East Lincolnshire Graduate Teacher Programme

East Lincolnshire Graduate Teacher Programme Initial Teacher Education inspection report

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Provider address CfBT Lincolnshire School Improvement Service The Vicarage County Offices Newland LINCOLN LN1 1YQ

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Inspection dates Lead inspector 29 June - 3 July 2009 Judith Matharu HMI 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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If you would like a copy of this report in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann’s Square Manchester, M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

1. The inspection was carried out by a team of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and other specialist inspectors in accordance with the Ofsted Framework for the Inspection of Initial Teacher Education (2008-2011).

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Introduction

2. The inspection drew upon evidence from all aspects of the inspection evaluation schedule, as it impacted on the initial teacher education, for those training to teach in both primary and secondary schools. Inspectors focused on the overall effectiveness of training in supporting high quality outcomes for trainees and the capacity of the partnership to bring about further improvements or to sustain high quality outcomes. A summary of the grades awarded is included on page 7 of the report.

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Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate

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The provider

3. East Lincolnshire Graduate Training Partnership (GTP) is a partnership which includes Lincolnshire School Improvement Service, Lincolnshire primary and secondary schools and an accredited provider of initial teacher education. It covers a wide geographical area, including primarily the coastal strip of the county with large pockets of social and economic disadvantage. There are places for secondary trainees (priority and non-priority subjects in the 11-19 age range) and a small number of primary trainees. At the time of the inspection, there were 16 secondary and 9 primary trainees.

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The provider

4. The partnership aims to meet the needs of the diverse range of schools in the county and aspires to support improvements in teaching and learning, particularly for local schools in challenging circumstances and those facing difficulties in recruitment. The provider’s central base is a purpose-built training suite in a partner comprehensive school to the east of Lincoln.

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Key strengths

 the excellent quality and effectiveness of school-based training in highly committed partnership schools that results in increasingly impressive outcomes for trainees

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Key strengths

 the outstanding personalised care provided for individual trainees and the prompt response to any issues or concerns which results in very high completion rates

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Key strengths

 the strong cohesion between the different elements of the training that provides an excellent grounding for trainees

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Key strengths

 the attention paid to ensuring that all partners are valued and able to fulfil their roles ensures that those involved in the training have consistently high expectations of the trainees’ achievement

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Key strengths

 the thorough evaluation, readiness to embrace change and commitment to ongoing improvement from partnership leaders which results in excellent trainee outcomes

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Key strengths

 the very strong sense of purpose that exists within the partnership and its significant contribution to the recruitment, retention and development of the teaching workforce within the Lincolnshire area.

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Recommendations

6. In order to further improve the high quality of training across the partnership, the provider should:

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Recommendations

 encourage all partner schools to evaluate their own training provision and effectiveness to match the best practice evident

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

7. Since its inception in 2003, East Lincolnshire GTP has steadily improved its provision to the point where outcomes for trainees from both primary and secondary phases are now outstanding. Trainees have high expectations of what learners can achieve, demonstrate excellent subject knowledge and real commitment to make substantial contributions to their learners’ achievements and well-being. The well- focused and carefully planned school-based training has enabled most trainees to become highly reflective, thoughtful practitioners. Since 2006, the attainment of a large majority of trainees in both phases has been judged as good or better. The attainment of over half of the current cohort is outstanding. This represents a good and improving trend in trainee attainment.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

8. Recruitment and selection procedures are rigorous, involving observation in a school setting and a variety of interview tasks designed to establish candidates’ suitability for the profession. Feedback from all school-based partners indicates high levels of satisfaction with their extensive involvement in the recruitment and selection process. Following selection, support from the provider together with school-based trainers and advanced skills teachers is exemplary, in ensuring that trainees are well prepared for their year ahead. Trainees appreciate the time spent in inducting them, assessing their needs and preparing their training plans, which are carefully personalised to meet their individual needs. These plans, coupled with excellent support from school-based staff enable trainees to develop the knowledge and skills needed to be outstanding or good teachers. The provider has made strenuous efforts to improve recruitment from under-represented groups. Following

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

the award of a grant to improve the recruitment from minority ethnic groups, an imaginative range of strategies was implemented, including the formation of a diversity forum to encourage minority ethnic candidates to apply for training. This has been very successful and recruitment for next year’s trainees far exceeds the provider’s target figure, despite the fact that the county has a very low minority ethnic population overall.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

