UCL Institute of Education

JS; 15 October 2009 Institute of Education, University of London Initial Teacher Education inspection report

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Provider address 20 Bedford Way London WC1H 0AL

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Inspection dates Lead inspector 17–21 May 2010 Gwen Coates 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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telephone 08456 404045, 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 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. The Institute of Education, University of London is a long-established provider of initial teacher education. It offers primary and secondary teacher education courses, including an employment-based route, and teacher education courses for those working in the further education (FE) sector. Successful trainees in the school sector gain qualified teacher status and, if graduates, are awarded either a postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE) with 90 Masters level credits, or a professional graduate certificate of education (PgCE) with 30 Masters’ level credits. Trainees within the FE sector undertake qualifications leading to a PGCE, a PgCE or a Diploma in Education. Further details on the provision in each phase are given in the relevant section of this report. The employment-based route for primary and secondary teacher education is the subject of a separate inspection report.

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A commentary on the provision

4. The following are particular features of the provider and its initial teacher training programmes:

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A commentary on the provision

 the Institute’s formidable national and international reputation and its place at the forefront of many educational initiatives ensure that many of its initial teacher education programmes are heavily over-subscribed  a cross-phase initial teacher education sub-committee is in place, indicating the provider’s commitment to promoting cross-phase development and coordination. Regular meetings are starting to facilitate the sharing of ideas and practice among staff across all initial teacher education programmes.

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A commentary on the provision

5. The following are particularly strong features in all programmes:

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A commentary on the provision

 the high calibre of the trainees  the high priority given to equality and diversity and the preparation of trainees to teach in a culturally diverse society. ‘Respecting Difference: a good practice guide for PGCE tutors in issues of race, faith and culture’ is an exceptionally helpful guide produced by the Institute, based on research among a small but representative group of tutors from the primary, secondary and further education phases  the quality of centre-based tutors and centre-based training  the anticipation of, and response to, change at both local and national levels.

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A commentary on the provision

6. The following recommendations should be considered to improve the quality of the outcomes for trainees:

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A commentary on the provision

 share best practice more effectively across the provision  sharpen monitoring, assessment and feedback procedures.

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Context

7. The Institute works in partnership with approximately 350 primary schools and early years settings in and around London to provide primary initial teacher education programmes. There is a one-year, full-time route and a two-year, part-time route. The Institute offers French and Spanish as foreign language specialist elements to trainees on the full-time route. Other specialist areas offered include special educational needs, teaching and learning in multilingual settings and the foundation subjects. At the time of the inspection, there were 268 full-time trainees and 74 part-time trainees.

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Key strengths

 high-quality centre-based training that inspires trainees to want to become outstanding teachers  very good support systems devoted to developing trainees’ subject knowledge in English, mathematics and science  the wide range of partnership schools that provide good training opportunities and prepare trainees for teaching in a culturally diverse society  the recruitment of high-calibre trainees  the strong commitment to valuing diversity and eliminating harassment and discrimination  the active anticipation of, and response to, local and national educational change.

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Recommendations

9. In order to improve trainees’ progress and attainment, the provider should:

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Recommendations

 strengthen the quality of school-based training by ensuring that school mentors benefit fully from the training provided  ensure that trainees fully understand how well they are meeting the Standards and are clear about how they can improve their performance  ensure that all partners are fully aware of the Institute’s improvement priorities and understand how they contribute to them.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

10. The Institute has worked hard to increase recruitment from under-represented groups. It has achieved some success in this, including an increase in the number of male trainees accepted onto the programmes. The selection procedures are rigorous and meet the Requirements and the Institute works hard to identify those applicants with the desire and capability to meet or exceed the Standards. Retention rates are excellent for trainees on the full- time pathway but less good for those on the part-time pathway. Most trainees completing the training enter the teaching profession, a very large majority obtaining posts in London schools, helping to meet local needs.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

11. Trainees’ attainment and achievement are good overall. The components of the training programmes combine well to ensure that trainees are supported and enabled to meet the Standards successfully, although trainees on the full- time route do better overall than those on the part-time route. This is partly because many of the part-time trainees have competing demands on their time, including family and work commitments.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

