Embrace SCITT

Embrace SCITT

Address: The Sea View Trust, Clod Lane, Haslingden, Lancashire, BB4 6LR Unique reference number (URN): 2783609

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Inclusion Strong standard

This is a partnership that celebrates, recognises and advocates for difference and diversity. Expert senior leaders understand inclusion and make certain that the partnership carefully considers and reviews inclusion at all levels of its work. Leaders have a very clear understanding and first-hand experience of how to promote, develop and improve inclusion in primary schools, special schools and beyond. They embed these values across the initial teacher education provision.

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Inclusion Strong standard

A thorough understanding of trainees’ individual needs, as well as responsive action by leaders, sits at the heart of the programme day to day. The deliberate actions of leaders to remove and reduce barriers mean that trainees with specific additional needs can apply to train to become primary teachers.

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Expected standard

Trainees feel safe to disclose their needs to leaders. They find that leaders and teacher educators support their needs very well and know that across the partnership, no issue is too much. Leaders ensure that suitable reasonable adjustments are in place for trainees across the partnership.

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Expected standard

Leaders genuinely believe in inclusion while ensuring trainees are prepared for sustained success in teaching. They systematically gather feedback on their approaches and act very effectively on what trainees and teacher educators say about the support they receive. Trainees, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive well- thought-out, timely support that enables them to flourish.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders support trainees with extensive opportunities to develop their conduct and professionalism. Leaders check thoughtfully for any issues between trainees or with teacher educators or teachers in placement schools. Trainees experience highly respectful relationships throughout their training. They rise to meet leaders’ high expectations for their conduct. Trainees develop a deep understanding of what it means to be a highly professional classroom teacher, including how to make thoughtful decisions about how to manage their own workload.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders consider very carefully which placement schools and mentors are well matched to trainees’ professional and wider needs. Relationships between mentors and trainees are highly positive, supportive and respectful. Leaders make certain that trainees experience inclusion in all aspects of their training and are free from bullying.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have a keen focus on ensuring that trainees know how to keep themselves safe, such as when they work alone with a class of pupils. Trainees know how to use social media wisely as teachers to protect their professional integrity.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders expect high attendance. They implement effective systems to check on and support trainees’ attendance and participation in their training. Trainees are very comfortable in seeking the help that they need and know that leaders and teacher educators respect and act on their needs very well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Trainees, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, achieve well. They understand how high- quality teaching can build pupils’ knowledge securely. For example, trainees learn how to help pupils to retain key information in their long-term memory. Trainees complete their training and are well prepared to begin their teaching careers. Many trainees gain subsequent employment as school teachers. Trainees recognise their own teaching strengths and aspects for improvement. This is because leaders and mentors provide them with well-considered support for their individual needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Trainees develop the knowledge and skills that they need to become successful teachers. For example, trainees can apply what they learn about systematic synthetic phonics effectively. They also understand how to develop pupils’ essential knowledge in other curriculum subjects, such as mathematics. Trainees develop a secure grasp of how to manage pupils’ behaviour and how to identify and support pupils with SEND.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders have significant expertise in initial teacher education (ITE) and wider teacher development. They use their knowledge well to ensure that the training that they provide meets mandatory requirements. For example, leaders ensure that apprentices benefit from a well-balanced curriculum of both on- and off-the-job training.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the content of the training helps trainees to become thoughtful, skilful, well-prepared professionals. Leaders deepen trainees’ understanding of inclusion as a central focus of their training. They organise the ITE curriculum to build trainees’ essential knowledge of important concepts, such as how to ensure that all pupils feel that they belong.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders consider the content of their ITE curriculum logically. For example, they carefully plan the timing and content of intensive training and practice elements to ensure these fit well with trainees’ school placements. Leaders identify the timing of key content in the curriculum well so that trainees build their knowledge of the range of national curriculum subjects as well as supporting pupils with reading, writing and mathematics skills. Trainees learn how to use assessment techniques to check that pupils understand curriculum content.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders make sure that trainees learn about safeguarding. They revisit this important topic often to deepen trainees’ understanding, including of essential regional and national issues. For example, trainees learn how to prevent pupils from developing radicalised views about society.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders’ in-depth knowledge of educational research helps them to ensure that the training they provide is up to date and well informed. Leaders draw on their significant knowledge of primary education in mainstream and special schools to support the training in the primary phase. The training is rich in real-life examples of effective practice, such as how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders make sure that primary SEND trainees then learn additional skills and expertise in their chosen specialism.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Most trainees, including apprentices, benefit from mentors’ supportive help during school placements. Mentors carefully consider the knowledge, skills and confidence that trainees demonstrate in their classroom teaching. Where trainees choose to complete a post- graduate certificate in education as part of their training, they receive helpful feedback on their academic studies. Their assignments link well with their primary-specific training and development.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that trainees’ school-based training in the primary phase builds as effectively as it could on the centre-based elements, so that trainees develop even greater phase and subject expertise.

