TTE Training Limited

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: November 2013 Inspection Number: 428258 URN: 55113 TTE Training Limited

p.1

Summary of key findings for learners

 Success rates for engineering apprentices are good and have been well above national averages for the last three years.  Learners develop excellent skills in a wide range of specialist disciplines.  Progression into further education, training and employment is very good.  The vast majority of practical sessions are good or better. Workshops are well equipped with state-of-the-art equipment which enables learners to develop quickly knowledge, skills and understanding.  Teachers plan learning sessions well. They use a wide range of learning activities carefully linked to learners’ employment or work experience.  On-the-job training is outstanding. Employers provide excellent opportunities for learners to develop and enhance their skills in process engineering operations.  Leadership and management are good, with outstanding features. The company’s board and senior managers provide clear direction and promote high aspirations and standards for learners

p.1

Summary of key findings for learners

and staff.  Curriculum planning is good. The company works exceptionally well with employers to devise learning programmes and to provide opportunities for learners to gain the wide range of specialist skills they need in their training.

p.1

Summary of key findings for learners

 Business administration apprentices take too long to complete their frameworks.  Not enough teaching and learning is yet outstanding. Teachers make insufficient use of information and learning technology (ILT) to promote learners’ engagement. In a minority of theory lessons, teachers talk for too long and fail to provide opportunities for learners to participate actively in sessions. Inspection dates 21–24 October 2013

p.1

This inspection: Good-2

Previous inspection: Outstanding-1 Outcomes for learners Good-2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good-2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Good-2

p.1

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the remaining business administration apprentices achieve their frameworks by continuing to monitor and manage their training and assessment.  Improve the proportion of learning sessions that are outstanding by: - supporting teaching staff to share expertise and good practice in the use of ILT to promote learners’ engagement - providing training and resources for teaching staff to help them become confident in using strategies that more effectively engage learners.

p.2

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Good  Overall success rates for intermediate engineering and advanced engineering and manufacturing technologies apprentices are high and have been above national averages for the last three years. Success rates for learners following National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at intermediate and advanced level in business administration, engineering and warehousing are very high.  Following a period of disruption and uncertainty in the management and resourcing of the business administration programme, the remaining apprentices in this curriculum area are now on course to succeed. However, the vast majority have already exceeded their planned end date.  Assessors set challenging yet achievable targets for engineering and manufacturing technology learners, which they monitor carefully. As a consequence, most make very good progress and are on course to complete their programme well within the planned period of study. TTE

p.2

Inspection judgements

Training Limited (TTE) recognises this strength in its self-assessment.  No significant differences exist in performance between different groups of learners. The company has worked particularly hard to recruit females onto its programmes. At the time of inspection, the proportion of females on engineering apprenticeships and study programmes was significantly higher than in the sector as a whole. Senior managers make good use of data to monitor regularly recruitment, retention and performance of learners.  Learners develop excellent skills on the job in a wide range of specialist disciplines, such as instrumentation, process control, manufacturing and electrical engineering, which helps them to make very good progress in their employment or work placement. They also develop very good personal and social skills in a good variety of workplace and outdoor settings. They become confident and articulate and make valuable contributions in the work setting. Apprentices

p.2

Inspection judgements

develop good knowledge of specialist terminology in engineering, as well as improved English and advanced mathematical skills.  The vast majority of apprentices progress into permanent employment in the process engineering industry. Many gain promotion while others receive enhanced responsibilities. All tutors on the programme are former apprentices and they provide good role models. Detailed case studies show that some learners move into specialist engineering roles which their employers value highly, while others go on to achieve undergraduate qualifications, including degrees, sponsored by their employer. Former apprentices have achieved the status of chartered engineer and hold senior positions in the process engineering industry. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, which enables learners to make good progress and achieve high grades. Learners develop excellent practical skills and gain an in-depth

