Aspiration Training Limited

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: 3 March 2015 Inspection Number: 429796 URN: 57680 Aspiration Training Limited Independent learning provider

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Summary of key findings for learners

 not enough learners complete their qualification within the time expected  too much teaching and learning are not matched to learners’ individual needs  written feedback does not provide learners with clear guidance on how to improve further  target setting does not include sufficient reference to learners’ skills development  trainers do not prioritise the teaching of mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT), and to a lesser extent English, sufficiently to raise learners’ skills in order to improve their employment prospects  learners do not receive effective support to enable them to overcome identified learning difficulties  learners do not develop a good enough understanding of equality or of the celebration of diversity to support their workplace practice  managers do not use their quality systems effectively to look at the impact their actions have on the learners’ experience.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 trainers provide good verbal feedback and learners are supported to feel confident in their jobs  learners benefit from the provider’s clear ethos of mutual respect and understanding  information, advice and guidance have improved and learners clearly understand career routes  safeguarding of learners is good  observation of teaching, learning and assessment has much improved and trainers feel supported to improve further to produce good or outstanding lessons  managers take account of the local enterprise partnership’s (LEP) priorities and employers’ needs; they have developed a curriculum that meets the needs of employers, learners and the wider community.

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This inspection: Requires improvement-3

Previous inspection: Requires improvement-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?

 Plan more precisely according to the potential and experience of individual learners, in order to increase the number of learners who complete their qualification within the expected time.  Provide trainers with more precise action plans subsequent to the observation of their teaching sessions, so that they can improve the quality of learning and progress more rapidly and effectively.  Provide trainers with the support to be able to give learners precise, written feedback so that learners understand how to improve further, and monitor the impact this has on learners’ progress.  Ensure that learners understand the importance of, and develop skills in, English, mathematics and ICT so that they can complete their qualifications and progress within their chosen careers.  Develop the review process to ensure that trainers and managers incorporate specific and time- bound targets, so that on- and off-the-job learning are better co-ordinated.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Train staff in order that they can better support learners with a recognised learning difficulty so that they are able to complete their qualification and progress.  Ensure that all learners gain a clear understanding of equality and diversity so that they can demonstrate this in their job role and are better prepared to work in a diverse community.  Support managers to use self-assessment and quality improvement planning more effectively to drive up the quality of the provision more rapidly, and so improve outcomes for learners and the quality of their experience.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Aspiration Training Limited (ATL) provides intermediate and advanced apprenticeships for learners predominantly aged over 19 years. Over half of the provision is in the health and social care and childcare sectors. Recently, managers have started to offer distance-learning packages to enhance their offer to businesses, making up another third of the provision.  The number of learners who complete their qualification on time has risen this year but remains an area for improvement. Vague target setting, together with delays in assessments, result in learners not achieving within their expected timeframe. A few learners are disadvantaged owing to trainers and employers cancelling assessments, often at short notice. This delays assessment or observation of work practice and slows learners’ progress.  Trainers do not sufficiently recognise the skills that learners develop, including those they acquire in the workplace. Trainers do not sufficiently challenge learners to reach their potential,

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Inspection judgements

and too few learners make progress onto the next level of studies.  Trainers provide appropriate English and mathematics tuition at the start of learners’ programmes. However, due to a lack of vocational relevance and practice in the workplace, learners do not gain enough skills or consolidate their learning in these subjects to enable them to progress within their chosen career.  Although trainers provide informal support for learners with identified learning needs, they do so without specialist qualifications or training; as a result, this small group of learners achieve their qualification at a lower rate than those without a learning difficulty.  Managers and trainers have reduced the achievement gaps between women and men and between small groups of learners of different ethnic heritages by increased scrutiny of performance data and improved information, advice and guidance.  Trainers do not inspire learners sufficiently to encourage them to progress to higher levels of

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Inspection judgements

study or gain promotion at work. Trainers who support learners on employability programmes are not helping them gain jobs in a timely manner.  All apprentices study personal learning and thinking skills to a level appropriate to their job roles. Trainers help learners to gain confidence and enjoy their learning experience. Employers support learners in gaining new skills, such as manual handling and the safe handling of medicines, through good training opportunities.  Trainers support learners and employers to gain additional qualifications relevant to their job such as dementia care, customer service and paediatric first aid to enhance learners’ practice and improve their employment prospects.  Learners understand what progression opportunities are available to them. Trainers support learners to plan future career paths in line with LEP priorities and sector skill shortages. Managers have introduced a higher-level apprenticeship route to enable learners to make

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Inspection judgements

progress into management positions. Trainers consult with employers so that learners choose the most relevant optional units to meet the needs of the business.