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Next steps

Leaders should consider how their oversight of mentoring can ensure that trainees benefit from a curriculum with clear and purposeful integration that supports trainees to apply their learning. Leaders help mentors to understand trainees’ centre-based training effectively. Nevertheless, at times, some of the school-based training does not build on trainees’ wider learning as effectively as leaders intend. This means that there is some inconsistency in the quality of support that trainees receive to deepen their knowledge.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders’ successful primary phase initial teacher education (ITE) provision is built on highly effective partnerships between several organisations. Together, they create a distinct, ambitious and forward-thinking programme for trainees. Leaders ensure that all those involved in the primary ITE programmes feel that they belong and respect each other’s views.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders and those who oversee the ITE provision are ambitious for the long-term role and impact of the training. They challenge themselves and other leaders about how they might achieve even more. They keep themselves very well informed of the partnership’s work, so they can support the improvement of the primary programmes effectively.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders make sure that minimum legal requirements, including safer recruitment practices and ensuring the principles of the apprenticeship, are met. They provide teacher educators and mentors with access to the training that they need to carry out their roles well. As a result, the mentoring that trainees typically receive is effective and helps them to improve their teaching skills. However, there is some variability in the standard of mentoring.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders regard the role of the programme to be a gateway to the teaching profession. They dismantle barriers and enhance diversity and inclusion in their ITE programme. They maintain high standards for who applies to the programmes, who takes up training and who joins the teaching profession.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders know the work of trainees and teacher educators very well. Leaders genuinely seek out trainees’ views and act on feedback. Leaders ensure that there is a close connection between the work of the partnership and regional and national needs and priorities. Leaders take thoughtful actions to improve their ITE programmes. For example, while being ambitious, leaders follow a clear, three-year plan of step-by-step improvements.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders champion inclusivity. It sits firmly at the heart of everything that they do. Leaders successfully reduce and remove potential barriers that might prevent applicants from joining the programme. From recruitment onwards, leaders emphasise the support available for trainees with any additional barriers to their learning or wellbeing. This encourages trainees to share any needs and to seek help with confidence that they will receive the support they need.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have well-thought-out processes to identify and reduce any barriers to trainees’ learning or wellbeing as they progress through the programme. Very well-considered ways of working are underpinned by warm and highly positive relationships between trainees and their teacher educators and mentors. Trainees feel known and valued as individuals.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders’ checks on the effectiveness of support for trainees with any additional needs are frequent and thorough. Leaders make any reasonable adjustments needed across all elements of the secondary training programme. They work closely with trainees and other stakeholders to skilfully review and adapt support, including for trainees’ academic writing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders equip trainees who face additional barriers with thoughtful help and guidance on how to navigate the teaching profession in the long term. The culture in the provision is such that trainees quickly feel confident to advocate for themselves.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders’ expectations of trainees’ professional behaviour are exceedingly high. Teacher educators, school-based mentors and trainees share a thorough understanding of these

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Expected standard

expectations. Leaders check that trainees conduct themselves appropriately, and if not, they take swift and effective action to support trainees to improve.

