Post Ofsted Action Planning

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Post Ofsted Action Planning Addressing
issues arising from the inspection of DRBs
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Purpose

• Key Issues
• Examples of good practice
• Tackling individual DRB issues
• Compiling action plan responses

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Evidence

• 2003/2004 inspections
• Summary report Jan 2005
• Summary of findings issued at recent conferences

4
Recruitment and selection (1)

• Issues
• informality of procedures
• absence of subject or phase specialist
  interviewers
• limited range of activities
• insufficient attention to needs of
  candidates/trainees

5
Recruitment and selection (2)

• Examples of good practice
• a thorough secondary process included
• all interviews in schools
• each interview follows identical agenda
• DRB representative participates in each school
• Phase/subject specialists participate in each
  school
• Letter to unsuccessful candidates indicates
  reasons for rejection and possible courses of
  future action

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Recruitment and selection (2)

• a thorough primary process included
• interview lasts a full day
• clearly defined selection criteria
• tour of school
• written task
• half a day in class
• observation of a storytelling session
• playground experience
• formal interview by HT and DRB representative
• assessment by ct
• detailed records
• checks on qualifications and with CRB
• effective information to successful trainees
  about training and employment status
• suitable match of trainees to placement
• 15 day monitored work experience at placement
  school

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Identification of training needs (1)

• Issues
• lack of effective systems to identify needs
• weak or no auditing of subject expertise

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Identification of training needs (2)

• Examples of good practice
• one secondary needs assessment
• begins in advance of the training
• draws on information from application forms,
  interviews, subject audits and an analysis of the
  Standards

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Identification of training needs (3)

• a university-based DRB
• gives schools good written guidance on analyzing
  needs and accrediting prior learning
• a DRB representative visits school to discuss
  needs analysis, including
• subject auditing
• ICT auditing
• classroom observation to judge teaching skills
• interviews and discussion with key staff
• needs analysis begins at interview and is
  continues during the first two weeks in school at
  the start of training
• trainees begin to compile a portfolio of evidence
  early in the training, to identify strengths

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Training plans (1)

• Issues
• tenuous links between needs assessment and ITPs
• lack of suitable ITPs
• lack of clarity about
• omission of key aspects of training
• misuse or little use of the needs assessment
• little use of ITPs to stretch trainees on
  training grant only
• no tailoring of the plan to individual needs
• failure to use the ITP as a working document
• weak monitoring of ITPs

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Training plans (2)

• Examples of good practice
• in one DRB, the ITP
• is informed by the needs analysis
• is drawn up using a common format
• is individualized to each trainee
• is compiled and refined regularly by mentor, DRB
  and GT
• covers all aspects of professional training,
  school-based training, experiences outside the
  placement, the second placement

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Training plans (3)

• in a second DRB, the ITP
• utilizes a common format, tailored to individual
  trainees
• involves mentors in the initial compilation
• sets specific targets derived from the needs
  analysis
• identifies Standards met, partially met or not
  met at all
• relates targets to relevant central and
  school-based training
• is a working document, revised regularly by
  trainees with mentors and a DRB representative
• includes information meetings with mentors and
  tutors, observations and assessments

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Training (1)

• Issues
• content, structure and delivery fail to ensure
  that trainees meet the Standards across two Key
  Stages
• limited range of teaching experiences
• too full a timetable
• lack of clarity about the purpose of the second
  school placement
• weak core training
• informal and ad hoc school-based

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Training (2)

• Examples of good practice
• regular weekly meetings between mentors and
  trainees
• the mentor grasps high quality professional
  practice
• careful attention is given to resources
• central sessions are exploited to meet individual
  needs
• trainees have a suitable range of experiences
  linked to needs and requirements
• regular and effective observations are undertaken

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Training (3)

• in one primary school
• the lead mentor and trainee meet weekly to
  discuss teaching, targets and evidence for the
  Standards
• meetings are logged and targets recorded
• the mentor provides
• constructive feedback on planning, teaching and
  evaluations practical guidance on how to
  improve subject-specific advice
• the mentor meets the mentor in the second
  placement to discuss the trainees needs and
  targets in advance of the placement

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Assessment of trainees (1)

