What factors do tutors take into account when deciding whether a trainee's teaching is "outstanding"?

In the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED) inspections for the Learning and Skills Sector (LSS) there is a strong emphasis on the quality of trainees' practical teaching as evidence of the effectiveness of initial teacher education (ITE) provision. In the current inspection round, OFSTED will be using criteria for key aspects of trainees' performance in lessons, based on four grades: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate. For Higher Education (HE) partnerships offering the Certificate in Education/PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and Training (PCET), this will be the first time the overall grading of trainees has become a formal part of inspection. A major issue for these providers is how to ensure consistency of judgements across the partnership, including a shared understanding of what constitutes "outstanding" teaching in the formal learning environment. This paper will report on the findings of a research study on teaching observation judgements made by tutors across a PCET ITE network and how these compare with OFSTED grading criteria. The aims of this study are to develop a working conceptualisation of what constitutes "outstanding" teaching and to identify issues related to grading to inform the development of staff and quality systems across an HE ITE partnership