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Expected standard

Trainees attend their training and school placements very well. They are committed to their learning and are proud to act with professionalism. They are incredibly well prepared for the realities of the teaching profession.

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Expected standard

Leaders think carefully about how to ensure that trainees develop a wealth of ways to manage their workload as teachers. For instance, leaders help trainees to appropriately prioritise tasks and to develop resilience. Leaders make sure that teacher educators and mentors frequently consult trainees about how well they manage with their workload. This ensures that any concerns can be addressed at an early stage. Trainees develop a sophisticated understanding of how to manage the demands of teaching.

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Expected standard

Trainees feel able to raise any concerns that they might have, confident in the knowledge that bullying and discrimination are not tolerated. They are immersed in a supportive environment in which an abundance of pastoral and academic support is readily available to them. Leaders have established a culture of professionalism and care in which trainees thrive.

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Achievement Expected standard

Trainees develop the knowledge and skills that they need to teach their subject well. This includes ways to organise classrooms and manage pupils’ behaviour effectively. This ensures that trainees are suitably expert in their subject specialisms and that they have a thorough understanding of the realities of teaching in the secondary phase. As a result, trainees are well equipped to work in schools.

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Achievement Expected standard

Trainees become reflective about their professional strengths and priorities for improvement. Leaders ensure that trainees link these reflections meaningfully to their learning of the initial teacher education curriculum. This helps the trainees to identify effective ways to improve their teaching practice.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most trainees successfully complete the programme and qualify as teachers. Trainees with barriers to their learning, including identified special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from bespoke support to enable them to complete the programme successfully and achieve qualified teacher status.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Drawing on a wealth of expertise from across the partnership, leaders have designed an ambitious initial teacher education (ITE) curriculum that is informed by high-quality educational research. They continually refine and improve the curriculum in consultation with a range of stakeholders. This ensures that the training equips trainees with the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful. Leaders have been particularly mindful to ensure that all trainees benefit from teaching by expert teacher educators.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Trainees’ understanding of the secondary phase is enhanced by placements in primary and post-16 provisions. These placements give trainees a useful insight into the context of the secondary phase in pupils’ overall journey through education.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the ITE curriculum provides trainees with the underpinning knowledge and skills that they need to teach. Trainees build a clear understanding of how pupils learn and of effective teaching approaches. For example, most trainees learn how to adapt their subject teaching appropriately to meet the needs of pupils who may face barriers to their learning.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Trainees’ learning is complemented well by training that helps them to understand the nuances of their subject. Trainees’ subject-specific learning prepares them well for the distinctive aspects of teaching their subjects. For instance, science trainees learn how to establish effective classroom routines to manage practical experiments.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders ensure teacher educators know precisely what trainees should know and be able to do at different points in their training. This enables teacher educators to intervene swiftly if trainees do not make the expected progress through the ITE curriculum.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders implement suitable ways to ensure that school-based mentors know what trainees learn in the curriculum. Typically, mentors make effective use of this information to help trainees to apply their learning in the classroom. This is particularly impactful through the intensive training and practice elements of the curriculum. However, some mentoring does not connect trainees’ curriculum learning well with their classroom experiences, including through the feedback that they receive. Sometimes, this affects how well trainees incorporate the theories that they have learned into their teaching practice.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Expected standard

Leaders ensure that trainees develop a comprehensive understanding of their role to keep pupils safe. This learning begins at the start of the programme and builds steadily as trainees make progress through the ITE curriculum. Trainees readily understand how to follow the policies and procedures of their placement schools.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders’ ambitious vision to transform lives through education is particularly apparent in their approach to educating secondary-phase trainees about teaching vulnerable pupils. Trainees’ learning is grounded in reality and embodied in examples that teacher educators share of real children’s lives. This motivates trainees to become effective teachers.

