Bishop Grosseteste University College

Initial Teacher Education inspection report

Provider address Newport Lincoln LN1 3DY

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Initial Teacher Education inspection report

Inspection dates Lead inspector 26 th – 30 th April 2010 Angela Milner 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Initial Teacher Education inspection report

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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. www.ofsted.gov.uk Reference no. 080190

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Introduction

1. This inspection was carried out by three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors supported by a team of specialist inspectors in accordance with the Framework for the Inspection of Initial Teacher Education (2008-11) .

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Introduction

2. The inspection draws upon evidence from all aspects of the provision to make judgements against all parts of the inspection evaluation schedule in the framework. Inspectors focused on the overall effectiveness of the training in supporting high quality outcomes for trainees and the capacity of the partnership to bring about further improvements. A summary of the grades awarded is included at the end of this report.

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Key to inspection grades

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

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Explanation of terms used in this report

Attainment is defined as the standard reached by a trainee at the end of their training. Progress is judged in terms of how well a trainee has developed professionally from their starting point to the standard reached at the time of the inspection or at a suitable review point. Achievement is judged in terms of the progress made and the standard reached by a trainee at the time of the inspection or at a recent assessment review point.

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The provider

3. Bishop Grosseteste University College is an established provider of initial teacher education (ITE). It works in partnership with a wide range of schools and settings from a number of neighbouring local authorities to provide training leading to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS) in the primary and secondary age phases. Further education teacher training is offered through the university college’s partnership with New College Stamford.

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The provider

4. The university college provides programmes for the continuing professional development of practising teachers, as well as ITE. As a result, the university college understands local workforce needs well and is the major provider of newly qualified teachers employed by Lincolnshire local authority. 5. At the time of the inspection there were 624 trainees, 539 of whom were primary, 49 secondary and 36 in further education. Further details on the provision in each phase are given in the relevant sections of this report.

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A commentary on the provision

6. The following are particular features of the provider and its initial teacher education programmes.  The ethos of care and the consistently high quality of personal and academic support for trainees on all programmes to ensure their well being.  The dedicated commitment to equality of opportunity through the promotion of equal and fair access to high quality training for all.  The high quality of tutors who effectively model teaching and learning practice for trainees.  The high employment rates and the provider’s clear commitment to local and regional workforce development.

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A commentary on the provision

7. There are particularly strong features in some programmes that could be applied to other programmes.  The strong emphasis on developing trainees’ detailed knowledge and practical experience of diversity issues in the primary programmes which includes: the use of visits, thematic weeks, diversity logs, issues based research and assignments, and active involvement in local community projects.  The rigorous tracking, assessment and moderation procedures which ensure the accurate measurement of trainees’ progress and attainment in the primary and secondary programmes.

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A commentary on the provision

8. The following recommendations should be considered to improve the quality of recruitment and selection.  Increase the proportion of trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds recruited to all programmes.

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Context

9. Bishop Grosseteste University College provides ITE in the primary age range through three main courses. Approximately eighty trainees per year undertake a three year Bachelor of Arts (BA) primary education degree course with honours. At the end of this course successful trainees are recommended for QTS. Trainees specialise in teaching pupils within the 3 to 7 age phase; the 5 to 9 age phase or the 7 to 11 age phase. Around 30 trainees a year follow a flexible course as part of a progression route from a foundation degree to enable them to attain a BA degree with QTS. The third course is a one-year professional and/or postgraduate certificate of education course with a cohort of 237 trainees. They specialise in either the 3 to 7 or the 7 to 11 age phase on a full- time or a flexible basis.

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Context

10. The university college works in partnership with 396 primary schools spread over a wide geographical area. Most schools are located in Lincolnshire but schools are also used in other neighbouring local authorities such as Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and the East Riding. Schools in the partnership are located in diverse locations and provide a range of contrasting rural, coastal and urban settings which include opportunities for trainees to gain experience of culturally diverse schools.

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Key strengths

11. The key strengths are:  the excellent communications within the partnership and the high quality support and guidance provided for trainees  the highly flexible and effective deployment of resources which enables the vast majority of trainees to make good progress  the very good training in equality and diversity which enables trainees to teach pupils from diverse backgrounds  the highly practical and interactive centre-based training that enables trainees to make the link between the theory and practice of teaching  the very wide range of methods used to assess trainees  the highly effective use of enhanced placements that broaden and deepen trainees’ understanding of current issues in education and schools.