12. The centre-based training is a strength of both full-time and part-time routes. It has some outstanding elements, including the procedures to develop trainees’ subject knowledge of English, mathematics and science and the quality of the training sessions. Many trainees commented positively about the tutors’ knowledge and enthusiasm for their subjects and how they feel inspired to teach because of the quality of the training they experience. The content and structure of the training programmes provide a good balance between theory and practice. Recently introduced educational initiatives are integrated cleverly into the training programmes. This attention to detail helps to ensure trainees are knowledgeable and up to date about the changes taking place in education and are able to incorporate them successfully into their classroom practice.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

13. School-based training is good overall. Trainees benefit from working in contrasting partnership schools, including, in some instances, schools in France or Spain. Most trainees receive high-quality support from school mentors, enabling them to develop their teaching skills in a challenging but safe and controlled environment. However, for a few, their placement schools do not ensure that they are placed with motivated and supportive teachers. In addition, different expectations have caused difficulties in some paired placements when trainees work together in the same class.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

14. Inspectors’ observations of trainees’ teaching confirm that trainees apply their theoretical knowledge and understanding of teaching successfully in practical situations. Most trainees plan lessons well. Clear learning outcomes are identified which are sometimes differentiated for pupils’ abilities. Relationships with pupils are good and many trainees make good use of technology, including interactive whiteboards, to engage pupils and capture their imagination and attention. However, they are not always fully conversant with assessment techniques and, in particular, how to monitor the progress pupils have made towards the lesson’s learning objectives.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

15. Procedures to monitor and determine trainees’ professional development against the Standards are comprehensive and rigorous. The quality of marking and feedback for written assignments is detailed, extensive and developmental. Trainees benefit from opportunities to discuss their draft assignments with subject tutors before submitting their final versions. Although other set tasks are also marked, trainees do not receive similar detailed written feedback. Tutors’ comments on both tasks and assignments are not linked to particular Standards, which reduces the scope for trainees to use this work as evidence of having demonstrated individual Standards.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

16. Trainees are monitored closely during their teaching practices to establish how well they are progressing towards meeting the Standards. School mentors play an important role in assessing trainees’ development and identifying where further effort is required; they carry out regular observations of trainees’ teaching. They also provide focused oral and written feedback to trainees about the quality of their teaching and set demanding targets. The written commentary is accurate but often generic and not particularly subject-specific. Neither does it focus in enough detail on particular Standards. As a consequence, trainees are left feeling unsure of how well they have performed against the Standards overall and they lack a real understanding of how they can improve their performance further.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

17. Moderation arrangements are established and understood. The Institute’s supervising tutors play a key role, visiting schools during each teaching practice to moderate judgements and to determine trainees’ progress towards the Standards. However, for a large proportion of trainees visited during the inspection, only a few reported having experienced joint observations.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

18. The Institute is resourced well, which benefits trainees’ development as they have good access to library and information and communication technology (ICT) facilities. They also benefit from high-quality support from tutors and supervising tutors. In recognition of the need for school-based staff to be trained and given time to work with trainees during teaching practices, the Institute devolves funding to partnership schools. However, attendance at organised training events and meetings is variable. The Institute is right to be concerned about schools not complying fully with the terms of the partnership agreement. Not only is the Institute not receiving best value for its money but there are some inconsistencies in the quality of support trainees receive from school mentors.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 2

19. Many of the schools working in partnership with the Institute are multicultural, providing trainees with a diverse training experience and preparing them well for working in London schools. The attention paid by the partnership to promoting diversity and eliminating discrimination is excellent.

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Grade: 2

20. The primary programmes are led well and there is strong determination to ensure that the training is of a high quality. The self-evaluation document is written clearly and provides a generally accurate appraisal of the provision’s strengths and weaknesses. Procedures to monitor and evaluate performance are secure, but the current systems do not ensure full involvement from all partners. For example, school-based trainers are not always familiar with the formal evaluation procedures and are often unaware of the results of any monitoring activities that have taken place. Internal and external moderation arrangements are robust and provide strong evidence of the programmes’ effectiveness. Information gathered from stakeholders, including trainees, is collated and used to determine where further refinement is required.