9. Over the last three years, very few trainees have failed to successfully complete their training and the vast majority move into teaching posts in local schools. The programme leaders also have responsibility for the oversight of newly qualified teachers across the county, therefore trainees’ progression to employment is closely monitored and their needs as emerging teachers established as they make the transition into their first posts. Their subsequent progress is carefully tracked by the provider, with evidence of the majority remaining in the county, often in promoted posts. At inspection, headteachers spoke positively of the training programme and its contribution to staffing in their schools. They have high regard for the calibre of teachers emerging.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

10. A key strength of the provision is the excellent support given to individual trainees. Very prompt action is taken in addressing any issues or concerns to ensure that all of them have every opportunity to achieve as highly as possible. Trainees themselves speak warmly of this support and the efforts made to personalise their learning and find creative solutions to any concerns arising in order to support their individual needs. The different aspects of the training combine outstandingly well to provide an excellent grounding for trainees. The initial audit is detailed and comprehensive leading to trainees’ individual training plans, which are checked and followed up rigorously to ensure that these are adapted to meet trainees’ changing needs throughout the year. Their second school placement is carefully selected to ensure that trainees have a balanced experience in a different school context. Where

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

any issues have been identified in the main placement school, resources are used effectively to provide additional support or, if necessary, to find alternative training placements. Considerable effort is made to address trainees’ subject knowledge needs. Consequently, their subject knowledge is particularly good. For example, primary trainees demonstrate up-to-date knowledge and application of literacy and numeracy and the primary curriculum. Trainees’ excellent progress is directly linked to the very high quality professional dialogue following lesson observations from school-based and visiting advanced skills teachers. The best practice here is sparkling in its rigour, support and high level of challenge to move trainees on in their thinking and encourage their sophisticated analysis of their teaching and impact on learners. These skilled trainers are highly successful in challenging trainees to

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

improve their performances, the comment, ‘he has challenged me to another level and continually sharpens my practice’ typifies trainees’ views.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

11. Central training sessions are outstanding in quality. Nothing is left to chance; sessions are planned meticulously to meet individual needs and consistently model good practice in teaching. For example, the literacy leader visited each primary trainee to assess their emerging strengths and areas for development in teaching phonics and planned a high quality central training session to meet these needs. Trainee evaluations are reviewed in some detail to inform revisions or adaptations to central sessions. Local expertise is used very effectively to lead central training sessions with a range of consultants, school-based trainers and advanced skills teachers contributing to the programme. There is a continual emphasis on quality outcomes and achieving maximum benefit from the input, with the impact and outcomes for trainees consistently analysed. This attention to detail is impressive.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

12. All resources available to the provider are thoughtfully identified and allocated to ensure maximum benefit in outcomes for trainees and reflected in their high levels of performance. The central training base is a purpose-built facility and provides flexible accommodation housing the latest technology to support training. The administration and organisation of the training is highly efficient. The provider uses all available human and physical resources imaginatively to enhance its provision. For example, the use of the county’s advanced skills teachers to support individual trainees is a particularly effective strategy and has made a significant impact on trainees’ performances. The online resource is excellent; it provides extensive information for trainees and trainers and is valued by all partners.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

13. The quality of provision across the partnership is outstanding. Partnership documentation is impressive, being detailed and of an exemplary standard. There are well developed systems for continuously improving the work of school-based trainers, assessing the needs of their trainees and for ensuring the consistency of judgements, including numerous opportunities for joint observations. The consistency and regularity of sharp target setting contributes significantly to trainees’ rapid progress, supported by high quality documentation. Trainees’ files evidence excellent reflective skills and clear understanding of the impact of their teaching on learners’ attainment and progress. Considerable attention is focused on moving good trainees to an outstanding level through skilful mentoring. The value placed on the training is illustrated in the frequent progression of school-based staff. For instance,

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

there are a number of examples where school trainers have progressed to become advanced skills teachers or moved into school leadership roles. This reflects the quality of the training of trainers and the impact of this on teaching and learning and leadership and management generally in partnership schools. Consequently, such schools are highly positive about the exceptional quality of the training programme and its considerable impact on their work.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

14. The provider’s attention to the promotion of its own and partners’ equality and diversity policies and practice is outstanding . This is exemplified in the impact on trainees’ extensive knowledge and understanding of the issues. From discussions, it is clear that trainees have excellent awareness of equality and diversity issues and most importantly, this is evident in their teaching practices. For example, primary trainees demonstrated sophisticated understanding of the learning needs of pupils with a range of difficulties including those with special educational needs and the needs of those with English as a second language. In addition, trainees’ own needs are given considered attention. Trainees commented at inspection on how well they are supported, expressing their confidence in voicing any concerns or issues in the knowledge that these are followed up as a matter of priority.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

15. The assessment of trainees is rigorous throughout the training and leads to accurate final assessments. Very careful attention is paid to the setting and follow- up of targets by trainers in schools. Regular and often shared lesson observations between school-based staff and the programme leaders ensure that assessments are secure and judgements are consistent across the partnership. Inspectors confirmed the accuracy of the provider’s current judgements through lesson observations and interviews with a number of this year’s cohort. The provider is currently devising the means to assess trainees’ progress throughout the training year, relative to their starting points.