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Recommendations

12. In order to improve the provider’s ability to evaluate its performance, it should:  make systematic and strategic use of data to improve outcomes for trainees.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

13. School mentors and trainees confirm that communications across the partnership are excellent, rapid and responsive. This is also a key factor in the excellent coherence between all elements of the training. The courses are very well planned and structured so that school placements and training build effectively on the trainees’ knowledge and understanding, developed as part of centre-based training.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

14. Schools are good venues for training and most school-based trainers are committed to the partnership and have a very good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Lead mentors value the opportunity to gain accreditation for their work towards a Masters level degree in coaching and mentoring. Mentors in schools benefit greatly from the combination of attending training and the regular visits they receive from tutors. This provides continuous training and development for mentors. For example, joint lesson observations effectively model how to train and assess trainees. These regular visits by link tutors are expensive to resource, but impact significantly on the good quality assurance of school-based training and ensure that the overwhelming majority of trainees make good progress. Trainees were effusive in their praise for tutors. They commented that they were always available, quick to respond to questions and queries and that they felt well supported and

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

15. Leaders and managers are sympathetic in allocating school placements for individual trainees dependent upon their needs and prior experiences. In addition to the resources allocated to the link tutor role, significant funds are allocated to transport so that trainees are able to access placements in a wide variety of school settings. As a result, trainees have a very good understanding of how to teach pupils from different backgrounds and circumstances. Resources are deployed flexibly to help trainees who have financial, medical, personal or learning needs. A member of staff is available during working hours to support trainees with their study skills. The university college also has a large collection of e-books, library books, journals, study rooms and teaching resources. Trainees were particularly positive about these facilities. Their ability to borrow resources from the library for use in school and their access to a

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

children’s librarian, who provides specific help when trainees are looking for particular texts to use, contribute well to the quality of trainees’ teaching in schools.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

16. The excellent centre-based training in equality and diversity enables trainees to have a very good understanding of how to teach pupils from diverse backgrounds including those who are at an early stage of learning English, those who have a disability or learning difficulty and those who are from different ethnic origins. Trainees complete a very good assignment in which they are asked to tackle a diversity based issue in depth. One trainee interviewed during the inspection completed a detailed study into Islamaphobia and another into gender bias in schools. Trainees are slightly less aware of how to challenge and cater for the needs of more able pupils. The university college has very good policies and procedures, which cover all of the main types of diversity, to ensure equality for trainees. There have been no incidents of harassment over the last three years and trainees feel confident in making a

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

referral should an incident occur. Trainees feel respected, valued and supported. The provider is aware of some differences between how well trainees attain on the various courses and is working effectively to reduce these.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

17. The overwhelming majority of trainees make good progress from their starting points. In 2009, over 85% attained the QTS Standards at a good or outstanding level. Those interviewed as a part of the inspection were highly satisfied with the quality of centre-based training particularly in physical education, mathematics, science, religious education, and design and technology. They explained the reasons for their good progress were the highly practical nature of the centre-based sessions which enabled them to make links between the theory of education and practice in schools and the way in which tutors motivated them to teach. Tutors model good practice. For example, in a design and technology session, observed as part of the inspection, the tutor read a story about a cow stuck in a pond and explained about how this story could be used to meet many of the requirements of the National Curriculum. The tutor then asked trainees to model what children would do. During the

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

session trainees made different cranes and hoists to lift the cow out of the pond.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

18. Educational visits and enhanced placements are used very well to deepen trainees’ understanding of education, schools and the curriculum. One excellent session, observed during the inspection week, took trainees to Lincoln Cathedral to look practically at how the outdoor environment could enable pupils to see the links between mathematics in the environment, religion, architecture and art. All trainees have the opportunity to undertake a placement in a special school and in a school with a high proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. As part of their training experience trainees choose to spend some time in a setting of their own choosing. Some trainees opt for a placement abroad in The Gambia or in a contrasting city environment, for example, Leicester. Other trainees take the opportunity provided to further evidence specific aspects of the QTS Standards.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

19. Tutors assess trainees’ progress towards meeting the Standards frequently and in a very wide variety of ways. This enables trainees to shine and provide evidence they have met the Standards in different ways. In addition to assignments, school-based tasks, tests and examinations, trainees are also assessed in their performance in presentations, formal discussions, blogs and wikis. This enables tutors to ensure the assessment of trainees against the QTS Standards is wide-ranging and accurate.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