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Grade: 2

21. Course leaders are highly responsive to change. They have created an experienced and influential team of professional tutors who bring the benefits of their research to the training. Changes to the provision have been introduced smoothly and successfully. For example, the work undertaken to include the findings of Sir Jim Rose’s Independent review of the teaching of early reading into the training programme has resulted in a very positive response from trainees. The Training and Development Agency has acknowledged the Institute’s particular success in this and asked it to share this good practice with other training providers.

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Grade: 2

22. Course leaders’ plans for improvement are well founded, being linked closely to the findings of the various monitoring and evaluation activities. They are used to construct an annual improvement plan that sets out the key priorities for development. Course leaders are right to ensure that the current priorities focus closely on strategies to improve trainees’ outcomes and that their stated success criteria are increasingly linked to strengthening trainees’ attainment and achievement. Inspection evidence about trainees’ current performance suggests that trainees’ outcomes will improve significantly this year, with a higher proportion of trainees being graded outstanding than in previous years. The leadership of the primary provision has a good capacity to secure further improvement in relation to trainees’ outcomes.

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Context

23. The Institute offers secondary teacher education courses in 13 subjects: art and design, business and economics, citizenship, English and English with drama, geography, history, ICT, mathematics, foreign languages, music, social science, religious education and science. Most are one-year, full-time courses although there is a two-year, part-time art and design course. Most subjects provide training in the 11 to 16 age range. The exceptions are business and economics, social science and part-time art and design, which provide training in the 14 to 19 age range. In addition to this provision, 10 trainees follow English with drama and a creative media diploma course. At the time of the inspection, there were 710 trainees following secondary programmes. There are approximately 280 schools in the secondary partnership.

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Key strengths

 trainees who are highly reflective, creative and willing to take risks and who want to face the challenge of teaching in London schools  excellent, coherent training  the exceptional quality of subject tutors and their commitment to trainees and their partner schools  the way in which the outcomes of centre-based training are effectively developed in schools  the way in which the principles of equality and diversity are embedded in the training and prepare trainees to teach in a culturally diverse society  rigorous selection procedures that result in the recruitment of high-quality trainees from diverse backgrounds  the exceptionally strong relationship between trainees and their centre- and school-based tutors and the excellent communication between all stakeholders  the quality of the partnership and the contribution made to the training by partnership managers and professional coordinating mentors.

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Recommendations

25. In order to improve trainees’ progress and attainment, the provider should:  refine the systems for monitoring and assessing trainees’ progress in relation to the Standards so that there is more consistency across subjects, and successfully complete the introduction across the partnership of revised criteria for judging the quality of trainees.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

26. The assessment of trainees is accurate and their attainment overall meets the criteria for outstanding, with no significant differences in relation to gender, ethnicity or disability.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

27. Trainees observed during the inspection were performing very well across all the Standards but had particular strengths in those related to classroom practice. Most trainees have an exceptionally well-developed ability to reflect and critically evaluate their own practice. They have strong subject knowledge, are very good at linking theory to practice and make good use of ICT. They have high expectations of their students, with whom they establish positive relationships, and give careful attention to inclusion and diversity in the classroom. Trainees are creative, often adventurous and willing to take risks. They are confident, have an enthusiasm for teaching and a passion for making a difference in schools. Collaborative working, classroom management and classroom presence are very strong features of their practice. Trainees are less good at using assessment during lessons and employing prior attainment data to plan challenging activities for all learners.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

28. Rigorous recruitment and selection procedures identify those trainees with the intellectual capacity, personal skills and prior experience to benefit from the training. As a result, the majority of trainees make rapid progress. The recruitment and selection procedures are wholly inclusive, ensuring suitable arrangements are made for trainees with a range of disabilities. Overall, the recruitment of trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds is above the national average, although this masks significant differences between subjects. The recruitment and selection process allows for a flexible approach that recognises the importance of non-traditional qualifications and wider experience. Although, again, there is some variation between subjects, overall the proportion of trainees completing their training compares favourably with the sector average. The proportion of trainees gaining employment is high

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

and many are accepted for posts in partnership schools.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

29. Trainees make very good progress as a result of the excellent training they receive. All elements of the training combine exceptionally well to produce highly reflective, exceptionally capable trainees who are able to make significant contributions to their students’ learning and development. There is excellent coherence between centre- and school-based training and trainees can identify strong links between subject and professional training sessions.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

