i2i Teaching Partnership

i2i Teaching Partnership

Address: Weydon School, Weydon Lane, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 8UG Unique reference number (URN): 70316

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Inclusion Exceptional

Inclusion is central to the work of leaders. They deliberately and meticulously plan the recruitment of trainees from across the providers’ network of schools in response to changing national trends. Leaders tenaciously recruit under-represented groups into their programme and proactively target specific areas to encourage greater representation and diversity in the teaching profession. From initial expressions of interest to course completion, trainees receive precise adjustments and other scrupulous but subtle adaptations to best support their progress and readiness to be a teacher. These adaptations are applied very well by expert staff, who receive useful training on how best to enact leaders' vision. For example, a named contact closely monitors the trainee journey from application to course completion. It is the proactivity, personalisation and responsiveness of this coordination and

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Strong standard

support that particularly stands out. Leaders systematically review the support for trainees, including through the recruitment stage, to ensure the best possible impact.

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Strong standard

There is a deeply embedded culture of care at this provider which trainees value very highly. Trainees know that they can ask for help whenever they need it and they are keen to take up support from others both inside and outside of the provider to maximise their chance of success on the programme. The ‘team around the trainee’ approach, involving both centre- and school-based staff, ensures that trainees receive the support they need. This, combined with partnership-wide check-ins, such as the ‘weekly niggles’, enables any concerns to be identified promptly. Leaders quickly recognise barriers to trainees’ progress, maintain oversight of any additional needs and carefully monitor the impact of interventions. This structured and responsive approach ensures that trainees truly flourish.

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Achievement Strong standard

Trainees develop an extremely secure understanding of teaching their subject and are very well prepared to do so. Trainees are highly reflective, developing remarkable levels of independence and critical thought. They analyse and critique their school-based learning forensically, drawing on a secure understanding of the programme’s pedagogical and subject-specific content.

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Achievement Strong standard

Trainees gain a deep and thorough understanding of managing pupils’ behaviour, safeguarding and the fundamentals of highly effective practice. For example, they confidently apply classroom management strategies that can be adapted for different classes and year groups.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders’ meticulous system of ongoing checks, combined with high-quality mentoring, significantly enhances trainees’ understanding of their strengths and areas for development. The course prepares trainees fully for the realities of a career in education. They understand very well the wider duties and responsibilities of teaching. As a result, completion rates for trainees are impressively high, with almost all trainees securing a teaching post at the end of their training.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Leaders implement a curriculum that is highly ambitious. The expertly designed programme ensures that trainees deepen their knowledge and expertise over time. Leaders ensure that trainees are provided with a well-sequenced and balanced diet of professional learning, subject knowledge, practice and reflection. This is consistently taught well across the provider’s centres and supported by highly effective mentoring. Intensive training and practice opportunities are deliberately sequenced. This helps trainees to expertly bridge the theory and practice of effective teaching. High-quality research underpins every aspect of the curriculum. By design, the programme encourages trainees to systematically critique and reflect on academia to make adept choices on how to successfully implement research into their own practice. Leaders' meticulous planning ensures centre- and placement-based training is integrated

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

very well. As a result, school placements provide trainees with a secure understanding of different school’s contexts and their unique challenges. Trainees also benefit from regular, comprehensive safeguarding training which helps them to build a secure understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Trainees learn how to cater for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and those with additional vulnerabilities. Learning on this is deliberately woven throughout the training. Planned enhancements, such as placements in prisons and alternative key stages, provide trainees with valuable learning opportunities across the educational landscape.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Leaders implement highly effective assessment procedures that identify well what trainees know and can do, and what they need to improve upon. Staff and mentors follow a continuous and responsive cycle of checks that carefully monitor trainees’ progress and identify gaps in their knowledge. This ensures that trainees receive targeted, adaptive support throughout their training.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Trainees benefit from high-quality mentoring and live, in-the-moment coaching. They are full of praise for the consistently high-quality support and care for their mentors and initial teacher training coordinators provide. Mentors are highly appreciative of the communication from leaders such as weekly bulletins which helps them support trainees.

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Curriculum, teaching and training Strong standard

Each training centre is led by a team of expert centre directors who carry out the role of lead mentor. These lead mentors coordinate all aspects of trainees’ development and experience, under the careful supervision of the partnership’s co-directors, ensuring impressive consistency. As a result, trainees in the different centres benefit from the same high-quality training that builds their preparedness for the realities of teaching.

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Leadership Strong standard

Leaders have been highly successful in implementing the expansion of their provision, securing consistency in both delivery and the trainee experience. This success is underpinned by a clear, consistently applied vision and set of partnership values, which are well understood and valued by all stakeholders. In addition, they ensure that trainee recruitment is both robust and diverse, recognising its critical importance to the success of the provider and placement schools.