20. There is a very clear rationale for the primary courses, which is to provide training for predominantly local trainees to teach in local schools. As a result of their training, trainees become reflective learners, keen to research and improve their own knowledge. They are well-prepared for their induction year. Employing headteachers and representatives from the local authority were highly positive about the calibre of trainees entering their induction year in Lincolnshire schools. The proportion of trainees successful in gaining employment is high. Selection procedures are applied rigorously, consistently and fairly. The university college has, however, been unable to attract many trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion of males recruited, although rising, is only in line with the national average. There is a very strong recruitment and selection process in place for trainees on the BA

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

progression route. A good and successful innovation since the last inspection is the use of former trainees to help in the interviewing of applicants and the way in which trainees act as ambassadors on interview and open days.

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Grade: 1

21. The university college has a very accurate understanding of its strengths and the aspects it needs to improve. This is because there is a comprehensive system of evaluating all of the primary courses using a range of evidence. This includes: the assessment of trainees and their assignments and subject knowledge audits; link tutor, mentor, and trainee evaluations; and reports written by module leaders, external examiners and external agencies. All of the main stakeholders including employers and former trainees are involved in evaluating different aspects of provision.

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Grade: 1

22. Leaders and managers collect, collate and evaluate data about trainees’ outcomes. There is scope to extend this further so that senior leaders are able to make strategic decisions based on trends and patterns over time between different groups of trainees and in relation to trainees’ attainment of the QTS Standards. The flexibility offered within the different courses, allows leaders at different levels in the university college to make changes that meet the needs of individual trainees and particular cohorts. In English, for example, trainees identified that they needed some extra sessions on the teaching of phonics. These were introduced quickly and as a result trainees were more confident and better able to teach early reading. There are good systems in place to quality assure and evaluate centre-based training through peer observation and the analysis of trainee evaluations and assessment results. There are also good

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Grade: 1

methods for quality assuring school-based training through the use of joint observations of trainees’ teaching, weekly visits by link tutors and summative evaluation reports on the quality of training for each school.

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Grade: 1

23. Since the last inspection an effective tracking system has been introduced to monitor the progress of individual trainees. This is used well to make timely interventions to support, guide and challenge trainees so that they can make good progress. Some of the provider’s current evaluation and quality assurance systems relate more to provision than outcomes. This limits the ability of subject and module leaders to strategically and systematically evaluate the impact of provision on trainees’ outcomes. 24. The courses have been adapted very well to respond to national and local initiatives and priorities. Trainees have an excellent understanding of the Williams’ recommendations into the teaching of mathematics and of how to use these when they teach lessons in school. The university college is highly effective at anticipating and responding to change in a timely manner. This is because the university college management systems and the courses

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Grade: 1

themselves are highly flexible and many staff and trainees are involved in national and/or regional subject organisations and networks. This gives the provider a good insight into developments in different subjects and a range of educational issues. For example, tutors and trainees have benefited from their involvement in a project with schools in Boston which used history and heritage to help pupils, teachers and the general public learn more about different cultures. Lincolnshire, as a county, has a very low proportion of pupils from different cultural backgrounds. Multi-cultural teaching placements, the link with Leicester local authority and the visit to The Gambia are all examples of the way in which the university college has devised innovative ways of enabling trainees to experience and teach pupils from a range of different cultural backgrounds.

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Grade: 1

25. The university college is at the forefront of driving change in developing its strength in diversity training. The family diversities reading resource is an outstanding piece of work, produced collaboratively by trainees and staff. It covers all aspects of diversity, for example, single parent, step-parent and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parent families. As a result of this and the other innovations, trainees are very aware of how to cater for and teach pupils from different backgrounds and heritages.

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Grade: 1

26. Since the last inspection, trainees’ attainment has improved and the high proportion of trainees completing the course has been maintained. A point for improvement identified at the last inspection concerned the assessment and marking of assignments. This has been fully resolved. Each assignment now has specific assessment criteria. This enables trainees to know exactly what they must do to attain different assessment grades. A second point for improvement concerned the monitoring of trainees’ teaching. Leaders and managers now track the progress of each individual trainee over the length of each course and closely monitor the trainees’ teaching ability.

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Grade: 1

27. Senior leaders have a clear vision and understanding of action and improvement plans. Improvement plans are very good. They are detailed and thorough and cover each of the subjects, modules and courses offered. These plans clearly identify the people responsible for taking the actions to improve provision further. Action plans are systematically monitored and evaluated throughout the academic year and there is strong evidence to indicate that actions taken have had a positive impact on improving outcomes for primary trainees.