p.2

Inspection judgements

understanding of key theoretical aspects of engineering.  Teachers have high expectations of learners and most set challenging work which helps them learn and develop good skills. Teachers have wide industrial experience and are well qualified. They use their site experience well and draw upon relevant examples from the workplace to make learning more meaningful.  Teachers plan lessons well and use a wide range of teaching and learning activities to engage learners effectively. They clearly link learning to engineering applications. Learners work well in pairs and small groups where they take responsibility for their own learning. Teachers make frequent checks on learning.  In a minority of theory lessons, teachers talk for too long and fail to provide opportunities for learners to participate actively in learning. Though learners are usually attentive and listen well in these lessons, they are too passive.

p.3

Inspection judgements

 Learners enjoy the highly effective learning in practical sessions, which helps them develop good engineering skills and knowledge. For example, learners on the electrical engineering apprenticeship were able to build a transformer and explain articulately how the windings affected secondary voltage. The very good resources in workshops enable learners to learn using industry standard equipment. These include realistic process rigs which simulate petrochemical processes.  Good quality learning resources enable learners to learn independently. A few teachers use ILT effectively to enhance the quality of their presentations and to show video clips which enrich learning. However, not all teachers make effective use of ILT in the classroom.  On-the-job training is outstanding. Learners develop very good skills and knowledge using state- of-the-art resources provided by employers. They benefit from having a wide range of work

p.3

Inspection judgements

which comprehensively covers the curriculum. Blue-chip companies employ many of the learners, who benefit from extensive online learning programmes which add significant value to their learning.  Staff carry out a detailed initial assessment before learners join the programme. They use the outcomes of these assessments well to identify and support learners with additional needs.  Assessment is accurate, thorough and carried out promptly to meet the needs of learners. Teachers provide constructive feedback during lessons which helps learners make good progress. Feedback to learners on technical certificate assignments recognises good work and makes helpful suggestions for improvement. However, written feedback on NVQ learners’ work is often insufficiently detailed.  Progress reviews are detailed and thorough. The review officer carefully reviews learners’ progress and sets challenging targets. Health and safety issues receive particularly good

p.3

Inspection judgements

coverage during reviews. Most employers make a good contribution to reviews. Tracking and monitoring of learners’ progress is very thorough. Learners have a good awareness of the progress they are making.  Learners develop and improve their mathematical skills through relevant tasks linked to engineering activities in the training centre. Learners rightly say that they have greatly improved their skills in English and mathematics and this is evident in much of their work. Teachers correct the few spelling and grammatical errors found in learners’ work.  Initial information, advice and guidance help learners to make informed decisions about their course. Reliable aptitude testing helps select learners who have the potential to succeed in engineering. Good on-going information, advice and guidance during the programme help the majority of learners progress to undergraduate-level study.  Support for learners is very good. Teachers are highly supportive of learners in lessons which

p.3

Inspection judgements

ensure that they understand. Support from employers is exemplary and helps develop learners for future positions of responsibility. Teachers cover equality and diversity topics well during induction. Apprentices’ understanding of equalities is good.

p.3

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leadership and management are good with some outstanding aspects. Leaders and managers set a very clear strategic direction and have high expectations of staff and learners. The company’s strategic decision to concentrate its energies and resources on providing high quality training in the process engineering sector, rather than continuing to expand into other sectors, provides staff with a clear focus. Staff are rightly proud of the very high regard with which TTE is held by its key stakeholders for the quality of training it provides. The company operates in a specialist niche engineering field seeking to meet the needs of a complex and demanding sector that has a need for highly qualified and capable petrochemical, mechanical and electrical engineers. It meets these needs exceptionally well.  Performance-management arrangements are good. TTE’s board provides good external scrutiny and challenge for the chief executive officer and his senior managers. The board regularly