30. Centre-based training draws on, and is enhanced by, an outstanding range of outside speakers, visiting lecturers and other members of the Institute’s staff, many of who are nationally recognised experts in their fields. Many trainees describe as inspirational some of the keynote lectures they receive. Centre- based training prepares trainees very well to teach students from different backgrounds, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have English as an additional language. Subject tutors, who are often themselves national leaders in their subjects, provide exceptional training that takes full account of recent developments. 31. For the vast majority of trainees, their centre-based training is translated into highly effective classroom practice by skilled and committed subject mentors, most of whom are rated highly by trainees who see them as a key element in

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

their development as teachers. Training in professional studies, which is largely devolved to schools and provided by professional mentors, provides a practical, school-based context for trainees’ learning as well as opportunities for them to practise their skills in the classroom.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

32. Training is responsive and very well matched to the needs of individual trainees. Formal processes for monitoring trainees’ progress, and the detailed knowledge that subject tutors have of their trainees, ensure that where underachievement, or risk of failure, are identified, intervention is very well focused and supportive.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

33. Trainees are set challenging and developmental targets that are reviewed regularly by subject mentors and understood by trainees. Information from the first school placement is used very well to set targets for the second. The quality of written and oral feedback, for example in relation to lesson observations, is generally excellent. Occasionally in some subjects, feedback is not linked closely enough to the Standards or sufficiently subject-specific.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

34. Monitoring and assessment procedures are strong but not equally so in all subjects; best practice is not always fully adopted, for example, in relation to formative and summative assessment. Assessment criteria are applied accurately and consistently and trainees receive accurate feedback on their professional development and progress towards the Standards. The Institute is currently revising its systems for assessing trainees in order to bring these into line with Ofsted’s criteria.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

35. The highly effective use of support and resources, both at the centre and in schools, helps the Institute to achieve outstanding outcomes for trainees. The virtual learning environment is used well by most subjects. The devolvement of training in professional studies to schools, and the quality of this provision, is an example of highly efficient use of resources and excellent value for money. There is a high level of commitment from partner schools who actively seek to work with the Institute. All schools understand the high expectations it sets and all have a strong sense of shared purpose. They recognise the high quality of trainees, the very strong partnership support and the responsiveness of the Institute to any areas of concern.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

36. Within a complex partnership, where most schools work with a number of other providers, there is an unexpectedly high level of consistency in the quality of training. The Institute recognises that the high turnover of subject mentors has the potential to affect adversely the quality of provision, but its quality assurance procedures, its range of initiatives, including paired placements, its strong focus on the roles of partnership managers and professional mentors and its commitment to London-wide mentor training, minimise the impact of this on trainees’ outcomes. 37. All school-based trainers benefit from a variety of forms of training and support. Subject tutors assure the quality of the subject support in schools by their extensive knowledge of the schools in which their trainees are placed. Joint observations between subject tutors and mentors help develop subject mentors’ observation and feedback skills and centrally directed agendas for

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

weekly mentor meetings are used in some subjects to structure subject mentors’ work with trainees.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

38. Clusters of schools are supported and tightly monitored by partnership managers, who ensure a strong focus on collaboration in partnership schools. Cluster conferences enable schools to share good practice and provide support and training for professional tutors to train the mentors in their schools. Professional tutors play a pivotal role in the partnership in relation to quality assurance and professional studies training. Schools in some clusters successfully deliver professional studies jointly for a larger group of trainees. Not only does this allow them to share good practice, it also represents very good use of limited resources and value for money.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

39. The promotion of equal opportunity and the valuing of diversity are exemplary and are embedded in all aspects of the training so that trainees have the knowledge, confidence and skills to challenge discrimination and stereotyping. Trainees feel secure in making declarations about issues that affect them personally or that affect the students they teach because they know that such issues are dealt with promptly and seriously.