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Context

28. Bishop Grosseteste University College works in partnership with 47 secondary schools to offer ITE leading to the award of QTS. Through successful completion of academic assignments, trainees are able to gain either the award of a professional graduate certificate in education or a postgraduate certificate in education, which includes academic credits at Masters level. The provider offers training in the 11 to 16 age range in English with drama, mathematics, science, religious education and music.

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Key strengths

29. The key strengths are:  the high quality centre- and school-based training which equips trainees extremely well with the professional and reflective skills required for their role as secondary teachers  the commitment to equality of opportunity through the promotion of equal and fair access to high quality training for all  the provider’s capacity to anticipate change and respond to local and national developments  the high levels of commitment, enthusiasm and shared sense of ownership demonstrated across the partnership which is supported by excellent communications and high-quality documentation  the detailed monitoring of trainees’ progress in relation to the QTS Standards which enables the provider to identify and take appropriate action to provide suitable levels of challenge for higher attaining trainees and additional support and interventions for lower attaining trainees  the high quality of personal and academic support for all trainees to ensure their

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Key strengths

well-being and that trainees’ individual needs are effectively met.

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Recommendations

30. In order to improve outcomes for trainees the partnership should:  make more effective use of available data to improve self-evaluation and review procedures  ensure that improvement planning focuses more clearly on measurable outcomes to enable the impact of such planning to be more precisely measured.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

31. The overall effectiveness of Bishop Grosseteste University College in securing high quality outcomes for trainees is good. A clear trend of improving outcomes is evident. All aspects of the partnership’s work are judged to be at least good and some aspects including training and assessment, equality and diversity and anticipation and change in relation to local and national developments are outstanding. This confirms the accuracy of the provider’s own self-evaluation.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

32. The overall attainment of trainees is good. Over 80% of trainees attained the QTS Standards at a good or outstanding level in the last two years. Inspection evidence confirms the accuracy of the provider’s assessment procedures and that most trainees make good progress from their starting points. Completion rates are high because of the attention paid to meeting the personal and academic needs of individual trainees and the effective support provided for trainees at risk of non-completion. The provider enjoys an excellent reputation locally. Employment rates are high. Headteachers indicate great levels of satisfaction with trainees, describing them as ‘professional and competent classroom practitioners’ who ‘engage enthusiastically in all aspects of school life’. Local authority representatives indicate that trainees are well prepared for their induction year and that retention rates in the first few years of teaching

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

33. Trainees become professional and reflective practitioners able to evaluate their own practice and its impact on pupils’ learning. They demonstrate particular strengths in the quality of their classroom relationships, their enthusiasm for teaching and their ability to carefully structure and manage learning for pupils. Trainees carefully plan lessons that cater for the differing needs of pupils and support the learning of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They set clear objectives to measure learning against and make effective use of a range of resources, subject knowledge for teaching and teaching strategies to motivate pupils and enhance their learning. Trainees’ experience of working closely with their peers on cross-curricular topics and subject knowledge development, as part of centre-based training, ensures they develop useful skills in teamwork, peer support and collaborative working

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

34. Recruitment and selection processes are rigorous in relation to requirements. A range of well-designed interview tasks are used to select candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds with the potential to be effective secondary teachers. The selection process effectively identifies trainees’ strengths and areas for development. Trainees are appropriately referred to a number of pre- course enhancement courses, audits and tasks including those designed to develop their subject knowledge. Trainees quickly begin to make progress on the course because initial targets set at the annual induction day are shared with school-based trainers at face-to-face briefing meetings and through a range of high quality documentation at the start of the course. Training and Development Agency (TDA) allocations of training places have been consistently met in both priority and non-priority subjects. The proportion of

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

mature trainees and trainees with disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of male trainees is, however, low in comparison with the sector average and few trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds are recruited.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

35. Trainees and former trainees express very high levels of satisfaction with their training experience which inspectors judged to be outstanding. The different elements of the training combine extremely effectively to provide a very high quality experience. The quality of centre-based sessions reflects the strengths of the partnership and demonstrates how relevant expertise is skilfully deployed to develop deep understanding of important educational issues and classroom practice. Trainees particularly value the many opportunities to learn from external speakers, tutors, school-based trainers and their peers through interactive group activities, presentations and via the virtual learning environment (VLE). The professional studies course includes a number of useful thematic days and a substantial emphasis on Every Child Matters issues. This prepares trainees well for their generic role as secondary teachers. Centre-

