Catch 22

Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good provider

 Most apprentices make very good progress with completing their programme and the proportion who complete within the time planned is high.  Apprentices develop good skills in English and mathematics and most complete their functional skills qualification successfully.  Highly skilled teachers and assessors ensure that learners develop good skills for employment and learn how to live independent lives.  Learners benefit from being in safe, secure and supportive learning environments, which enable them to develop confidence, overcome significant barriers to learning, and move into further training and employment.  Managers have developed a well-planned curriculum that takes good account of local employment opportunities and the training needs of employers.  The management of staff and subcontractors is good and has resulted in rapid improvement for much of the provision.  Managers and staff, who have high aspirations for

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This is a good provider

learners, are dedicated to improving the life chances of vulnerable learners through providing high-quality education and training.

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This is a good provider

 Managers have not yet ensured that all learners on 16 to 19 study programmes develop good skills in English and mathematics, and not enough of these learners complete their functional skills qualification successfully.  Teaching, learning and assessment are not yet consistently good for all learners on 16 to 19 study programmes.  Previously, too few learners on 16 to 19 study programmes completed their studies. Current learners have good attendance and numbers in learning are high.

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Information about the provider

 Catch 22 is a registered charity with over 200 years’ experience of providing help to vulnerable young people and their families. The work of Catch 22 is wide ranging and includes working with former offenders, young people not in education and training and the unemployed. This inspection focused solely on the training and education that the charity provides for apprentices and vulnerable young learners on 16 to 19 study programmes.  Catch 22 provides apprenticeships to over 900 apprentices in five vocational subject areas. The largest numbers of learners are working towards qualifications in retail and leisure management. Apprentices are employed in workplaces across the country, with the largest numbers being in the South East, Yorkshire and Humberside. The 16 to 19 study programme is offered to 144 young people who attend centres in 10 locations across the country.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Managers must ensure that all learners on 16 to 19 study programmes receive consistently good or better learning. Teaching staff must ensure that they use the results from the assessment of learners’ prior understanding and knowledge to design learning more carefully, setting appropriate targets that meet learners’ individual needs.  Managers and staff must ensure that all learners on 16 to 19 study programmes develop good skills in English and mathematics. Through more sharply focused individual help and guidance, teachers must ensure that all learners achieve successfully the functional skills qualifications needed to progress into sustainable employment.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders’ and managers’ strong vision, based on historic principles and current philanthropic values, provides training and learning to the most disadvantaged young people, who are prepared well for further training and employment.  Management of staff performance is good. Careful scrutiny of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, through effective observations and very good use of data, has resulted in managers replacing under-performing staff with well-qualified and enthusiastic teachers and assessors. Well- planned, high-quality staff training and frequent opportunities to share existing good teaching practice ensure that staff continue to develop and improve their teaching and assessing skills.  Leaders’ and managers’ strategy for meeting the local skills and training needs of employers is very good. A comprehensive national plan ensures that learners develop the specific skills required regionally by

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

employers at a local level. Good collaboration with local enterprise panels and employers has ensured that the range of apprenticeship programmes offered, and the work-ready activities undertaken by learners on 16 to 19 study programmes, prepare learners well for sustainable employment and meet local employment needs well.  Management of subcontractors on apprenticeship provision is good. Managers use data particularly well to identify strengths and areas for further improvement. Subcontractors scrutinise the progress of apprentices carefully on a frequent basis and are held to account promptly should learners fall behind in their programme. Managers ensure that the same high standards expected of their own provision are reflected in the provision for apprentices studying with subcontracted partners.  Managers make especially good use of the wide range of expertise within the Catch 22 charity. For

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

example, successful behaviour management strategies used in the charity’s pupil referral work have been implemented effectively by staff to improve the behaviour of learners on 16 to 19 study programmes whose poor behaviour was a weakness at the previous inspection. Leaders use their professional network of corporate sponsors very effectively to fund one-to-one, pre-apprenticeship, work-ready training to ensure that learners are ready to begin an apprenticeship programme.  Manager and staff evaluation of the strengths and areas for improvement of Catch 22 is much improved since the previous inspection; managers know their provision well. The self-assessment process is comprehensive and inclusive of all subcontractors. Most actions in the quality improvement plan have been completed and impactful; for example, dedicated, discrete teaching of English and mathematics for all apprentices has ensured that most apprentices develop good skills in English and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