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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 have improved since the previous inspection, but still require improvement to be good. Too many learners do not complete their qualifications within the time allocated. Inspectors sampled all areas of the provision and focused on those with the largest volume of learners.  Assessment planning and practice require improvement. Although trainers give good verbal feedback, their written feedback to learners is not sufficiently detailed. It does not help them improve their skills or standards of work. Too much time elapses between learners submitting their work and receiving feedback. Trainers do not adequately plan assessments to ensure that learners are set challenging tasks and that they produce work beyond the expectations of the qualification.  Trainers set targets that focus on learners completing units and qualifications and give insufficient focus on their skills development. Trainers do not sufficiently record learners’ skills

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Inspection judgements

development in the workplace as part of the review. They spend a disproportionate amount of time completing review documentation that does not have a significant impact on learning and progress. Learners do not benefit from reviews, as trainers do not explore fully opportunities to discuss the importance of health and safety, equality, diversity and safeguarding and applying them in their job role.  Trainers do not sufficiently develop learners’ mathematics skills in vocational subjects or sector practice which are essential for their future employment, such as in drug dosages or body mass indices. Trainers who deliver employability programmes make insufficient use of early assessment to meet learners’ needs and as a result, they do not improve their English and mathematics beyond their starting point.  Vocational trainers do not have appropriate training or qualifications to support learners who

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Inspection judgements

have specific learning needs such as dyslexia or where English is their second language. Trainers support these learners by spending more time with them, or visiting more frequently but team leaders do not monitor this consistently. Managers do not ensure that all learners receive specialist support to meet their needs effectively. This results in this small group of learners not achieving as well as those without a known difficulty.  Managers have developed learning resources and materials on the virtual learning environment (VLE) developed both commercially and in-house. These support learning effectively outside of sessions. Managers monitor levels of learners’ participation on the VLE and follow up those who have not participated in the previous two weeks to ensure they are participating in learning outside of assessments. Managers have developed new resources for the VLE to support learners’ understanding of cyber bullying, safeguarding and diversity. However, the vast

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Inspection judgements

majority of vocational trainers do not support or mark learners’ online work for the first five months of their programme, which delays progression.  Staff do not promote sufficiently equality and diversity in teaching, learning and assessment. Trainers do not extend learners’ knowledge and understanding of practices in sessions to enable learners to promote equality and celebrate cultural diversity in their work settings. Discussions to challenge perceptions and develop learners’ understanding of equality and diversity issues are not routinely included in sessions. However, trainers in health and care develop learners’ understanding of individualised care to a high standard.  Information, advice and guidance have improved since the previous inspection and learners receive guidance more closely aligned to their career goals and knowledge of the local labour market. Trainers reinforce these discussions with paper-based information. This has resulted in

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Inspection judgements

fewer learners leaving their apprenticeship early compared to the same point in the previous year.  Apprentices develop valuable English, ICT and employment skills in their lessons that will support their future career progression. Vocational trainers correct spelling and grammar and many, but not all, use helpful guidelines for marking English and mathematics for a more consistent approach. In a few mathematics sessions, trainers provide effective coaching to help learners understand mathematical concepts and solve problems. For example, learners work out ratios and proportions in relation to everyday situations. Learners develop skills such as team- working and time management, which are essential for their future careers.  Trainers use their coaching skills to help learners develop their personal learning and thinking skills (PLTS). Childcare learners and learners on employability courses further develop these

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Inspection judgements

skills, using prompt cards, as part of the review process.  Work-based learners receive good personal support from their trainers who offer flexibility in planning individual sessions and assessments that keep learners on programme. Trainers on employability courses develop learners’ confidence, team-work and presentation skills.

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Inspection judgements

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 The board of directors gives good strategic direction and monitors more closely performance and quality, with a clear focus on improving the quality of learners’ experiences. However, managers are too slow at implementing changes to ensure sufficient and rapid impact upon the quality of the provision.  Improvements since the previous inspection are evident in aspects such as overall success rates, in the observation of learning process and in developing learners’ independent learning skills. However, progress is still insufficient in ensuring learners complete on time, in strengthening employers’ involvement in learning and in the promotion of equality and diversity. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is still too variable across and within subject areas.  Quality improvement planning is not sufficiently effective. It does not reflect strategic objectives and, although managers record actions on the quality improvement plan, these are not sufficient

