Overview of key changes to Ofsted inspection of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) from September 2012

Key similarities to previous inspection: Single inspection events;Focus on outcomes for trainees;Use of key inspection questions;Involve leaders and managers, trainers, mentors; trainees and former trainees in inspections;take account of an ITE partnership’s self-evaluation;brief verbal feedback at the end of the inspection;detailed report on each ITE partnership phase inspected.

Key changes:Bar has been raised considerably-much harder to achieve “Outstanding”;Much shorter notice period-2 days only (phone call on Thursday-come on Monday); Shorter time on site-Monday-Wednesday; “Requires Improvement” replaces “Satisfactory”;No notice Phonics inspection;

Key differences:Greater priority is given to: recruitment and selection, partnerships, the quality of placements and mentoring, new standards, ITT criteria and requirements; the direct observation of trainees’ and former trainees’ teaching and centre and school-based training where possible;

user views e.g. satisfaction surveys and use of a new trainee online questionnaire;

the quality of trainees’ skills in teaching early reading using Phonics, mathematics, managing behaviour and discipline and meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language (EAL).

Key differences: (cont’d)

Greater priority is given to:the impact of training and leadership and management at all levels on trainees’ outcomes;

the involvement of the provider’s representative and phase leaders in team and grading meetings-meetings much more transparent.

Overall effectiveness and the three key judgements:we will receive a grade for each phase based on the three areas:1. Outcomes for trainees2. The quality of training across the partnership3. The leadership and management of the partnership

Overall Effectiveness The extent to which the ITE partnership secures consistently high-quality outcomes for trainees

Outcomes for trainees

What is the quality of outcomes for trainees? Attainment How well trainees teach Completion rates Employment rates How well does the ITE partnership prepare trainees to teach pupils in the age range, and/ or subject(s)/ specialisms for which they are being trained?

The quality of training across the partnership

Overall consistency, coherence and quality of all aspects of the training High-quality of training and support which prepares trainees with the skills they need The quality of placements Subject and phase specific mentoring The accuracy of assessment

The quality of leadership and management of the

partnership

How well do leaders and managers at all levels of the ITE partnership ensure that the best outcomes are achieved and sustained? Vision for excellence The engagement of schools, colleges and/or other settings The rigour of recruitment and selection process Effective monitoring and evaluation Compliance with ITT criteria and requirements Capacity to improve further

Key judgements and key questions

Outcomes for traineesWhat is the quality of outcomes for trainees?Attainmenthow well trainees meet the Teachers’ Standards or relevant professional standards for ITE in FE;How well trainees teach;Completion rates;Employment rates;how completion and employment rates compare with regional and national data.

The quality of training across the partnershipHow well does the ITE partnership prepare trainees to teach pupils in the age range, and/or subject(s)/specialisms for which they are being trained?the overall consistency, coherence and quality of all aspects of the training;high-quality training and support that prepares trainees with the skills they need;the quality of placements;subject and phase specific mentoring;the accuracy of assessment.

The quality of leadership and management of the partnershipHow well do leaders and managers at all levels of the ITE partnership ensure that the best outcomes are achieved and sustained?vision for excellence focused on improving or sustaining high quality provision and outcomes for trainees;engagement of schools, colleges and/or other settings;rigour of the recruitment and selection process;effective monitoring and evaluation;compliance with ITT requirements;capacity to improve further

Pre-inspection timeline

2 working days before inspection

1 working day before inspection

Weekend/Bank Holiday

Inspection begins

Usually Thursday

Usually Friday Usually Monday

The inspection week

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Inspectors

travel to the ITE partnership

School visit programmes and pen portraits available for inspectors

Inspection activities including visits to schools, colleges and/or other settings, discussions and observations of training

Team meeting(s)

Inspection activities

Team meeting(s)

Inspection activities Team meeting(s)

Completion of any inspection activities

Phase grading meetings

Cross-phase grading meeting (where required)

Brief verbal feedback

Inspectors travel from the ITE partnership

Inspection activitiesFirst hand evidence:observations of trainees (eg: outstanding and struggling ones) and former trainees teaching; observations of school, college and/or other setting and university-based training (where possible);Discussions:Compliance with ITT requirements;outcomes and data;specific aspects of training e.g. thematic inspection/skills trainees need mostleadership and management including meeting with the strategic partnership group;issues emerging from the pre-inspection analysis or during the inspection.

Focused monitoring inspectionsNo Notice Phonics inspection:See pages 43 of the ITE inspection handbook onwards for details on this.In brief inspectors will want to:1. see student teachers and NQTs teach phonics lessons and observe university-based phonics sessions;2. see evidence of student teachers’ progress and attainment in phonics and positive effects of their teaching on pupils’ learning; 3. see evidence of year on year improvements in various external and internal student satisfaction surveys, related to phonics

Key messages from very recent inspections:1. “The main focus of these inspections is on the outcomes providers achieve and can demonstrate they can achieve; it is critical providers know their data inside out; any trends and patterns, that they understand these and use this to strategically support improvement”2. Thursday and Friday of the week before taken up with contacting schools, students and NQTs and inviting to briefings, making visits if necessary; also arranging access to MIS, VLE for inspectors, car parking etc3. Teams are new and inexperienced at this point; be prepared to challenge if necessary

MMU Faculty of Education preparation to date:Ofsted “war cabinet” meeting regularly;Gathering various documents/data in the R Drive about the different programmes;“key schools” identified (where lots of our students are placed now and have NQTs/RQTs;Written to all “key” primary and secondary schools to give them an outline of the new framework; PCET colleges also aware.

Preparation for the No-Notice Phonics inspection includes: Gathering phonics “intelligence” about our “key” primary schools (eg: which schemes they are using and where the expertise is);Asking students to complete a Phonics survey;Phonics booklets and year 4 final placement reports being analysed for evidence of progress and impact on pupils’ learning and where students need additional support;Gathering various documents which evidence the work we have put into improving our Phonics provision to date.

We need to continue to:be “data ready” (eg: we can put on one side of A4 an analysis and “story” about the differences/trends over time with different surveys (internal and external) and other key data;

ensure all students are confident in talking about their (positive!) impact on pupils’ learning

ensure all “key” schools, students and NQTs are ready and prepared;

all MMU tutors (and admin colleagues) involved in ITE are keeping up to date with all paperwork, responding to requests, and are fully informed about the new framework;

ensure once we get the call-we all know what we need to do…..