However, management actions have not yet ensured that all learners on 16 to 19 study programmes develop the same high levels of English and mathematics skills as apprentices, or that all learning across all study centres is planned sufficiently well enough to meet the wide range of learners’ study needs.  The governance of the provider Trustees have a good understanding of the quality of learning across both apprenticeship and 16 to 19 study programmes. They work closely with managers to secure improvement, providing strong and timely challenge to managers should subcontractors and centres under perform. Trustees, who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise from business and industry, have a very good understanding of the needs of vulnerable young learners and ensure that Catch 22 programmes provide for these needs successfully through learners developing the appropriate good skills for employment required by employers.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective Managers work to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are integrated well into the lives of learners, staff and subcontractors. Catch 22 carries out comprehensive recruitment checks on staff, keeping thorough and up-to-date records. Staff have a good understanding of the detailed safeguarding policies that now include the need to prevent learners from being radicalised or being drawn into extremism. Teachers and assessors confidently discuss with learners the potential causes of radicalisation and extremism and ensure that learners form balanced views rooted firmly in fact. Staff record and respond carefully to all cases that cause concern and act quickly through well- developed links with local safeguarding boards and other support agencies.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching, learning and assessment are now good across all apprenticeship provision, which constitutes the majority of the learning provided by Catch 22. While inspectors found learning to be good in many centres providing 16 to 19 study programmes, not all centres provided consistently good teaching, learning and assessment for all learners.  The majority of teachers and assessors use a good variety of learning methods well, including interactive technology, to stimulate and maintain learners’ interest. Learners enjoy their learning and most participate enthusiastically in lessons and reviews. Apprentices understand well the theory that underpins their technical skills and make good progress in their studies. Learners on study programmes quickly develop high levels of confidence and effective work-related skills, often from very low starting points.  Apprentices’ career aspirations and interests are closely matched to the skills and attributes that individual

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

employers require for their business. A short supported placement prior to commencing their apprenticeship ensures that all learners complete their apprenticeship successfully and most remain within their chosen vocational field.  Teachers provide good personal help for learners. Staff use previous personal care plans and feedback from parents and care givers well to ensure that learners on 16 to 19 study programmes receive the individual care they need to make a good transition into full-time learning.  Teachers manage the behaviour of learners very well. Teachers’ skilful group management ensures that learners concentrate hard and stay absorbed in their learning. Learners work well on their own and with their peers, showing respect for each other’s opinions and views. Assessors keep apprentices sharply focused on developing the technical and personal skills required to succeed in business, and, as a result,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

the large majority remain in permanent employment on completing their qualifications.  Apprentices develop good interpersonal skills and use technical language well. For example, apprentices working in doctors’ general practice maintain patients’ confidentiality effectively when booking appointments and giving medical test results. Business administration apprentices compose professional emails to business clients and communicate conference reservations clearly to customers via the telephone.  All learners have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and take practical steps to assure their own and each other’s safety. For example, a business and administration apprentice ensures that he wears a tracking device and carries his mobile phone at all times when delivering leaflets to the local business community. Learners on 16 to 19 study programmes are very well informed about the dangers

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

of internet bullying and take appropriate steps to keep personal information secure when using social media.  Assessment of learning is not yet consistently good for all learners. Oral feedback is strongly affirmative and motivates learners to work hard to improve in their learning. However, written feedback does not always give precise enough learning points for improvement or provide sufficient guidance to help learners improve their written work and/or develop their ideas sufficiently.  Learners on 16 to 19 study programmes develop their personal, social and employability skills well, although a small minority of learners do not participate in work experience soon enough to put these skills into practice quickly.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good

