Changes in arrangements for the inspection of Initial Teacher Training

Schools will not be much affected by the changes in the inspection of Initial Teacher Training taking place this year. Training providers are likely to welcome simpler and clearer arrangements.  Changes to the framework and handbook mark a further move towards simplifying the system of inspection and encouraging self-assessment, parallel to changes in the inspection of schools. The principle of inspection proportionate to need is maintained. The drive continues to make reports shorter and more useful to providers.

Summary

The complications of the various kinds of inspections in previous cycles are simplified. All inspections will be either short, for all providers graded 1 or 2 overall; or full, for providers graded 3 overall or for new providers. The focus of all inspections is on the management and quality assurance (MQA) of the training programmes, taking into account all routes offered, apart from the Graduate Training Programme (GTP), which will not be inspected. For primary inspections, the whole training curriculum is scrutinised, with a focus on English, mathematics and science (the last named is an addition). For secondary inspections, the whole training curriculum is taken into account, with a focus on about half of the subjects offered by a provider (rather than all subjects previously). On full inspections, the standards achieved by trainees will be assessed as before.

For all inspections, providers will be encouraged (but cannot be forced) to evaluate their own MQA procedures and performance, and the quality of their training. Previous inspection evidence will be carefully considered by inspection teams. Inspection activities will be planned around the self-evaluation and previous evidence, giving inspectors scope to frame the inspection to some degree to the strengths and needs of the provider. For all providers, inspection of subjects and inspection of MQA will be closely linked, so that, for example, the handbook section on the role of the subject/curriculum inspector in short inspections is part of the section on MQA.

Some changes are:

·        KS2/3 courses will not be inspected, at least for this year

·        Citizenship will not be seen by specialist inspectors but may be looked at by the Managing Inspector (MI) or assistant (AMI)

·        New subjects will not be inspected in their first year

·        The survey of vocational subjects will be completed, alongside ITT inspections, in the first year

·        New providers will be inspected in their second or subsequent year

·        For full inspections, schools are not expected to set up training sessions to fit the needs of the inspection

·        For full inspections, the MI and AMI will contribute to the inspection of trainees’ standards

·        The grading scale is slightly adjusted to fit Ofsted’s common scale

·        There will be no interim report on MQA between the training and standards visits of full inspections, only oral feedback

·        Reports will be shorter and emphasise strengths and what needs to improve.

Implications for Catholic schools and ITT providers

Schools receiving trainees are unlikely to notice much difference. They will not be expected to put on training sessions during full inspections and rather fewer trainees may be seen during full inspections. By contrast, the training of primary trainees in science, and the standards they achieve, will receive rather more attention from inspectors. The GTP will not be inspected in the first three years of this cycle (largely for economic reasons it seems).

Providers of ITT should find the process of inspection simpler. The increasing emphasis on self-evaluation will take time but most providers will value it. New providers, or established providers introducing new subjects, will not have the benefit of an ‘advisory inspection’ in the first year. The lack of an interim written report on MQA between the training and standards visits of full inspections may be regretted by providers, but an oral feedback should be almost as useful.

Note: the decline in numbers on undergraduate courses for aspiring secondary teachers continues-only 5% of secondary trainees follow this route, compared to about a third of primary trainees.