Birmingham Electrical Training Ltd

Learning and Skills inspection report Date published: 07 December 2012 Inspection Number: 399096 URN: 50713

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Overall and timely success rates for learners are below national rates and have only recently shown signs of improvement.  The evaluation and improvement of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment have not been sufficient.  Initial assessment is not used effectively to inform the planning of teaching and learning.  Self-assessment and quality improvement processes, including the use of data, are not yet sufficiently developed.  The promotion of equality and diversity within teaching and progress reviews is insufficiently developed.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 The learners’ development of good knowledge and technical skills which lead to high levels of occupational competency.  The detailed understanding of local and national needs through long established and very effective working relationships with a wide range of employers.  The careful individual attention given to learners, including unemployed apprentices, in matching them to suitable employers.  The very thorough and effective workplace assessment of learners, which responds flexibly to the needs of learners and employers and clearly identifies learners’ future development needs.  The wide range of good on-the-job training which provides good opportunities for learners to demonstrate competence and make good progress.  The strong recent actions taken by directors to address identified issues with sharply focused actions to improve teaching and learning and outcomes for learners.

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This inspection: Requires improvement-3

Previous inspection: Satisfactory-3 Outcomes for learners Requires improvement-3 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement-3 Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement-3

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve overall success rates to above the national average by ensuring that learners achieve their learning goals in a timely way.  Implement the self-assessment and quality improvement arrangements more systematically, including the closer monitoring of quality improvements against planned actions.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it becomes consistently good or better by ensuring that internal and external lesson observations lead to clear actions for improvement.  Make better use of the initial assessment of each learner so that it informs the planning of teaching and learning and ensures that teaching and learning meet the individual needs of learners more closely.  Develop the systems for tracking individual learner progress so that learners and employers can more easily access relevant information on the framework qualifications.  Use the management information and data collected more systematically in order to review

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

performance and learner progress and to inform management decisions.  Introduce greater depth and relevance to the discussion of equality and diversity in teaching, learning and progress reviews so that learners’ understanding of equality and diversity is improved.  Involve the employer or supervisor more directly in setting clear negotiated targets with the learner at reviews.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Outcomes for learners require improvement. Since the last inspection in 2009, overall success rates for apprenticeships have declined to below national rates in 2010/11. This decline closely reflects the particularly high rate of redundancies among apprentices within the local economy, especially among older apprentices. In 2011/12, success rates rose significantly but remained below national rates. There are no significant differences in outcomes for different groups of learners.  Learners make at least the progress expected, but too many learners do not complete within their planned time. There are clear indications that current learners on programme are on target to achieve their programmes within the planned time.  Learners develop a good level of theoretical understanding and high levels of technical skills that are highly valued by their employers. Employers trust their apprentices to take on additional

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Inspection judgements

responsibilities and to work independently with a minimum of supervision. Learners apply their knowledge and skills confidently in a wide variety of workplace settings.  Learners’ skills in English, mathematics and ICT are developed appropriately. Although learners improve their literacy skills, tutors do not always correct learners’ written errors sufficiently. Attendance by learners is good. Learners are keen to develop their skills and value the specialist training and support provided by BET.  Learners have a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities. They work well together and respect individual differences. They develop a high awareness of the importance of health and safety, and adopt safe working practices and routinely use appropriate personal protective equipment.  Learners receive good initial advice on career routes and progression routes, but do not always receive sufficient on-going advice and wider information later in their programme. A high

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Inspection judgements

proportion of learners move into sustained employment.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Teaching learning and assessment require improvement which reflects outcomes for learners. Learners develop good workplace skills and knowledge. They are able to work independently on site and produce work of the standard expected. Most learners have access to a wide range of good on-the-job training. Employers and assessors provide very effective coaching and mentoring and have high aspirations for learners. Learners respond positively to this challenge and are well motivated and keen to learn.  The provision meets the needs of learners and employers well. BET has strong links with employers who speak highly of the training provided. Learners are well supported on site and in the training centre. Teachers have good industry experience and use this well to make learning more meaningful. Although much of the new teaching team has limited teaching experience, this is being effectively addressed through directed training and professional development.

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Inspection judgements

 The new teachers recruited by BET work well together and have brought about clear improvements in teaching and learning. Most lessons are well planned. Teachers use a suitable range of teaching and learning activities. In most lessons learners are clearly learning and making good progress. Teachers use practical activities well to develop learners’ technical understanding. Most teachers make good use of question and answer techniques to check and extend learning.  In less successful lessons teachers deliver too much technical information while learners remain passive. Learning is not always planned to meet individual needs or to stretch the more able learners. The use of information learning technology has improved since the previous inspection, but it is not always used interactively to enhance learning. Although an increasing proportion of teaching is good, too much still requires improvement.

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Inspection judgements

 On-site assessment is accurate and very thorough. It is carried out frequently and flexibly to meet the needs of learners. Assessors make good use of questions to check learners’ understanding. Work-based supervisors are used effectively to support learners in collecting evidence. Learners’ logbooks contain a wide range of evidence. Teachers make good use of assessment to test and confirm learners understanding.  Although all learners receive appropriate initial assessment, the information gained is not used effectively to plan teaching and learning or to address individual learner’s needs. The tracking of learners’ progress towards the NVQ is good but it is insufficiently developed for the technical content of the qualification. Reviews of learners’ progress are very thorough but targets are not always specific enough to help learners progress. Employers and supervisors do not always take part sufficiently in discussions with learners and assessors during reviews.