• Issues
• failure to assess achievement against the
  Standards regularly and accurately
• unsystematic and superficial monitoring of
  progress
• inappropriate and insufficient evidence to show
  that the Standards have been demonstrated
• inappropriately focused assignments
• failure to implement DRB cause for concern
  procedures consistently

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Assessment of trainees (2)

• Examples of good practice
• clear guidance on assessment and expectations
• records of professional development include
  reliable and well organized evidence
• assignments and tasks contribute effectively to
  assessment
• moderation is effective

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Assessment of trainees (3)

• in one primary DRB, effective recording of
  progress includes
• analytical and graded regular written
  observations of lessons
• Standards-related assignments
• written termly reviews of progress graded on a
  four-point criterion-referenced scale
• Logs of regular meetings between training
  coordinator, mentor, class teacher and trainee to
  review progress towards the Standards

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Standards (1)

• Issues
• lessons included unsatisfactory features
• evaluation
• limited attention to teaching and learning
• knowledge and understanding
• in primary, weaknesses in knowledge across the
  curriculum subjects
• in secondary
• lack of breadth and depth of subject knowledge
• lack of a clear conceptual framework for the
  subject
• weak application of knowledge to teaching
• limited amount of subject-related reading
• inadequate knowledge of NC and national strategy
  requirements

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Standards (2)

• teaching
• weaknesses in planning include
• imprecise learning objectives
• insufficient attention to differentiation
• a failure to plan for assessment and to use
  assessment
• weaknesses in assessment include
• ineffectual monitoring of progress
• failure to assess whether learning objectives are
  achieved
• a limited range of formal assessment methods
• lack of knowledge/experience of external
  assessment requirements
• meagre and uninformative records
• weaknesses in behaviour management include
• over-emphasis on behaviour
• difficulties in implementing school procedures
• weaknesses in actual teaching include
• a limited range of teaching methods and
  resources, including for teaching pupils with EAL

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Standards (3)

• Examples of good practice
• effective evaluation
• focuses on what pupils learn and why
• mentor support in using evaluations to develop
  future teaching
• suitable subject knowledge and understanding
• extensive guided reading
• focused timetabling

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Standards (4)

• high quality teaching
• in planning
• learning objectives are set out precisely and
  shared with pupils
• relates to NC and national strategies
• the needs of different pupils are addressed
• assessment outcomes inform planning
• in assessment
• trainees know/experience relevant requirements
• trainees employ a wide range of assessment
  methods
• trainees provide good feedback to pupils during
  lessons

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Standards (5)

• in behaviour management
• trainees apply school sanctions consistently and
  without fuss
• trainees establish a purposeful learning
  environment
• in actual teaching
• lessons are interactive
• questioning is effective
• a range of teaching methods is employed

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Management of the partnership (1)

• Issues
• failure to meet the management requirements
  outlines in Qualifying to Teach
• weak leadership
• inadequate staffing
• poor communication

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Management of the partnership (2)

• Examples of good practice
• well designed and detailed handbooks
• a clearly defined partnership agreement
• effective meetings
• responsive DRB administration
• in an LEA-led DRB, the DRB draws on LEA resources
  to identify suitable schools, employ specialist
  advice and ensure effective QA

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Management of the partnership (3)

• in one large DRB involving a university and a
  substantial number of schools located in several
  LEAs
• the management group
• includes representative from LEAs, primary and
  secondary headteachers, university tutors, and
  school coordinators ie all partners and all
  geographical regions
• focuses on strategic development, selection and
  de-selection of schools, finance and resources,
  making recommendations
• other committees have a clearly defined role,
  including the verification board, the DRB
  programme committee, the DRB admissions committee
• all committees have clear remits and well focused
  and minuted meetings

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Schools capacity to train (1)

• Issues
• lack of systems to check on capacity/suitability
  of schools and subject departments or deal with
  training problems
• teaching commitments of trainees give limited
  attention to training needs

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Schools capacity to train (2)

• Examples of good practice
• clear procedures to implement criteria for
  selection and de-selection of school
• effective advisory visits by DRB representatives
  in advance of the placement,
• informed by previous analysis of inspection
  reports, PANDAs and LEA information
• designed to ensure any new school can meet
  requirements
• regular checking of schools to keep abreast of
  changing circumstances

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Preparation of school-based trainers (1)