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

based subject sessions place a strong emphasis on the acquisition of subject knowledge for teaching.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

36. School-based training is developmental and progressive. It begins with a well- designed Key Stage 2 experience, and is followed by a serial and short first placement and a longer main placement experience in two very contrasting secondary schools. Good links between first and second placement schools, including some use of joint observations, mentor briefing meetings and clear target setting ensures a smooth transition between placements and adds to the coherence of the provision. The programme culminates in a three-week enrichment phase at the end of the course where trainees focus their work on one of four areas: special educational needs, the 14 to 19 curriculum, the wider workforce or English as an additional language. All trainees gain useful post-16 teaching experience as part of the programme and about one third of the trainees are involved in optional training in two of the 14 to 19 diploma

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

strands. All trainees have the opportunity to undertake a valuable alternative education setting placement. This allows them to shadow other professionals working in a range of contexts including special schools, museums and wildlife centres or to work with local authority advisers and school improvement officers.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

37. Assessment systems are accurately and consistently applied across the partnership because of the excellent guidance and documentation provided to record and monitor trainees’ progress and the effective internal moderation process consisting of joint observations and regular visits to schools from professional studies and subject tutors. The majority of trainees make good progress because they receive focused feedback and detailed next step targets for their professional development from mentors and tutors. Very careful monitoring of the progress trainees make towards achieving the QTS standards enables the provider to identify and take appropriate action to provide suitable levels of challenge for higher attaining trainees and provide additional support for trainees who are failing to make the progress they should . As a result, completion rates are high and a larger proportion of trainees are achieving

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

higher attainment grades than in previous years. 38. The quality, deployment and use of resources across the partnership are good and impact positively on trainees’ progress and attainment. Resource allocations are extremely responsive to trainees’ individual needs and allocations are driven by identified priorities for improvement. The well used VLE and extensive library resources ensure trainees have access to good quality generic and subject specific resources. Partner schools are particularly appreciative of their ability to access specialist resources, for example, musical scores and instruments.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

39. The quality of provision across the partnership is good. A strong common sense of purpose has been created across the partnership. A wide variety of schools, including training and partnership development schools, provide appropriate venues for training. Trainees are effectively mentored in schools. School-based trainers have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and carry them out appropriately. The quality of school-based training and assessment has improved markedly since the previous inspection. The use of partnership quality enhancement forms creates a valuable opportunity to exchange information and generate useful evaluative information in relation to the partnership.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

40. The partnership values and respects diversity and shows an excellent commitment to promoting equal opportunities and ensuring equality of access to high quality training for all trainees. This ethos underpins the provider’s personalised approach to individual needs and trainees’ well-being. Trainees are well prepared to teach pupils from a range of backgrounds including those from differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds and understand how to cater effectively for the learning needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Excellent support is provided for all trainees and particularly for those with a declared disability or at risk of failing to complete the course. Trainees and schools feel able to raise any concerns in the knowledge they will be efficiently and professionally dealt with by tutors. Trainees and former trainees feel that their opinions are not only listened to but are highly valued.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

They are positive about the equality of provision and there are no discernible differences between the outcomes for different groups of trainees.

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Grade: 2

41. The provider demonstrates a good capacity to sustain high quality outcomes for trainees and to take actions to secure further improvements. Thorough review and evaluation procedures ensure the provider is aware of its own strengths and areas for development. The provider anticipates change and responds extremely effectively to new local and national developments. It successfully plans for and takes the necessary actions to secure further improvements. 42. Leadership and management at all levels are good. There is a strong track record of improvements since the last inspection. Strengths that were previously identified have been enhanced. Subject training is now of a consistently high standard across all five subjects. Systematic monitoring of trainees is in place. This ensures trainees receive their entitlement and most make good progress on the course. Subject mentor skills have been enhanced. As a result, trainees now demonstrate strengths in planning and teaching that

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Grade: 2

impact on pupils’ learning in their specialist subjects. All trainees carefully evaluate learning and use a range of assessment for learning strategies, including the use of questioning, in their teaching.

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Grade: 2

43. The management team have a good understanding of current strengths and areas in need of further development and are already planning for further improvements to the delivery of next year’s programme. The provider is aware of the need to ensure that all trainees reach their potential and is working hard to ensure more trainees attain the highest possible grades in relation to the QTS Standards. The recent separation of strategic leadership and operational management responsibilities, with the creation of a new academic co-ordinator post, is beginning to impact on increased sharing and greater consistency of practice amongst subject tutors.