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Inspection judgements

 Teachers provide much helpful feedback to learners on their work. The feedback praises learners’ good work but is insufficiently clear in explaining how learners can improve. Spelling and grammatical errors are not always corrected. Assessors provide good feedback to learners following on-site assessment which informs further assessment planning effectively.  Key skills are delivered early in the programme which helps most learners cope better with the theoretical and mathematical content of the training. Key skills are contextualised effectively through a relevant project which helps learners improve their English, maths and ICT skills while learning about electrical installations and health and safety.  The requirements for entry on to the apprenticeship programme are sufficiently demanding. Learners now being recruited have good potential to complete their qualifications successfully. The provision of on-going information advice and guidance during the programme is

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Inspection judgements

insufficiently developed. Learners are not sufficiently aware of the full range of progression opportunities following completion of their apprenticeship.  Equality and diversity issues are explored regularly at reviews, but these discussions do not always have sufficient depth or local relevance. Opportunities to promote equality and diversity naturally in teaching and learning are too often missed.

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Inspection judgements

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 The effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement. Leaders and managers have a clear and ambitious vision of the future direction of the provider within the specialist electrical engineering sector. Directors demonstrate a very strong personal commitment to improving the quality of provision at BET for the benefit of all learners.  At the last inspection in 2009, quality improvement arrangements were found to be incomplete. BET has an established self-assessment process which takes appropriate account of the views of staff, learners and employers to review its performance and to inform quality improvement plans. However, the current self-assessment report is insufficiently evaluative and does not give enough consideration to teaching and learning. Following the inspection in 2009, progress was initially slow in taking forward agreed actions to improve quality, and in monitoring the progress

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Inspection judgements

and success of those actions taken.  Following the monitoring visit in 2011, directors took immediate and strong action to address the concerns raised by introducing substantial and wide-ranging changes across the organisation to improve the quality of provision for learners.  The directors have placed a particularly sharp focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning. They have taken firm steps to bring about improvements through the replacement of most teaching staff with more occupationally experienced and better qualified teaching staff. The new teaching team is now working very closely and enthusiastically to broaden the range of teaching and learning approaches used with their learners. Early feedback indicates that the changes have already increased learners’ enjoyment and engagement in their learning. However, the planned systems for the internal and external monitoring of the performance of

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Inspection judgements

the team are not yet fully established.  Managers have also placed much greater priority on improving the effective use of data already gathered. This was identified as a weakness at the previous inspection. BET has well-established systems for collecting information on most aspects of the provision. It carries out appropriate audits of the very small and reducing amount of subcontracted provision. However the routine analysis and review of data are not fully developed. Since the monitoring visit, managers have strengthened learner tracking systems and have established much clearer routines to ensure that the progress of all learners is closely monitored, and that management decisions are better informed by the more effective use of data. This has already led to effective actions to ensure that more current learners complete within their planned time.  Managers provide strong support for all staff for their further professional development. Most

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Inspection judgements

staff are currently involved in activities to update their specialist technical skills or to improve their teaching qualifications.  The curriculum at BET is very effective in meeting the needs of learners and employers within its specialist area of provision. Leaders and managers understand the needs of the local community and the national requirements of the industry very well. They ensure that learners develop the high levels of occupational competence required by employers.  Senior managers and other staff work hard to maintain excellent working relationships with a very wide range of employers across the West Midlands. Employers speak very highly of apprentices trained through BET, and they value the reliable specialist service which BET has provided over many years.  The provider has appropriate procedures in place to promote equality and diversity. Data are regularly analysed to identify any differences in performance between different groups of

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Inspection judgements

learners. There are no significant differences in outcomes for learners. BET provides regular information and visits to local schools which explain career opportunities for young people, both male and female, within the industry.  The provider meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding learners. All staff give high priority to the safety of learners. They ensure that health and safety procedures are understood and followed at all times. The designated person for safeguarding is receiving updating training shortly.

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provider’s performance:

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate

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Overall

14-16 Learning programmes 16-18 Learning programmes 19+ Learning programmes Apprenticeships Other work- based learning Employability Foundation Learning Community learning

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Overall

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 3 3

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Overall

The effectiveness of leadership and management 3 3

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Birmingham Electrical Training Ltd

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Mr John Sims Date of previous inspection December 2009 Website address www.birminghamelectricaltraining.co.uk

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programme level

Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 and above

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(excluding apprenticeships)

Full-time N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Part-time N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 0 0 107 39 0 0

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Apprenticeship level and age

Number of learners aged 14-16 N/A Number of community learners N/A Number of employability learners N/A Funding received from Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

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Additional socio-economic information

Birmingham Electrical Training (BET) is based in Hockley, Birmingham. It offers apprenticeship programmes in electrical installation to learners based predominantly around the Birmingham area. The majority of learners are young people aged between 16 and 19 at the start of their programme. The average rate of unemployment in Birmingham currently stands at 11.0%, with a male unemployment rate of 12.6 %, which is twice the national average. Department for Education statistics indicate that the success rate for pupils achieving A*-C grades at GCSE is 54.9%, compared with the national rate of 55.2%.

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Information about this inspection

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and two additional inspectors, assisted by the director of Birmingham Electrical Training as nominee, carried out the inspection with short notice. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors also used data on learners’ achievements over the last three years to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected throughout the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all of the provision at the provider. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision and graded the sector subject area listed in the report above.

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Handbook for the inspection of further education and skills 2012, Part 2:

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Grade Judgement

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/handbook-for-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills- september-2012

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Grade Judgement

guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Grade Judgement

Learner View is a new website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too.

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Grade Judgement

To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk or if you have any questions about Learner View please email Ofsted at: learnerview@ofsted.gov.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Grade Judgement

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Grade Judgement

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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