p.4

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

receives reports on the company’s financial and business performance which it examines carefully. Senior managers have dealt effectively with poor staff performance in business administration. They have successfully cultivated a high performance culture that the company’s learners, training officers and managers value. Learners demonstrate a genuine interest in a long-term career in engineering or business administration and have very high aspirations.  Self-assessment and quality improvement planning are good and have enabled the company to maintain high standards of performance. The company’s chief executive officer leads the self- assessment process and makes good use of learners’ feedback and staff views to reach judgements. The company’s quality improvement plan accurately identifies the key strengths and weaknesses. Improvement actions, particularly those related to health and safety, teaching

p.4

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and learning and to maintain the quality of provision for its remaining business administration apprentices, are good and have clear timescales. Managers use data well to support judgements. Inspectors gave similar grades to those in the self-assessment for most aspects of provision.  TTE has considerably improved its quality improvement measures, particularly the observation of teaching and learning scheme. Observers correctly identify the key strengths and weaknesses in learning sessions and provide supportive and constructive feedback to help teachers improve. The company regularly seeks the views of learners and employers through questionnaires and an active student committee. The outcomes of these are carefully analysed and prompt actions taken to resolve concerns.  Curriculum planning is good. As a specialist engineering provider, TTE has developed excellent links with large local employers in the process engineering sector. It is the preferred provider of

p.4

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

choice for many of these companies. TTE meets regularly with employer representatives to carry out detailed analyses and discussion of how well the apprenticeship programme meets employers’ specific needs. It reviews its programmes in the light of these discussions and promptly takes actions to ensure, for example, that off-the-job training more closely matches employers’ business requirements, or modifying the order in which training officers deliver specific NVQ units. Consequently, employers rightly comment favourably on the effectiveness of TTE’s flexibility and responsiveness in meeting their needs.  The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. Learners are very well behaved, courteous and treat each other and staff with respect. The small but increasing number of females on the engineering programmes is an encouraging indicator of the success of the company’s marketing and promotional activities. Staff receive appropriate training in equality

p.4

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and diversity and learners’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities is good.  The company meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding learners. The company sets exceptionally high standards for health and safety both in the training environment and in the workplace. TTE has won several prestigious national awards for the high quality of its risk assessment and health and safety procedures. Learners have a very good understanding of the specific risks to health and safety posed by the sector in which they work, such as chemical spillages, moving machinery and working in potentially hazardous environments.

p.4

TTE Training Limited

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

p.6

TTE Training Limited

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate Overall 16-19 study programmes Apprenticeships

p.6

TTE Training Limited

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 2 2 2

p.6

TTE Training Limited

The effectiveness of leadership and management 2 2 2

p.6

Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

p.7

full contract year

Principal/CEO Mr Nick Smith Date of previous inspection November 2005 Website address www.tteltd.co.uk

p.7

programme level

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

p.7

(excluding apprenticeships)

Full-time N/A N/A N/A N/A 36 11 N/A N/A Part-time N/A N/A N/A 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total N/A N/A N/A

p.7

Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 1 36 164 80 N/A 20

p.7

Number of learners aged 14-16

Full-time N/A Part-time N/A Number of community learners N/A Number of employability learners N/A Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

p.7

Contextual information

TTE is based in Ellesmere Port and was established in 1990 by several local petroleum and chemical industry employers, to provide process engineering training for member companies and the wider engineering sector. The company is owned and led by two large employers, Ineos Chlor Vinyls Limited and Essar Oil (UK) Limited. TTE’s chief executive officer is supported by a team which includes 21 training delivery staff. In 2012, the number of pupils in Ellesmere Port and Neston achieving five grades A* to C at GCSE, was 82.3%.

p.8

Information about this inspection

Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and three additional inspectors, assisted by the training and delivery manager 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.

p.8

Grade Judgement

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

p.9

Grade Judgement

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

p.9

Grade Judgement

guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, 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 .

p.9

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.

p.9

Grade Judgement

To find out more go to www.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.

p.9

Grade Judgement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and provider inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.10

Grade Judgement

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

p.10