Blackburn College

Blackburn College

Address: Blackburn College, Feilden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 1LH Unique reference number (URN): 2827043

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Achievement Strong standard

Trainees acquire extensive pedagogical knowledge and practical teaching skills. They demonstrate a thorough grasp of a wide range of teaching competencies. Trainees use assessment strategies very effectively to check learners’ understanding, advance learners’ knowledge and support their progress. They are prepared thoroughly to teach their subjects.

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Achievement Strong standard

Trainees are well equipped for the realities of teaching in a range of further education and skills settings. They reflect critically and evaluatively on their teaching.

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Achievement Strong standard

Trainees consider carefully the theoretical concepts that underpin their practice and how these apply in their classrooms. They use their knowledge of pedagogy skilfully to plan with purpose and to make improvements to their teaching. Leaders have increased the number of trainees who remain on programme and achieve. Almost all trainees are successful and the vast majority progress into teaching roles. Trainees find their roles to be rewarding, and they are proud to be teachers.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Leaders skilfully design the initial teacher education curriculum. They integrate seamlessly the taught curriculum, pastoral support, teaching practice, mentoring and assessment. Leaders plan the programme carefully to ensure that trainees make progress swiftly.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Teacher educators demonstrate consistently high standards in teaching, assessment and curriculum design. They draw on wide-ranging and relevant evidence-based research and model how to analyse studies judiciously. Teacher educators incorporate meaningful opportunities for trainees to engage with action research. Trainees apply critical inquiry accurately and advance their subject expertise. Teacher educators inspire trainees to become the best teachers that they can be.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Teacher educators ensure that trainees acquire the core professional knowledge and behaviours that they need for successful practice. They focus on the key principles of teaching, inclusive practice and safeguarding. Teacher educators use extensive opportunities to revisit topics so that trainees consolidate their understanding and secure their skills.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Teacher educators are knowledgeable and skilful. They model methods that trainees can replicate in their own classrooms. As a result, trainees use effective techniques to ensure that learners contribute to lessons. They scaffold activities carefully and apply a range of effective assessment strategies.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Teacher educators use assessment adeptly. They identify what trainees do well and what they need to do to improve their teaching and academic practice. Teacher educators offer exact, developmental feedback that trainees act on to develop their teaching skills further.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Teacher educators maintain an unwavering focus on the needs of learners who experience barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Trainees gain a precise understanding of learners’ needs. Their training gives them the confidence to make meaningful adjustments that improve learners’ access to and engagement in learning.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Leaders ensure that trainees receive high-quality mentoring that is responsive to their needs. Mentors are proud to help trainees to reflect, improve and become independent teachers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders take deliberate actions to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion are integral to initial teacher education provision. Trainees benefit from sessions on the history of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), student profiles, the importance of adaptations and adjustments and widening participation. Governors receive precise and detailed information from leaders to enable them to review systematically how well trainees are supported. They scrutinise the systems that leaders use to identify trainees’ starting points and needs, including economic disadvantage and SEND. Governors ensure equity of provision for pre- and in-service trainees.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders work continuously to promote opportunities to attract trainees from the communities that they serve. They take steps to reduce barriers that could otherwise preclude those who may feel a career in teaching is out of reach. Leaders offer internal bursaries so that trainees with economic disadvantage are able to access and remain in education. Leaders and teacher educators ensure that trainees with SEND receive the support that they need to flourish.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pastoral mentors ensure that second placements accommodate trainees’ needs and that potential barriers are mitigated. Leaders’ and staff’s actions consistently make a profound difference to the opportunities and experiences of trainees.

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Leadership Strong standard

Leaders have taken significant and prompt action to improve the quality of provision. They have recruited new leaders and appointed a new teacher educator team. Leaders have restructured initial teacher education so that it is part of the college’s quality department. They use carefully considered quality assurance processes to hone the quality of their provision and routinely check the quality of support that mentors provide to trainees.