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Grade: 2

44. The provider has a very close relationship with its partner schools. Effective working relationships and strong levels of commitment have enabled the provider to improve trainee outcomes and respond very well to local needs. Inspection evidence shows there is a good capacity to continue to improve the quality of the partnership. For example, mentor training and briefing events are well attended and secondary school departments involve all members of staff in the training and mentoring process. Some schools have developed a shadow mentoring scheme to prepare teachers interested in becoming future mentors. Members of the partnership committee have been instrumental in improving the quality and ease of use of documentation. Some members deliver mentor training and others have benefited from secondment opportunities offered by the university college. These have enhanced ITE co-ordinators’ understanding

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Grade: 2

of centre-based training. Partnership conferences create valuable opportunities for effective mentors and co-ordinators to showcase their practice and a number of former trainees act as enthusiastic subject mentors.

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Grade: 2

45. The provider is highly responsive to internal and external evaluation and engages in a range of useful review and benchmarking activities that lead to improvements in systems, procedures and trainees’ outcomes. External examiners for the programme and each individual subject area complete detailed reports. These are used effectively by the provider to moderate assessments and as part of the detailed quality management and enhancement processes. A wide range of evaluative data, including newly qualified teacher (NQT) and national benchmarking data, trainees’ and trainers’ evaluations and satisfaction surveys, are used well as part of this process. The provider has recently begun to use surveys to effectively demonstrate the impact of the quality of provision on outcomes. There is scope for such surveys to be more widely used as part of the self-evaluation and review process. Trainees’ outcomes are carefully analysed in order to evaluate and continually improve

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Grade: 2

the effectiveness of recruitment and selection procedures, but the provider acknowledges that more effective use could be made of available data to enhance the review of other aspects of provision.

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Grade: 2

46. Leadership at all levels anticipates and makes changes which have a very positive impact on improving trainees’ outcomes and practice. As a result, provision is constantly adapted to take a range of initiatives and priorities into account. The provider has developed particular strengths in its provision for special educational needs and/or disabilities; the extensive use of a range of educational settings for training placements and enrichment activities; and has become involved in local and national developments in relation to changes to the 14 to 19 curriculum. For example, involvement in the current TDA funded pilot project, designed to develop trainees’ understanding and experience of teaching two of the vocational diploma programmes in Creative and Media and Engineering, is helping to enhance the quality of training and meet the strong local demand for suitably trained vocational teachers. The provider is well

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Grade: 2

informed about local and national developments because tutors attend regional and national network meetings, are active members of subject and professional associations and have relevant external examining experience. Outstanding levels of anticipation and response are evident in the area of assessment for learning, where a tutor’s own research and scholarship has led to a marked improvement in outcomes for trainees’ practice in the classroom.

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Grade: 2

47. Improvement planning is based on the provider’s accurate self-evaluation of strengths and areas for development. Actions focus on aspects in need of improvement and are regularly reviewed and shared with partners. However, action planning lacks a sufficiently sharp focus on measurable outcomes to enable the impact of such planning to be precisely measured. These plans, together with significant improvements to provision and outcomes for trainees since the previous inspection report and the outstanding responsiveness of the provider to embrace change demonstrate a good capacity for further improvement.

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Context

48. Bishop Grosseteste University College works in collaboration with New College Stamford to provide ITE for further education teachers and trainers. The course leads to the university college’s two year part-time Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS). The award is endorsed by Standards Verification UK. There are 36 trainees enrolled on the DTLLS course. Most of the trainees are employed at the college. New College also offers qualifications validated by a national awarding body which lead to Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) and Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector awards (CTLLS).

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Key strengths

49. The key strengths are:  the quality of the academic, personal and additional support provided for trainees, which enhances their personal and professional development very well  the extremely useful feedback given by tutors on lesson observations and assignments, which greatly supports trainees in securing improvements in their teaching practice and in their academic writing  the high quality of the tutors who effectively model practice and support trainees to develop and apply good levels of reflection  the strong emphasis in the programme on the ongoing development of literacy, numeracy, language and information and communication technology (ICT) skills, all of which trainees use to good effect in their teaching  trainees’ good use of a wide range of resources in their teaching  committed and experienced mentors who support the development of trainees’ subject-specific skills well.