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Grade: 1

40. The monitoring of the quality of the secondary provision at partnership and subject level is comprehensive. Self-evaluation is rigorous, involves all stakeholders, and is based on a wide range of evidence. Secondary leaders have a sharp and accurate view of the provision’s strengths and areas for development, which leads to clear improvement planning. External examiners’ reports are mostly highly evaluative and positive and, where they do not meet the high standards of critical analysis expected by the Institute, appropriate action is taken. The best subject leaders conduct highly evaluative annual reviews based on evidence from external examiners’ reports, trainees’ feedback, subject tutors’ own visits to, and involvement with, schools, and active subject mentor review groups. Such reviews form the basis of highly focused action plans that are used to bring about improvements in training. However, in a few subjects, improvement planning is too brief and is not

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Grade: 1

focused sufficiently on trainees’ outcomes. Professional mentors evaluate school-based training and in turn receive regular feedback following trainee evaluations of their placements. They are represented on strategy groups and contribute effectively to improvement, for example, in relation to professional studies. Formal and informal communication between subject mentors and subject tutors is excellent. However, formal channels through which subject mentors can evaluate the provision are not evident.

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Grade: 1

41. All those involved in the training respond positively, and with enthusiasm, to new initiatives and fully understand their roles and responsibilities in this process. Many innovative solutions have been found to problems facing the partnership, including the use of distributed mentoring and ‘training the trainer’ initiatives, paired placements and the harmonisation of training in professional studies.

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Grade: 1

42. Improvement planning is focused on key priorities that have emerged from the Institute’s extensive evaluation process; improvements over time indicate a consistent and well-evidenced record of evaluation and action. The single point for consideration in the previous inspection report has been successfully addressed. Other examples of the impact of the improvement process include the rising number of partnership schools being judged as good or better placements for trainees, the increased recruitment of minority ethnic trainees in subjects where numbers have been low in the past and the effective actions to bring about improvements in training quality in a subject that internal evaluation indicated was performing below that of the best. This culture of continuous improvement ensures that the secondary provision amply meets the Institute’s stated aim of providing an excellent basis for professional practice that meets and extends beyond the statutory

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Grade: 1

requirements for qualified teacher status.

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Context

43. The Institute works in partnership with five colleges of FE to provide initial teacher education for teachers in the FE system. There are approximately 360 trainees enrolled on a range of full- and part-time pathways. These may lead to a generic PGCE, PgCE or diploma in education, a PGCE for teachers of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and literacy or a diploma in education for teachers of numeracy. There are 73 trainees enrolled on a full- time, pre-service PGCE pathway at the Institute and 35 on a part-time, pre- service diploma pathway for trainees with refugee status. The 67 trainees on the part-time pathway for teachers of ESOL and literacy complete a pre- service first year in partner colleges and then must find employment for a second, in-service year at the Institute. The 161 trainees enrolled on part- time, generic teacher training complete an in-service first year in partner

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Context

colleges and a second and final year at the Institute. The Institute is the lead partner in the London Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training, a pan- London partnership of initial teacher education providers in the FE sector.

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Key strengths

 the highly enthusiastic trainees who are well qualified in their subjects and who draw well on their vocational or commercial experience in their teaching  trainers who inspire in their trainees a passion for enquiry and action research  the rigorous selection processes that result in the recruitment of highly suitable and committed trainees  the excellent use of ICT to support trainees’ learning and classroom practice  the partnership’s highly inclusive ethos and commitment to equality and diversity  the outstanding arrangements for partnership working that secure a strong sense of purpose and consistently high-quality training across all providers  rigorous self-evaluation and highly focused improvement plans that improve outcomes for trainees  the innovative, responsive and flexible provision that meets trainees’ individual needs and circumstances particularly well.

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Recommendations

45. In order to improve trainees’ progress and attainment, the provider should:  refine trainees’ individual learning plans so that they draw more effectively on targets for development from all aspects of the training, enabling trainees to be clear about how they can move from being good to outstanding teachers.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

46. Well over half of the trainees across all pathways attain at the very highest level and most in-service trainees are judged to be outstanding. There are no significant differences in the achievement of any identifiable groups of trainees.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

47. Trainees demonstrate very strong professional attributes; they are highly motivated and fervent in their commitment to meeting the needs of learners. They grow in confidence throughout their training and demonstrate a clear ambition and drive to succeed. Trainees are well qualified in their subjects and draw well on their prior vocational or commercial experience to bring their lessons to life and to make learning pertinent and fun. They are expert in using ICT to enliven their lessons and to enthuse learners.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