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Leadership Strong standard

Governors consistently hold leaders to account. They use their expertise in leading initial teacher education provision to enable precise scrutiny and challenge. The changes that leaders and governors have made have resulted in substantial improvements to the quality of provision and to trainees’ experiences and outcomes.

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Leadership Strong standard

Leaders design and implement highly effective staff training as an integral component of their ‘Transforming Teaching’ strategy. They have established a mentor community of professional learning. Leaders ensure that staff and mentors receive comprehensive, high- quality training. They support college-based mentors to achieve mentor and advanced mentor qualifications. In addition, teacher educators benefit from attending external conferences and membership of professional organisations.

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Leadership Strong standard

Leaders have established a network of partner organisations with a shared commitment to support trainees to become highly skilled teachers. Partner university leaders value the way that staff share practice to enhance provision across the partnership.

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Leadership Strong standard

Teacher educators welcome being part of a collegiate team where leaders provide them with the support and autonomy to perform to the best of their ability. They appreciate leaders’ actions that have enabled a significant, positive shift in culture where wellbeing is prioritised.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and teacher educators have high expectations of trainees. They introduce trainees to professional conduct, behaviours, expectations and safe practices at the start of their programme. Staff continuously revisit these expectations. Trainees display consistently high levels of professional behaviour.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that they sustain improvement to their curriculum so that these are embedded and maintained over time. Leaders and staff provide trainees with responsive and effective support and guidance. They monitor trainees’ attendance carefully and make timely interventions if there are concerns.

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Next steps

Trainees are proactive in seeking the help and guidance that they need. They receive valuable support from academic and wellbeing services and a comprehensive student assistance programme. Trainees acquire the skills that they need to manage demanding workloads. They understand how to safeguard themselves as teachers and the pivotal role that they play in keeping their learners safe.

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Next steps

Leaders systematically evaluate the support that they offer. They enhance provision to meet the needs of trainees, paying close attention to their feedback. Trainees’ feedback has led to improvements, including the availability of mental health services, extended library hours and out-of-hours careers and finance advice.

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Next steps

Teacher educators work tirelessly with trainees to ensure that they can successfully complete their programme. Trainees build the confidence, independence and resilience that they need for sustained success in teaching.

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

Trainees highly value the training that they receive from dedicated professionals. They are very well supported to become competent, professional and reflective practitioners. Trainees receive expert guidance from teacher educators and mentors to enable them to hone their teaching practice and academic work. They acquire the extensive knowledge and skills that they need to teach their subjects. Trainees particularly value the tools and techniques that they learn to manage learners’ behaviour. They undertake research to extend their subject expertise. A few trainees are supported by university leaders to publish their work.

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

Trainees show a confident awareness of inclusive practices. They speak about inclusion with assurance and authenticity. Trainees adapt their teaching effectively for learners with different needs. They are adept at using strategies such as scaffolding and giving learners time to process their thoughts. Trainees ensure that their learners feel included and are included.

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

Trainees have access to a wide range of pastoral support, advice and guidance. They can seek help from the safeguarding team and external mental health services. Academic coaches are available to support trainees to hone their organisational and referencing skills. Members of the college’s careers team visit trainee sessions to discuss local employment and wider opportunities. Leaders organise a careers symposium where trainees receive guidance from teachers who have completed their training. Trainees value personalised support to help with interview preparation and job applications.

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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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Number of partners and trainees

Trainees understand the pressures of teaching and how their workload may be demanding at times. They feel very well prepared to work as teachers and are driven by a desire to make a difference.

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Number of partners and trainees

Leaders and teacher educators have increased the proportion of trainees who remain on programme and achieve. Almost all trainees are successful, and the vast majority progress into teaching or higher-level study.

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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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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with leaders, trainees, teacher educators, mentors, employers and key stakeholders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 23 trainees in scope for the inspection. There were 5 trainees studying part time and 18 were studying full-time initial teacher education programmes. There were 3 in-service trainees and 20 pre-service trainees. There were 20 trainees studying the level 7 postgraduate certificate in education and 3 trainees studying the level 5 certificate in education programme. Almost all trainees completed their placement at Blackburn College. Two trainees had external placements.

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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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