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Required actions

50. In order to improve the quality and consistency of provision, the partnership must:  make more effective use of recently introduced tracking systems to effectively monitor trainees’ progress and achievement.

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Recommendations

51. In order to improve the quality and consistency of provision, the partnership should:  ensure the effective moderation of assessments made by mentors.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

52. The overall effectiveness of the provider in securing high quality outcomes for trainees is good. Given their ability and starting points, most trainees make good progress during the course.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

53. During the inspection, inspectors carried out five lesson observations of trainees’ teaching. There was a high level of agreement between tutor and inspector assessments but mentor assessments were found to be over- generous. Planned moderation visits by college tutors take place too late in the year to effectively quality assure the accuracy of assessment. Systems for monitoring trainees’ progress and grading their achievements are relatively new and are not yet accurate enough to provide a precise indication of how well trainees attain in relation to the professional standards.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

54. Thorough recruitment and selection procedures result in the recruitment of trainees with the potential to become good FE teachers. Many of the trainees recruited are from the college’s own staff. This includes a number of staff in dual support and teaching roles, such as technicians, who are encouraged to train to be FE teachers. A number of former trainees have subsequently taken up management responsibilities within the college. The proportion of trainees recruited from minority ethnic backgrounds is low and reflects the local population and workforce. Improvements in the recruitment and selection processes and the introduction of new courses by the college mean that applicants who are not yet ready to undertake a full DTLLS course are offered places on courses that are better suited to their individual needs or work requirements. Most trainees have completed national awarding body qualifications, also provided by the college, some time prior to progressing to

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

the DTLLS award. They are accepted on to the DTLLS course only when they have secured the required number of teaching hours. Completion rates have been low, but college data indicate a significant increase in the proportion of trainees that remain on the course. Retention rates are now good because of the additional support trainees receive to allow them to successfully complete the course. For example, one trainee was given the opportunity to undertake some volunteer teaching to ensure she taught the required number of hours for the award and another trainee with a specific learning need was provided with targeted support for writing assignments.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

55. There is an effective link between recruitment and selection and training and assessment. Auditing of skills, abilities and experiences, and induction tasks are used well to inform the production of an individual learning plan (ILP) and an associated action plan for professional development. This process clearly identifies individual training needs and ensures that appropriate development activities can be built into individuals’ training programmes. Training is flexible and responsive to needs. For example, direct applicants from other national awarding body qualifications are supported by a four week study skills programme that prepares them appropriately for the demands of the DTLLS course.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

56. The majority of trainees make good progress on the course as a consequence of good training and the high quality academic, personal and additional support they receive. Each trainee has an allocated personal tutor who takes responsibility for supporting and monitoring the progress trainees make during the course. Trainees benefit from constructive and extremely useful feedback on lesson observations and assignments from tutors. This greatly supports trainees in securing improvements in their teaching practice and ensures that they produce written work of a good academic standard. Tutors accurately assess trainees’ teaching abilities and pinpoint appropriate action points for improvement.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

57. ITE tutors are well qualified and very experienced. Current and former trainees praise the high quality of college-based training sessions. Tutors effectively model good practice in their own teaching, including the use of technology. This encourages trainees to adopt, for example, the use of a wide range of teaching and learning strategies and resources, including information and learning technology (ILT), in their lessons. Trainees’ professional development is further supported by their ease of access to a wide range of good quality resources including the college’s learning resources centre and the VLE.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

58. Trainees are very positive about the quality of mentoring they receive and how their mentors help them to improve their subject specific teaching skills. There is frequent and regular formal and informal contact between mentors and trainees. Experienced mentors have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and are well selected for their subject specific skills. They are very enthusiastic about their roles and are highly committed to their trainees. Although the assessment grades awarded to trainees are over-generous, effective mentoring ensures that most trainees make good progress. The college ensures that trainees working in external organisations, such as a local prison, benefit equally well from appropriate mentoring and are well supported by college tutors.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

59. Trainees are highly committed to improving their academic study and their practical teaching skills. Line managers report that the good quality college training improves trainees’ self confidence and increases their ability to use a wide range of teaching and learning strategies. Trainees demonstrate a secure understanding of the minimum core curriculum and include practical activities in their own lessons to develop learners’ skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT. Most trainees have a good rapport with their learners and are able to deal with managing challenging behaviour. They plan detailed lessons using their good subject knowledge and teach with a lively delivery style. Weaker trainees are less good at establishing appropriate relationships with their learners and planning lessons sufficiently well to meet the needs of all individual learners.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