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Leadership Expected standard

Partners are based across a wide geographical area and range of phases and settings. Leaders ensure partner organisations are closely aligned in their actions to ensure that the provision is of a high quality.

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Leadership Expected standard

Leaders and those responsible for oversight have a clear understanding of the strengths of their ITE provision, as well as the areas that would benefit from further refinement. Those with responsibility to oversee the provision are highly effective in how they hold leaders to account and ensure that statutory duties are met. Leaders take appropriate actions to

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that trainees’ school-based training builds as effectively as it could on the centre-based elements so that trainees develop even greater teaching and subject expertise.

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Next steps

Leaders should consider how their oversight of mentoring can ensure that trainees benefit from a curriculum with clear and purposeful integration that supports trainees to apply their learning. ensure that the provision is compliant with government requirements. This includes secure safer recruitment practices.

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Next steps

Teacher educators and mentors benefit from a carefully considered programme of professional development, which helps them to train and support trainees effectively. However, leaders have not ensured that mentors guide trainees to apply their curriculum learning in their teaching practice consistently well.

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Next steps

An unwavering emphasis on inclusion is woven through all aspects of the provision. Staff and trainees feel at ease in an environment where harassment and discrimination are not tolerated and are swiftly addressed if they occur. Staff, partners, stakeholders and trainees are proud to be part of this partnership.

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

Leaders have created a well-thought-out training programme that ensures that trainees understand the importance of a teacher's role to ensure that pupils in schools achieve, belong and thrive. Trainees are well placed to play their part as teachers by the end of the course.

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

Most trainees build secure knowledge of how to teach subject curriculums in primary and secondary schools. They relish opportunities to learn from the well-informed expertise of leaders and teacher educators. Trainees, including those who specialise in special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), gain a confident grasp of up-to-date educational research.

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

Trainees from primary, primary SEND and secondary programmes benefit from well- considered activities to learn together and from one another. They also build the important phase-specific and subject-specific knowledge that they need. Some trainees choose to benefit from taking part in an additional school placement in a European country.

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

Trainees’ confidence in their newly gained knowledge and skills builds well throughout the course. This is helped, for instance, because teacher educators enable trainees to understand essential classroom routines. Trainees, including apprentices, approach their first school placements well prepared to further develop their skills in behaviour management.

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Team inspectors:

David Spruce, His Majesty's Inspector Jenny Jones, His Majesty's Inspector Due to the skills and expertise of leaders and mentors, trainees develop a confident knowledge of how pupils develop and learn. Trainees are confident and knowledgeable to support disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

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Team inspectors:

Trainees are very positive about the high-quality support that they receive from teacher educators, including mentors. Trainees feel safe. Those trainees who have specific, individual needs and want to share this information find that teacher educators and mentors listen and consider their needs very carefully. Leaders ensure that they know trainees’ needs and consider these fully to remove any barriers to success. Trainees with SEND flourish in their learning to become teachers.

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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. • In the primary phase, the provider offers postgraduate routes in the 5 to 11 age range. Trainees choose to specialise in primary or primary with special educational needs and/or disabilities. An apprenticeship route is also offered in the primary phase. • In the secondary phase, trainees can choose from a range of 9 subjects. Trainees specialise in the 11 to 16 age range. • Trainees can complete a post graduate certificate in education that is provided in partnership with Liverpool Hope University. • Inspectors spoke with a range of provider leaders, staff and partners, including the chief executive officer (CEO) and deputy CEO of the Sea View Trust. The lead inspector met with several members of the strategic board, including the chair.

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About this inspection

• Inspectors sampled a range of documentation relating to the ITE training programmes, including aspects of safeguarding and compliance. • Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys of trainees and mentors. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey of staff. • Inspectors spoke with trainee teachers, early career teachers, mentors and lead mentors either face to face or remotely. Inspectors visited a sample of 5 schools across the primary and secondary age phases.

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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