 Most apprentices develop good technical skills and sound vocational knowledge quickly. Employers speak positively of the valuable contribution apprentices make to their business. For example, a business studies apprentice working in an estate agents is confident to manage his own portfolio of residential sales, deals with clients in a self-assured and competent manner and has completed a number of prestigious sales.  As a result of their studies, apprentices have a highly developed understanding of social justice and equality. When reviewing learners’ progress, assessors include discussions skilfully on topical current affairs, life in modern Britain and newsworthy events that relate well to learners’ vocational backgrounds. Learners relish the opportunity to challenge their own views and deepen their subject knowledge.  All learners behave well; teachers and assessors set and expect high standards of professional conduct.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good

Apprentices develop a good understanding of how to stay safe at work, and apply well the essential elements of health and safety in the workplace. Learners on 16 to 19 study programmes settle quickly into their learning and most manage their own feelings and behaviour effectively. Learners show great respect for their fellow learners, their clients and Catch 22 staff.  Learners’ attendance on the study programme, a weakness at the previous inspection, is now good. Tutors and staff monitor attendance well and challenge lateness effectively.  Apprentices have a good understanding of how to report any instances of potential bullying or harassment in the workplace. All learners understand how to keep themselves, their clients and their peers safe when working online and when using social media.  Learners on study programmes develop high levels of confidence and good skills for employment through well-planned preparation for work activities and from participating in a range of Catch 22 social enterprise

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good

projects. For example, learners construct and paint display boards for local primary schools, and erect fences and lay down wooden decking for community housing projects.  Younger learners gain a good understanding of life outside their immediate community. Managers and staff work closely with employers and local community project leaders to offer visits and provide guest speakers. Additional learning opportunities in, for example, cookery and philosophy, challenge and inspire learners to try new experiences.  Apprentices develop good skills in English and mathematics. For example, apprentices working with young children use technical language well when speaking to other healthcare professionals, and motor vehicle apprentices use mental calculations effectively during diagnostic safety testing to check engine management readings carefully. However, not all learners on 16 to 19 study programmes make good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good

progress in developing and extending their English and mathematics knowledge and understanding.

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Outcomes for learners are good

 Most learners now complete their qualification successfully and progress well from very low starting points. Catch 22 actively recruits learners from the most disadvantaged social groups, those furthest way from learning and those without the skills required by employers.  Apprentices’ pass rates are very good, and for those who complete their qualification within the time planned, are very high. Apprentices studying towards leisure and retail qualifications and apprentices aged 16 to 18 on intermediate qualifications achieve particularly well.  Apprentices’ achievements in functional English and mathematics qualifications are now good. The proportion of apprentices who complete a functional skill qualification successfully has improved dramatically since the previous inspection.  Learners who require extra help to complete their programme of learning successfully achieve well and now do at least as well as their peers. Managers have taken highly effective action to improve the

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Outcomes for learners are good

learning experience for these learners and now monitor their progress closely, making timely and effective interventions should learners fall behind in their studies.  Care leavers, learners in the care of local authorities and those learners previously not in education or training do well; most complete their programme and move into further training, a traineeship or an apprenticeship. The very small minority of learners in receipt of high-needs funding achieve their qualification successfully and live more independent lives.  On apprenticeship programmes, very few gaps in achievement now exist between different groups of learners. However, a small minority of learners aged 19 to 23 on advanced-level business study courses do not achieve as well as their peers.  Most learners on 16 to 19 study programmes gain life-enhancing benefits from participating in learning, and develop high levels of confidence and self-worth. Current learners attend well, are punctual and most

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Outcomes for learners are good

remain in learning. However, while learners who continue with their studies do well, and the majority continue into further training and employment, historically too many learners have left their programme early.  Managers have not yet been successful in ensuring that all learners on 16 to 19 study programmes achieve their functional skills qualification successfully.

