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 meetingsmeetings 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
Overall Effectiveness
Outcomes for trainees
The quality of training
across the partnership
The quality of leadership
and management of the
partnership
The extent to which the ITE partnership secures consistently high-quality 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?
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
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
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
Usually
Thursday
Usually Friday
Weekend/
Bank Holiday
Inspection
begins
Usually Monday
The inspection week
Day 1




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)
Day 2


Inspection
activities
Team meeting(s)
Day 3

Inspection activities
Team meeting(s)
Day 4





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 universitybased 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…..