Ofsted rates IOE on track to deliver ‘high standard’ of teacher and school leader development

Ofsted conducted the lead provider monitoring visit (LPMV) in June 2022, ahead of a full inspection of the ECF and NPQ programmes with results to follow. The LPMV focuses on how well lead providers have designed an effective curriculum, established efficient delivery systems, and approached self-evaluation, as well as collaboration with all stakeholders.

In 2021 the Department for Education appointed IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society as a lead provider of the newly updated National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for teachers and school leaders, and for the national roll-out of the Early Career Framework (ECF) for newly qualified teachers.

Ofsted judged that ‘leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action towards ensuring that the ECF training and NPQ professional development is of a high standard’.

Working with 21 teaching school hubs and other delivery partners across England, IOE is already helping nearly 6,000 early career teachers and their mentors to develop evidence-informed teaching practice that leads to high-quality pupil learning through the ECF.

IOE delivers the full suite of NPQ programmes which were reformed last year and cover specialist and leadership development. Over 3,000 teachers and school leaders are participating across the NPQ programmes currently delivered by IOE, which will deliver a further two new programmes on Leading Literacy (NPQLL) and Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) from October 2022.

Professor Qing Gu, Director of the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership, said:

“We are proud of Ofsted's recognition of ‘the clear moral purpose’ we share, the ‘high quality’ design and delivery of our programmes, and the ‘true’ and ‘strong’ collaboration that we have with our delivery partners.”

Other findings in Ofsted’s report include:

Vision

• Leaders’ vision is to ‘work with and for the profession’. They want members of the teaching profession to feel they have a voice, to see value in professional development and to develop their knowledge and apply that knowledge to their practice. Delivery partners and inspectors see this vision being realised.

Curriculum

• Leadership have designed an effective curriculum for the professional development and training of ECTs, mentors and NPQ participants. Of particular note was the status of research within the curriculum … and the planned projects for participants to apply research into their practice.
• Training materials and associated resources are of a high quality. … Leaders have ensured that the content is delivered exclusively and comprehensively.

Partnership

• Collaboration with the lead provider and between delivery partners is strong.
• Communication is strong … Resource sharing and communication through the online platforms and keeping in touch meetings supports this collaboration.
• The operations and delivery group is central to the efficient day-to day management of programmes. Any issues are quickly identified, and practical solutions found.

Inspectors saw evidence that delivery partners praise ‘the lead provider’s commitment to continual improvement’ and ‘the ability to shape and improve the programmes in real time’.

• Leaders’ self-evaluation is strikingly accurate. There is a clear line of sight from any finding from quality assurance to improvement planning.

Links

• Read the full report from Ofsted
• Early Career Framework (ECF)
• National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)
• Centre for Educational Leadership

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Phil Meech for UCL.