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

 Catch 22 provides one-year study programmes in four of the 15 subject areas. The largest area is preparation for life and work. Currently, 144 learners are on 16 to 19 study programmes.  Teaching, learning and assessment are not yet consistently good across all study programme centres. Features of less effective learning include tasks and activities that fail to challenge learners sufficiently well, resulting in them quickly becoming bored, and assessment of learning that does not encourage more-able learners to develop independent study skills.  Teachers do not always use the introduction to the programme and the results from learners’ prior knowledge well enough to set targets for learning that are meaningful or, for the more able, sufficiently challenging. A small minority of learners are unclear about what their overall course objectives are, or the steps they will need to take to achieve their learning goal.

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

 Teachers have not yet ensured that all learners make rapid improvement in developing good skills in English and mathematics. Not all teachers are sufficiently confident to plan learning that takes account of the wide-ranging needs of learners. Written comments on marked work, while affirmative, do not always challenge learners to improve their skills or encourage them to correct poorly presented work.  Leaders and managers are ambitious for learners and set high standards of conduct and behaviour. They plan programmes of study carefully to meet the individual requirements of learners and to provide good opportunities for them to develop the interpersonal and employment skills required of employers and local businesses. Current learners are preparing well for their planned work experience opportunities and are enthusiastic about putting their learning into practice in the workplace.  Teachers and staff provide highly effective personal help and guidance to learners and this ensures that

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

they settle quickly into their learning and commit to attending regularly. Attendance is high and punctuality is good despite many learners travelling considerable distances to attend their learning.

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Apprenticeships are good

 In five subject areas, the largest being retail and leisure management, 900 learners are working towards an apprenticeship framework. The majority of these are working towards an intermediate apprenticeship qualification.  Assessors provide good-quality individual coaching to apprentices, and tailor programmes carefully to match the individual needs of apprentices and the particular skills requirements of their employers. Managers ensure that all apprentices work for employers who are committed to providing good-quality, work-related training.  Employers value greatly the skills that apprentices develop and the impact and improvements to their businesses that apprentices bring. For example, one apprentice has become the information technology champion for his company, enabling the employer to make significant cost savings to the business.  Since the previous inspection, managers have taken effective action to ensure that apprentices develop

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Apprenticeships are good

good skills in English and mathematics. Well-qualified staff now teach apprentices in discrete groups and most learners now pass their functional skills qualification at the first attempt.  Teachers use innovative ideas to make mathematics concepts clear to learners. For example, learners develop their understanding of ratios by using different coloured sweets as visual aids to support their calculations. Teachers make effective use of subject-specific video clips to prompt small group discussions and to develop learners’ spoken and written English further. Learners then work independently to craft well-punctuated paragraphs to record their views and opinions.  Assessors and managers monitor and track learners’ progress assiduously. Employers, assessors and apprentices work collaboratively and well to review and reflect jointly on learners’ progress, and to set new targets for learning. As a result, learners make very good progress in their studies.

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Apprenticeships are good

 Apprentices demonstrate a good appreciation of diversity and are able to modify their behaviour to live and work harmoniously with a broad range of clients. For example, apprentices working with young children in a nursery understand well how to involve newly arrived Traveller children into the play and activities of more established children, to make them feel welcome.  On completing their qualification, most apprentices remain in permanent employment, and the majority stay within the same vocational area of expertise. However, most do not have access to ongoing impartial careers advice and guidance and a small minority of apprentices on completion of their qualification are unclear about what potential career opportunities are available to them.

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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full contract year

CEO Mr Chris Wright Website address http://www.catch-22.org.uk/

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 380 243 122 213 0 0 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total 0 0 0 Number of learners aged 14-16 0 Funding received from Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency

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main subcontractors:

PTC Sports Ltd The Recalvi Enterprise Ltd (Apprenticeship Connect)

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Inspection team

Jules Steele, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Joy Montgomery Her Majesty’s Inspector Tracey Griffin Ofsted Inspector Marinette Bazin Ofsted Inspector Kate Murrie Ofsted Inspector Philip Elliot Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the Director of Apprenticeships and Employability, as nominee, and carried out the inspection at short notice. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of students and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider. 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 .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk

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