What To Expect From The New Ofsted Initial Teacher Education Inspections

At Milton Keynes, we were the first FE College Group in the country to receive the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) inspection, and I’m delighted to say it went pretty well.  We reached the Expected standard on achievement, curriculum, teaching and training, and even more pleasingly achieved the Strong standard for inclusion, leadership, professional behaviours, personal development and wellbeing.

Needless to say, I am immensely proud of our trainees, the Quality Team, and the wider college for their phenomenal efforts and really delighted with the results.

To be sure, the new toolkits are challenging. The “expected” standard is tough, and feels closer to the previous outstanding than anything else.

The use of “Secure fit” as an inspection criterion is no exaggeration

The use of “Secure fit” as an inspection criterion is no exaggeration.  Inspectors drilled down into individual words in the criteria.  Whatever your preconceptions or previous experiences, we found the inspection process to be surprisingly supportive, and it felt genuinely collaborative.  Reflection was very important. The new inspection structure allowed for regular check-ins, and at no stage were we unclear about where we sat in terms of our anticipated grading, which helped us target our efforts on improving where it was needed.

It really is important to know the operating handbook and toolkits inside-out to be fully confident and to stay ahead so you can present your evidence quickly, and challenge responses appropriately.  It also helps to anticipate next steps, requests, and lines of enquiry.  We found we were given plenty of opportunities to provide evidence.  Inspectors were transparent when something was missing and actively encouraged us to find more supporting material where needed.

Inclusion is very high up the agenda while mentoring came under significant scrutiny

Inclusion is very high up the agenda while mentoring came under significant scrutiny, as did the trainee experience, particularly the way in which the trainee–tutor–mentor “triangle of support” works in practice.

My advice to anyone preparing for an ITE inspection would be to lead with confidence and a clear vision.  We really benefitted from a firm and shared set of goals and ideas which we pitched strongly from the first planning call. This was referred to throughout.  Own the inspection, and know the handbook and toolkits thoroughly.  In preparing I found it useful to put together two documents.  The first was a spreadsheet breaking down every sentence in every evaluation area, with self-assessment, evidence, and impact.  The is crucial when arguing for improved grades.  Secondly, I prepared one page briefs for every meeting, listing key messages and evidence.  These were live documents, visible to colleagues in the room, and strengthened our collective responses.

We would recommend a tactical approach.  Using the template schedule, we built the timetable strategically to ensure the right exposure to trainee groups and demographics, and to be fair to them, the inspectors barely deviated from our proposed plan.

Lastly, it’s really important to take detailed notes.  We recorded every question asked in every meeting which helped us to prepare across the week, and will no doubt be a useful tool for our future Further Education and Skills (FES) inspection.

Overall, we found the experience both valuable and validating.  Inspectors’ reflections aligned closely with our own, giving us a strong platform to continue improving our provision.

By Nathan Flynn, Group Director: Quality and Standards at MK College Group.