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Inspection judgements

or precise enough to achieve the improvements required. For example, the action to improve employer involvement focuses uniquely on the review process. Managers currently concentrate on tackling weaknesses and do not seek to reinforce existing strengths. Progress is too slow in too many instances, with late implementation of actions.  Self-assessment is inclusive, with staff contributing well to judgements. The report is generally evaluative but focuses on processes rather than on the impact of processes on learners’ experiences. As a result, self-assessment has not contributed enough to managers’ efforts to improve the provision. Judgements around aspects such as safeguarding, and equality and diversity are insufficiently clear and do not inform the quality improvement plan. Managers make appropriate use of learners’ feedback; for example, in producing new career pathways leaflets for apprentices.

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Inspection judgements

 Improved performance management is beginning to drive improvements and to reduce the number of learners who make slow progress. The observation process is now more critical and leads to a greater focus on staff development. However, the resulting action plans are not precise enough to ensure trainers are clear about what they need to do by when to improve their teaching practice.  Managers’ collection and use of data in relation to learners’ progress are improving, but still not sufficiently reliable. The new e-learning tool is beginning to provide information on learners’ progress across the different components of their qualification, but this is not yet fully in place with accurate information.  Managers take account of LEP priorities and, along with employer comments, have developed, a curriculum that meets the needs of employers, learners and the wider community. Managers work closely with the local job centres and provide training to fill gaps within the job markets

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Inspection judgements

locally.  Staff training and development opportunities are good. Analysis of individual staff training needs identifies appropriate training, for example time management, questioning techniques, lesson planning, use of interactive learning technology and embedding English and mathematics. This has a positive impact upon learners’ achievement of skills and knowledge. However, more work still needs to done to provide trainers with the skills to support learners’ mathematics skills and for those with learning difficulties and disabilities.  Partnerships with two subcontractors recruited last year are good and are helping to broaden the curriculum offer in relation to employability programmes and distance learning. Careful selection processes and effective quality monitoring arrangements are in place. Managers monitor performance carefully and share best practice effectively. However, they do not routinely request information on job outcomes from the subcontractor delivering employability

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Inspection judgements

programmes to be able to monitor effectively the progression of these learners.  The promotion of equality and diversity is not sufficiently effective. Managers have identified actions to improve the promotion in teaching, learning and assessment, but implementation is too slow. Learners complete a useful interactive induction that raises their awareness of key aspects such as diversity and e-safety, but trainers do not plan routinely and systematically to promote and reinforce awareness and understanding better in sessions and at progress reviews.  Safeguarding arrangements are good. Staff receive regular update training and have a good understanding of reporting and recording requirements. They deal with specific incidents carefully and provide appropriate advice and guidance. Learners work in jobs that require a good understanding of safeguarding and they increase their awareness through their

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Inspection judgements

qualification. Staff complete a thorough health and safety vetting of the learners’ workplace and discuss safeguarding issues at reviews. Inspectors identified a few learners who did not have sufficient awareness to be able to raise concerns when they find themselves in potentially vulnerable situations and managers took immediate action to rectify this.

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Aspiration Training Limited

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

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Aspiration Training Limited

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate Overall 14-16 part-time provision 14-16 full-time provision 16-19 study programmes Traineeships 19+ learning programmes Apprenticeships Employability Community learning

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Aspiration Training Limited

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 3 3

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Aspiration Training Limited

The effectiveness of leadership and management 3 3

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Malcolm Free Date of previous inspection July 2013 Website address www.aspirationtraining.com

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programme level

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

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Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 48 327 32 226 NA 73 Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total NA NA NA Number of learners aged 14-16 N/A Full-time N/A Part-time N/A Number of community learners N/A Number of employability learners 147 Funding received from Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

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Contextual information

Aspiration Training Limited is based in Bromsgrove and works predominantly in the West Midlands with some additional learners in the South West and East Midlands. Its main provision is apprenticeships in health and social care, early years and play work. The provider also offers a course to prepare learners for employment, which is subcontracted to a provider based in the West Midlands. The large majority of learners are adults; most are female and around one in five from a minority ethnic background.

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Information about this inspection

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI), one associate inspector and five additional inspectors, assisted by the Managing Director 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 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 relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision and graded the sector subject areas 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

www.gov.uk/government/publications/handbook-for-the-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills- from-september-2012

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Grade Judgement

guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. 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 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

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Grade Judgement

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

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Grade Judgement

To find out more go to www.employerview.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 and 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

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 https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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Grade Judgement

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

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