of colleges.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders have a clearly defined vision for offering initial teacher education (ITE) provision. They refocused their provision so that they now mainly concentrate on training new teachers in the college, including those moving from assessor to teaching roles. Leaders have introduced the level 5 learning and skills teacher apprenticeship to better meet the needs of trainees with a background in industry. Leaders appoint well-qualified and experienced staff members who contribute to practitioner-based research.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders have appropriate oversight of the quality and effectiveness of ITE programmes. They routinely report on performance to a range of committees, such as the college's academic board. Senior leaders appropriately challenge leaders to make improvements and to meet the performance targets set for teacher training programmes.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders carefully evaluate the ITE programme to identify strengths and improvement priorities. They use the information well to identify and implement changes. Leaders have recently strengthened the mentoring by introducing useful online resources. They have also strengthened observations of teaching practice through the introduction of internal expert practitioners.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders provide mentors with useful training and guidance for their role as subject specialists. Leaders make sure mentors give insightful feedback to trainees through co- observation activities. Teacher educators consistently send information to mentors about contemporary educational research. Consequently, mentors are well equipped to help trainees teach their subject.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders make sure that ITE programmes comply with statutory and non-statutory guidance, including safe recruitment policies and practices. They carry out appropriate checks on trainees' suitability for the course and as a teacher in the further education and skills sector.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders have thorough policies in place to tackle discrimination, bullying and harassment, which they effectively promote. Staff feel supported well to carry out their roles.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders prioritise the needs of trainees in their decision-making. They ensure trainees have access to a broad range of resources, including additional research sources and handbooks on the digital learning platform. Leaders engage with experts to inform and deliver the curriculum. However, they do not yet routinely engage with alternative providers of further education to expand the horizons of trainees beyond colleges.

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What it's like to be a trainee at this provider

Trainees speak very positively about their highly enjoyable, supportive teacher training experience. They consistently learn new teaching skills and fine-tune their practice because of the excellent examples of teaching they see from tutors.

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What it's like to be a trainee at this provider

Trainees employed at the college appreciate the opportunities to develop a network of colleagues from other departments. This helps them to learn from each other through sharing ideas and trying different ways to resolve issues. Trainees feel they are a valued part of the college community.

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What it's like to be a trainee at this provider

Trainees with specific learning needs appreciate the support they receive from trainer educators and their mentors to meet their needs. As a result of trainees' feedback, trainer educators now adapt the way they give information and feedback to trainees so that trainees maintain their confidence and flourish in their teaching. Trainees now receive information in manageable chunks, which they find easier to absorb.

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What it's like to be a trainee at this provider

Trainees value highly the ongoing formal and informal support from mentors to help with their workload. For example, mentors offer advice on time management when trainees need to manage competing deadlines, they share effective teaching materials and resources and pay attention to trainees' wellbeing. Trainees report high levels of satisfaction with the pastoral care they receive from mentors.

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What it's like to be a trainee at this provider

Trainees have useful and well-structured opportunities to extend their learning beyond the planned curriculum. This helps trainees to develop a sound understanding of how to keep learners safe and emotionally healthy. For example, they observe teaching practice across a range of subjects outside of their specialism. Trainees broaden their experience of teaching in other areas of the college, such as in the special educational needs and/or disabilities department.

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About this inspection

• At the time of the inspection, there are 20 publicly funded trainees studying initial teacher education at the college. • There are 4 trainees studying the professional/postgraduate certificate in education and 3 trainees studying the level 5 certificate in education in lifelong learning. These programmes are validated by the University of Huddersfield. • There are 13 apprentices studying the level 5 learning and skills teacher apprenticeship standard. • All but 1 of the trainees are employed by the college. • The college does not work with any training partners or partner colleges.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of training. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. • Inspectors spoke with provider leaders, including the deputy principal, head of teacher development and head of the university centre Colchester academic services. • They also met with tutors, mentors, trainees and stakeholders during the inspection.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of training.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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