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 trainees 2. The quality of training across the partnership 3. The leadership and management of the partnership

Key judgements and key questions

Outcomes for trainees What is the quality of outcomes for trainees? Attainment how 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 partnership 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 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 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 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 FridayUsually Monday

The inspection week Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 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 activities First 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 most leadership and management including meeting with the strategic partnership group; issues emerging from the pre-inspection analysis or during the inspection.

Focused monitoring inspections No 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 etc 3. 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…..