48. Trainees develop well as reflective practitioners, especially those on the ESOL and literacy pathway where they expertly draw on theories and concepts to inform their teaching and learning strategies. For example, one trainee used the theory of ‘multiple literacies’ to enhance the confidence of a group of student motor mechanics who speak English as a second language. The trainee helped her learners to recognise the extent to which they were developing their technical vocabulary and applying it to their workshop activities. A very small minority of trainees do not systematically draw on information relating to their learners’ starting points and achievements. For example, inspectors saw instances where trainees’ lesson objectives focused more on the structure of tasks than on students’ learning goals.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

49. Recruitment and selection procedures are extremely rigorous and decisions are moderated to ensure equality of opportunity. Trainees are recruited directly by the Institute and staff from partner colleges and specialist trainers contribute to the selection process; pre-service trainees’ potential for teaching is evaluated thoroughly. The proportion of trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds recruited onto the full-time, pre-service pathway is well above the regional average for FE teachers and the proportion on the part-time, in- service pathway is also high. The proportion of all trainees who declare a disability is high and the gender profile of trainees generally reflects the national picture.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

50. Most trainees on the generic pre-service and in-service pathways complete their training successfully. The retention rate on the pathway for trainees with refugee status is particularly impressive, with 94% progressing to the second year of the course. Around three quarters of full-time pre-service trainees progress into employment. Most trainees gain employment with FE providers in London. Although the proportion of trainees completing the ESOL and literacy pathway was low in 2009, there has been a sharp increase in the retention of first year trainees in 2010. 51. The outstanding personal support and guidance provided by trainers, helped by a detailed initial needs analysis, enables trainees to thrive and make rapid progress from the start. Trainers spark a passion for enquiry and research in their trainees who, as a result, continuously seek out ways to deepen their own understanding of teaching and learning. Former trainees attribute their

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

current career success to the strong foundation they received through the training and this is echoed by the many employers who have high levels of confidence in the quality of the Institute’s trainees.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

52. Trainees are effusive in their praise for the way in which the training has added a wider, intellectual dimension to their understanding of their role as teachers. The stable and supportive group relationships on all pathways help to develop trainees’ confidence to try new strategies in their teaching and to take risks; this explains why so many trainees attain at an outstanding level. This willingness to push the boundaries is also reinforced by the extent to which trainees share good practice and learn from each other. One media trainee explained how she had developed an overview of media teaching across London because of the information and resources brought to her subject cluster group by her peers.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

53. The development of trainees’ subject pedagogy permeates the training and is supported by a wealth of materials accessible on the virtual learning environment. The partnership is constantly seeking innovative ways to support mentoring. In one partner college, mentors were integrated particularly well into the college’s wider strategies to promote best practice in teaching and learning. On the pre-service pathway, work-based mentors have been particularly good at planning breadth and depth of experience for trainees. The Institute provides extensive support, training sessions and opportunities to meet and share good practice, but relatively few mentors are able to attend because of work pressures. As a result, a small minority of mentors remain unclear about their role and responsibilities. Trainers are aware of this and provide excellent support and guidance when they visit trainees in their colleges.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

54. Trainees benefit significantly from the constructive and well-focused feedback from trainers following their observations of teaching. However, trainees’ individual learning plans do not provide an overview of the targets for improvement that emerge from all aspects of the training. In some cases, the targets contained within learning plans are too general and fail to provide trainees with the clear and precise actions they need to take to move their achievement from good to outstanding.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

55. Trainers are highly qualified and trainees draw on their wealth of experience in both scholarly activity and FE teaching to inform their own practice. Trainees benefit from the excellent access they have to specialist facilities, such as ICT and library resources, and the virtual learning environment is used well to share ideas. One of the partner colleges is making excellent use of emerging technologies to enhance mentoring support by exploiting iPhone technology to allow mentors to record conversations, photographs and video aspects of their work, thus enabling the instant sharing of good practice as it happens.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

56. The culture of the partnership is one of mutual trust and the quality of training is consistently high across the partnership because roles and expectations are clear and understood. The Institute very carefully monitors the quality and consistency of training across all providers and college-based trainers feel well supported by their colleagues at the Institute. Collaboration is so strong that when trainees progress from their college-based first year to a second year at the Institute, their transition is seamless.