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Leadership Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate clear strategic direction, with well-defined next steps. They benefit from a deep commitment from partners and stakeholders, who hold the provider in very high regard. All staff and partners have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities and the high expectations leaders have of them.

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Leadership Strong standard

Leaders have also fostered a strong culture of ongoing self-reflection and continuous improvement. They maintain a meticulous understanding of the quality of provision across their evolving partnership. They have developed highly precise and succinct systems and procedures across the organisation.

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Leadership Strong standard

Those responsible for oversight of the initial teacher education (ITE) provision is highly effective. Through the executive and strategic boards, these groups stringently hold leaders to account and provide support and challenge when required. This includes ensuring compliance with the statutory and non-statutory guidance applicable to providers of ITE.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to further sharpen assessment processes in their drive for continued excellence and enhancement of trainees’ experience. Staff, including mentors, are highly trained and well supported. They feel included and are effusive about how well they are championed by leaders. Mentor training is particularly well pitched and well attended.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for trainees’ professional behaviours, including attendance. These are made clear to trainees using a code of conduct which makes clear the importance of attendance. Professional behaviours are taught explicitly as part of the programme. Leaders model their expectations and work with trainees on their readiness for teaching. This includes ensuring the trainees understand the importance of how to dress appropriately for their teaching. Leaders implement highly effective systems to oversee the development of of professional behaviours within the trainees. When any trainees fall short of expectations, this is swiftly identified and appropriate, targeted support is provided. Leaders from across the centres are pleased with the secure grasp of professionalism that trainees build before starting their school placements.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Trainees value learning about the wider aspects of being a teacher and developing their skills in carrying out the whole role professionally. This includes liaising with and managing interactions with parents, being a form tutor, and running clubs within the school. As a result, trainees are highly sought after by potential employers.

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Professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders provide useful guidance to trainees about how to build resilience, manage workload and focus on their wellbeing. As such, almost all trainees swiftly develop impactful strategies to organise, manage and prioritise their work. These skills set trainees up well for future success.

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

Since the last inspection, the i2i Teaching Partnership has successfully grown and flourished. Embedded throughout the curriculum is leaders' vision to prepare trainees to succeed as highly reflective practitioners in their subject. This inspires many trainees to choose the provider for their training. With a focus on inclusion, trainees develop into confident, reflective, and adaptive early career teachers equipped to succeed in different school contexts.

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

The trainee experience is defined by a strong sense of belonging, meaningful and personalised support, and a culture that empowers them to thrive. Across the provision, there is a clear and consistent commitment to inclusion, tailored support, and high ambition for all. Pastoral support and resources are highly effective. Trainees benefit from studying with a provider that gives very high levels of consideration to any additional needs or barriers they may have. Systems to communicate any concerns or worries helps trainees to achieve.

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

Teacher trainers deliver the curriculum expertly. Trainees benefit from a meticulously planned curriculum. This includes extremely high-quality subject-specific training. The programme brings intensive training and practice, professional skills and subject specificity together seamlessly.

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

Throughout the course, the leaders communicate and models high expectations. Trainees quickly develop the professional qualities they need to prepare as teachers. They are prepared well for the practical realities of the classroom, including managing behaviour and adapting teaching for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

Trainees feel well prepared, well supported and appropriately challenged in their development. They are thoroughly equipped to begin their teaching careers. Those working with trainees provide thorough preparation in safeguarding, enabling them to understand their responsibilities clearly and act confidently to protect the pupils they teach. As a result, almost all trainees go on to become successful teachers and future school leaders, an outcome of which leaders and colleagues are justifiably proud.

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About this inspection

i2i Teaching Partnership offers the one-year school graduate-entry route. Trainees study either the postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE) route or the level 6 postgraduate teaching apprenticeship route. The PGCE route is planned and delivered with Bath Spa University.

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About this inspection

In addition to the 113 trainees completing the graduate-entry route, a further 16 candidates were undertaking the assessment only route to qualified teacher status.

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About this inspection

There has been significant change since the last inspection. The provider has increased in size from 2 delivery centres to 5. These all deliver the i2i Teaching Partnership course programme and are overseen by the provider's two co-directors. A new governance structure, in the form of the executive board and a separate strategic board, has been established. New staff have been appointed, including centre directors (lead mentors) for each of the new centres.

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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

Inspectors spoke with provider leaders, including the accountable officer, leaders of the primary and secondary phases and representatives of governance. They also spoke with wider stakeholders, including lead mentors, mentors and trainees during the inspection.

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Team inspectors:

Clare Stenning, Ofsted Inspector Neil Pilsworth, His Majesty's Inspector

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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.

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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

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