60. One strong feature of the provision is the emphasis given to the development and application of trainees’ skills in reflecting on their own practice as learners and as teachers. Trainees complete a comprehensive justification in relation to how and why they have planned their teaching sessions in the way they have, before each lesson observation undertaken by a tutor or mentor. This document then forms the basis of the self-evaluation process completed following each observation. These justifications are an integral part of the observation and feedback process with mentors and tutors. Trainees also use their reflective diaries to inform a college assignment and evaluate their own learning journeys and action plans.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

61. All trainees feel safe, and are confident that their concerns will be handled appropriately. Trainees with specific needs are well catered for. There are no discernible differences in the achievements of trainees from different backgrounds. The college has included all trainees in thorough training in safeguarding and equality and diversity issues. Trainees have a good understanding of the processes and procedures to safeguard learners. Equality and diversity is given a high priority in the DTLLS course, although inspection evidence indicates that a few trainees are less confident in meeting the needs of all learners, particularly the most able.

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Grade: 2

62. The provider demonstrates a good capacity to secure improvements in outcomes for trainees. Strengths in the quality of training, demonstrated at the previous inspection, have been sustained and enhanced through the use of additional contributions from new specialists to the team. This includes those with specific expertise in the common core curriculum and equality and diversity in teaching and learning. There are good opportunities for the provider and the college to share good practice internally and to benchmark provision with other FE providers. Senior managers in both institutions show a commitment to the partnership and the continuing provision of high quality teacher education at New College. Roles and responsibilities are clear and communication within the partnership is good.

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Grade: 2

63. Self-evaluation covers all aspects of provision, follows the provider’s requirements and takes into account a wide range of evidence in relation to outcomes. This includes a detailed analysis of data in relation to identifiable groups of trainees. Although the college’s self-evaluation was over-generous in its judgements, and the analysis of data about trainees’ progress and achievements is not sufficiently accurate, the provider is aware of its strengths and areas in need of further development. Review processes place significant emphasis on the importance of feedback from trainees and external examiners. Trainees report that their views are valued and listened to. This systematic and comprehensive collection of trainees’ views also results in prompt improvements to provision. One example of such a rapid response was to trainees’ request to change the wording of an assignment outline and the criteria used for assessment. The provider is aware of the need to improve

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Grade: 2

communications with former trainees’ employers to ensure they can measure the impact of the training programme on trainees’ performance in the workplace.

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Grade: 2

64. The provider anticipates change and prepares and responds to national and local initiatives well. ITE tutors and contributing specialist tutors are actively involved in local and regional networks and play a significant role in staff development activities within the college. Inspection evidence indicates that such changes have had a positive impact on improving trainees’ practice and development. The ITE team have also worked with the college’s human resources department to enable the smooth implementation of national workforce reforms and the changes to FE teacher training. As a result, the provider has responded well to the requirement for teachers from across the lifelong learning sector to acquire appropriate teaching qualifications.

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Grade: 2

65. There are good links between self-evaluation and improvement planning. The provider plans and takes action to improve the programme and outcomes for trainees. Action plans are updated and regularly monitored. Inspection evidence confirms that actions have led to improved outcomes. All permanent and temporary staff are offered initial teacher training and the DTLLS programme is now promoted more widely within the local community. Completion rates and the proportion of trainees gaining employment have improved.

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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

How effective is the provision in securing high quality outcomes for trainees? 1 2 2

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Overall effectiveness

Trainees’ attainment How well do trainees attain? 2 2 3 To what extent do recruitment / selection arrangements support high quality outcomes? 2 2 2 To what extent does the training and assessment ensure that all trainees progress to fulfil their potential given their ability and starting points? 1 1 2 Factors contributing to trainees’ attainment

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Overall effectiveness

To what extent are available resources used effectively and efficiently? 1 2 2 The quality of the provision To what extent is the provision across the partnership of consistently high quality? 1 2 2

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Overall effectiveness

Promoting equalities and diversity To what extent does the provision promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and eliminate harassment and unlawful discrimination? 1 1 2

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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

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? 1 2 2

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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

How effectively does the management at all levels assess performance in order to improve or sustain high quality? 2 2 2 How well does the leadership at all levels anticipate change, and prepare for and respond to national and local initiatives? 1 1 2 How effectively does the provider plan and take action for improvement? 1 2 2

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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality

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

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