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Grade: 1

16. The provider has a very clear and accurate knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses. The partnership draws upon a wide range of evaluations and reviews, including visits from external examiners and regular programme evaluations from all training partners. Outcomes from reviews and evaluations are shared across the partnership, ensuring all partners contribute to and support the provider’s collaborative approach. The overwhelming view of school-based trainers is that the support, guidance and training from the central provider are very good. Current and past trainees consistently return highly positive feedback about all aspects of their training. Close attention is paid to these evaluations to inform further improvements to provision. For example, previous trainees requested additional training to support the teaching of pupils with English as an additional language. The subsequent revised training input was highly praised by the next cohort in their formal feedback.

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Grade: 1

The provider gathers detailed data and information about trainees’ progress and attainment, and this demonstrates a strong track record of sustained excellence over recent years. Despite the regular feedback from trainees and school-based trainers, individual schools do not always evaluate their own provision or the outcomes of their training with the same rigour. Some excellent practice is evident but this is variable at present.

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Grade: 1

17. Overall, self-evaluation is detailed and used exceptionally well to improve practice. The leadership of the partnership is skilled in always looking ahead and anticipating change on the educational horizon. For instance, the training programme is regularly reviewed and improved in the light of local needs and in response to national initiatives. Particular strengths include the preparation of secondary trainees for the 14-19 curriculum changes and the new Key Stage 3 curriculum, where trainees demonstrated very good knowledge and understanding. Similarly, lesson observations and interviews with primary trainees indicated an excellent grasp of the implications of the Rose Report, the Williams Review and recent reviews of the primary curriculum. This improvement focus is continuous, programme leaders are implementing changes for next year’s cohort based on current trainees’ feedback and in the light of dialogue throughout the inspection

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Grade: 1

process. There is a clear rationale for change, which is articulated well to training partners in order to maintain their support and commitment.

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Grade: 1

18. There is an exceptionally clear vision for the future of the partnership that very effectively promotes improvement planning. Programme leaders achieve a very good balance between highly efficient day-to-day management of the training and the ability to take a longer term strategic view. Recent improvement plans are logical and detailed and respond to careful analyses of both trainee outcomes and the various evaluations of training. Any perceived weaknesses are tackled with determination. There is a quest for sustained excellence and a real passion to support schools with high quality trainees who are able to make strong contributions to the county’s schools. Given this commitment and track record of achieving excellence, the provider’s capacity for further improvement is outstanding.

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Summary of inspection grades 1

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is satisfactory; grade 4 is inadequate.

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Overall Effectiveness

Employment- based routes How effective is the provision in securing high quality outcomes for trainees? 1 Trainees’ attainment How well do trainees attain?

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Overall Effectiveness

To what extent do recruitment / selection arrangements support high quality outcomes? To what extent does the training and assessment ensure that all trainees progress to fulfil their potential given their ability and starting points? Factors contributing to trainees’ attainment

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Overall Effectiveness

To what extent are available resources used effectively and efficiently?

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Overall Effectiveness

The quality of the provision To what extent is the provision across the partnership of consistently high quality? Promoting equalities and diversity To what extent does the provision promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and eliminate harassment and unlawful discrimination? 1

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outcomes

Employment- based routes To what extent do the leadership and management at all levels have the capacity to secure further improvements and/or to sustain high quality outcomes? How effectively does the management at all levels assess performance in order to improve or sustain high quality? How well does the leadership at all levels anticipate change, and prepare for and respond to national and local initiatives? How effectively does the provider plan and take action for improvement? 1

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outcomes

1 The criteria for making these graded judgements are in the Grade criteria for the inspection of ITE 2008-11; Ofsted July 2008; Reference no: 080128. Inspection report: East Lincolnshire Graduate Training Programme 30 June - 3 July 2009 Page 10 of 10

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outcomes

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints about school inspection’, which is available from Ofste’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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