• Issues
• insufficient attention to key aspects of coverage
  
• lack of targeted training
• too few opportunities for key training activities
• limited attendance at training session for
  school-based trainers
• inadequate documentation

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Preparation of school-based trainers (2)

• Examples of good practice
• in one DRB, the manager ensures
• checks on the training already received by
  school-based trainers
• that school-based trainers are put in touch with
  effective trainers
• support for less experienced mentors through
  termly meetings which clarify their role
• that liaison tutors visit regularly to help
  mentors understand and focus on achieving the
  Standards
• a list of focus areas for weekly mentor meetings
  is developed
• that school-based trainers share practice through
  central training sessions
• that non-attendance is logged and minutes of
  training meetings are circulated to all
  non-attenders

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Equal opportunity and race equality policies and
practice (1)

• Issues
• lack of integration of policies into
  documentation
• lack of awareness in schools about DRB policy and
  procedures
• adoption of policies of others (eg the school or
  the local LEA) without checking relevance to ITT
• lack of monitoring of implementation of policies
  and practice

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Equal opportunity and race equality policies and
practice (2)

• Examples of good practice
• admission statistics monitor ethnicity and gender
• in one DRB, the equal opportunity and race
  equality policies of placement schools are
  utilized
• all are collected by the DRB
• trainees are required to investigate the policies
  in their school and identify their impact

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Quality assurance (1)

• Issues
• quality assurance arrangements are ineffectual in
  ensuring that the provision meets statutory
  requirements
• lack of clarity about key aspects of QA
• weak monitoring of school-based training
• limited range of evaluation arrangements
• limited use of external review

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Quality assurance (2)

• Examples of good practice
• regular evaluation by all partners
• rapid response to issues raised in evaluations or
  monitoring
• in one DRB a DRB representative visits to
  investigate and address issues raised by schools
  or trainees, checks ITPs, written observations,
  reports and assessment evidence
• in a second DRB, mentors have a self evaluation
  check list with seven key questions to help them
  judge how well they are meeting expectations for
  the amount and quality of feedback,
  target-setting and moderation

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Quality assurance (3)

• in a third DRB, the regular DRB representative
  visit includes
• formal discussion with school-based trainers
  about the nature and quality of all aspects of
  provision
• completion of a formal written report
• feedback to the school-based trainer

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Improvement planning (1)

• Issues
• no involvement of schools in improvement planning
• lack of rigorous annual reviews
• weak action plans

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Improvement planning (2)

• Examples of good practice
• thorough evaluation reports by external assessors
• in one case, a focused evaluation of the final
  assessment
• involved sampling of all assessment forms
• the final report was circulated to all internal
  assessors, together with a report on their
  personal performance
• the outcomes were used as a basis for a two-day
  training course
• improving benchmarking using
• TTA data eg on intake and employment
• local DRBs and other local ITT providers
• informal and formal meetings with local DRB
  providers linked to regional projects and
  networks

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Improvement planning (3)

• in one DRB, evaluation
• is by regular questionnaires, the GTP working
  party and mentor groups
• feeds into an action plan with clearly defined
  timescales, responsibilities and success criteria

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Task part A (30 minutes)

• Please work in pairs
• Identify one significant issue from each action
  plan
• In the light of the conference so far
• Analyse the action plan response to this issue
• Discuss how you would adjust this response to
  improve the effectiveness of provision and the
  quality of the action plan
• Note the key improvements you would make to the
  action plan or to tackling the issue

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Task part B (30 minutes)

• Join two other pairs ie create a group of six
• Examine the adjustments you have made to your
  action plans
• Select two key points to help the conference move
  forward in its approach to improvement. These
  key points could relate either to improving the
  effectiveness of provision or to improving the
  quality of the action plan.
• Please list these key points on your flip chart
  to share with colleagues at the final plenary

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Post Ofsted Action Planning Addressing
issues arising from the inspection of DRBs
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Next steps

• Optional service evaluation of Plans
  submission deadline 26 Jan 2006
• Further enquiries, follow-up questions from today
  are most welcome inspection_at_tda.gov.uk
• Quality Inspection Monitoring visits planned
  and requested
• Please submit Travel/Subsistence and Provider
  Cost OR Supply Cover (and return your badges!!!)
• Refreshments available outside.
• Thanks!