Ofsted reported the following key strengths of our primary partnership:
- There are consistently high employment rates, because the well-established provider is recognised by local head teachers as providing well-trained trainees who can help schools to raise standards.
- Trainees make strong progress from their different starting points as a result of highly effective school-based and central training.
- The very well-regarded and effective operational leadership of the partnership constantly seeks to improve upon already strong practice.
- There is highly effective quality assurance of training, mentoring and assessment.
- There is a range of highly effective mentors and expert central trainers who train, observe and advise trainees, and to whom trainees can refer if they have questions or concerns.
- Trainees’ and NQTs’ management of pupils’ behaviour is strong, resulting from very positive working relationships established quickly between trainees and their pupils.
- Trainees and NQTs are confident in the subject knowledge for teaching English, mathematics and a broad range of subjects.
- Trainees and NQTs have high levels of professionalism. They continually reflect on their practice and are hungry to improve.
Some headlines from our inspection report:
Headteachers of local schools are keen to employ trainees from Essex Primary SCITT because of the reputation it has rightly established for producing very well trained teachers.
Trainees are very positive about the quality of central training days.
The central trainers are a real strength of the partnership.
School based training is consistently high quality.
All trainees and NQTs met by inspectors or responding to questionnaires would recommend the course. Typical of their comments was one trainee who said ‘the best thing that I have done in my life.’