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Overall effectiveness Grade: 1

57. The partnership’s highly inclusive ethos and resolute commitment to equality and diversity are embedded in all aspects of provision. Trainees with specific needs are particularly well supported. Excellent provision is made for trainees who are under-represented in FE teaching; consequently they achieve well and make progress. Trainees are extremely well prepared to teach in a diverse society. They develop an outstanding awareness of their role in promoting community cohesion and do this very well through selecting learning resources and devising activities that encourage learners to reflect on their own attitudes towards the communities in which they live. For example, one trainee explained how, in an English lesson, she drew on an obscure contemporary Indian text to encourage a group of boys from Black Caribbean and Pakistani heritage to ‘think outside the box’. Similarly trainees are adept at identifying and removing barriers to learning caused by weak language,

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Grade: 1

58. Since the last inspection there have been significant changes to both the composition of the partnership and to its portfolio of qualifications. Because these changes have been managed particularly well, the high quality of training has been sustained, enabling the majority of trainees to meet the professional standards at an outstanding level by the end of their programme. The day-to-day management of the training is overseen by highly effective and meticulous pathway leaders at the Institute. Centre leaders at partner colleges are equally strong.

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Grade: 1

59. Self-evaluation is a highly inclusive and reflective process that engages all key stakeholders. Performance data are scrutinised closely to evaluate the impact of the provision on outcomes for trainees and there are plans to share this more widely with partner colleges. The learner voice is given particular prominence and there is a clear link between trainees’ comments or suggestions and improvements made to the provision. Partner colleges have good representation through the pathway and programme management committees. Procedures for the internal and external moderation of assessment are robust and feedback from external examiners is used systematically to improve provision. The outcomes of self-evaluation are incisive, reliable and accurate. Leaders, managers and partners are clear about what the partnership does well, how excellence can be sustained, and where things need attention to make them stronger.

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Grade: 1

60. The partnership is highly responsive to regional and national initiatives. The content and structure of the pathways are kept under constant review so that trainees develop a good understanding of issues in further education and can relate how these might shape their professional practice. For example, trainees have systematically sought out ways to respond to developments such as the 14 to 19 curriculum, the Every Child Matters agenda and its impact on their learners’ well-being, and learner involvement strategies.

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Grade: 1

61. The partnership has been particularly creative in developing a range of pathways that are innovative, accessible and particularly well suited to the needs of trainees and FE employers in London. Offering the first year of part- time courses in an FE college and the second at the Institute benefits trainees enormously; trainees’ formation is grounded firmly in FE practice during the first year, and refined through scholarly activity and action research in the second year. The pathway for teachers of ESOL and literacy contributes significantly to regional workforce needs and assists trainees in finding paid employment. The pathway for trainees with refugee status is developing trainees who are positive role models for other learners in the FE system.

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Grade: 1

62. Improvement planning is aligned very closely to self-evaluation. Action plans are clearly focused on improving outcomes for trainees, although the success criteria linked to actions for improvement are not always as sharp as they might be. Since the last inspection there have been a number of improvements that have had a direct impact on outcomes for trainees. Improved retention and progression rates on two-year courses are testimony to the strengthening of partnership arrangements. Trainees’ very high take-up of opportunities to be assessed at Masters level indicates the success of new pathway structures in meeting the academic needs of part-time trainees. The vast majority of pre-service trainees now benefit from high-quality teaching practice placements. Decisive and swift action to improve completion rates on the ESOL and literacy pathway has increased in-year retention by well over 20% and suitable steps have been taken to support trainees with refugee

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Grade: 1

status to progress into appropriate employment. Although leaders and managers have much cause for celebration, they are not complacent; the programme improvement plan shows that even where improvements have been made, they are kept under constant review.

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Annex: Partnership colleges

The partnership includes the following colleges:

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Annex: Partnership colleges

Barnet College City and Islington College City of Westminster College The Community College, Hackney Tower Hamlets College

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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? 2 1 1

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Overall effectiveness

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

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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 1

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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? 2 1 1

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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 1 1 How well does the leadership at all levels anticipate change, and prepare for and respond to national and local initiatives? 1 1 1 How effectively does the provider plan and take action for improvement? 2 1 1

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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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