Doncaster Rotherham and District Motor Trades Group Training Association Limited

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Mr Cliff Bacon, CEO Doncaster, Rotherham and District Motor Trades GroupTraining Association Ltd Rands Lane Industrial Estate Armthorpe Doncaster DN3 3DY

p.1

Training Association Ltd (GTA)

Following the short inspection on 24–25 May 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the provider was judged to be good in May 2011.

p.1

Training Association Ltd (GTA)

Leaders and managers have successfully maintained a consistently good rate of learners who successfully complete and achieve their apprenticeship. A large proportion of them also complete their training programme within their planned time. GTA staff are very successful at developing good-quality practical and vocational skills in a number of specialist workshop areas that meet high industry standards. The standard of work produced by apprentices is consistently good and they take pride in their work. Leaders and managers have good relationships with major car manufacturers and they deliver a high-quality bespoke training provision to meet their needs.

p.1

Training Association Ltd (GTA)

GTA managers have successfully addressed some of the recommendations identified at their last inspection, but some, for a variety of reasons, have not yet been fully addressed. For example, they still do not make full use of their electronic management information system but the paper-based system they use meets their current needs. Safeguarding is effective.

p.1

Training Association Ltd (GTA)

GTA has ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and they take action to safeguard learners. They meet all their safeguarding requirements with regards to their recruitment of staff, training and awareness raising, health and safety policies and procedures, and the safety of both apprentices and staff.

p.2

Training Association Ltd (GTA)

More recently, managers have introduced training to inform all staff and learners of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism, as well as modern British values.

p.2

Inspection findings

 Since the last inspection, managers and staff have maintained overall achievement and achievement in planned time at a consistently good level. The progression rates from intermediate to advanced-level apprenticeships also remain good. Many apprentices access and successfully achieve enhanced training and qualifications that add good value to their training programme and increase their ability to acquire sustained employment.  GTA managers do not undertake sufficient analysis of the reasons why apprentices leave early or do not complete their training, so that they can take actions to remedy these to increase their achievement rates to even higher levels. Systems to identify any early signs of an apprentice being ‘at risk’ of leaving or not completing their apprenticeship are not sufficiently effective.  Leaders and managers have undertaken a range of activities since the last inspection to remedy the issues highlighted in the report regarding the

p.2

Inspection findings

planning of teaching sessions. Tutors in motor vehicle and engineering programmes now plan their training sessions better so that apprentices now receive good support from tutors and assessors in the development of their practical skills. These are of a good standard and reflect current industry practices well. Tutors use the very good industry standard resources to good effect to promote wider understanding of technical issues by the apprentices, such as in welding and body shop repairs. The well-planned sessions ensure that differentiated activities are delivered to support individual learners’ needs and enable apprentices to begin their apprenticeship at different times of the year.  Senior managers have focused the initial training for new staff, recruited from industry, on the development of their technical knowledge and awarding body standards. They have not sufficiently addressed the development of their

p.2

Inspection findings

skills in the crafts of teaching and learning so they can effectively integrate functional skills in their teaching.  School links are strong and relationships with other providers remain strong and productive. They lead to effective progression routes from schools and other feeder organisations to engineering and motor vehicle apprenticeships. GTA has strong partnerships with major international engineering and car manufacturing companies to provide bespoke apprenticeship provision for these companies. The companies provide high-quality, modern equipment and vehicles for use by apprentices and staff to develop their knowledge and skills. However, apprentices on other motor vehicle provision do not benefit directly from these partnerships.  The marketing team has productive relationships with a range of organisations that provide enrichment opportunities for the apprentices. For example, South Yorkshire Police provide safe driving instruction and a number

p.2

Inspection findings

of tool manufacturers donate and demonstrate tools for apprentices, enabling them to be aware of the most up-to-date versions.  The marketing and school links to recruit business administration apprentices are not well developed, and recruitment to these programmes are low.  GTA provides apprentices with good-quality information, advice and guidance. This ensures that apprentices are aware of what they need to do to complete their qualification and move into their chosen career. Most apprentices have a good understanding of the relevance of all parts of their programmes and can see how their programme is helping them to progress in the workplace and to higher levels of training. They value highly the way in which their training programme develops their personal skills and the vocational knowledge that they need to succeed.  At induction, the starter activity explores key concepts including culture,

p.3

Inspection findings

values, respect and radicalisation. In a session on job application procedures, staff give apprentices particularly useful guidance on their personal appearance, how they present themselves and on the preparation of a curriculum vitae.  Since the last inspection, GTA has undergone significant staff changes and a major organisational restructure. Because of this, there has been little focus on developing the use of the management information system. The paper- based systems that staff and managers use do enable learners and managers to know what progress learners are making, albeit in a simplified form. The current monitoring of progress is not frequent enough and senior managers do not know what actions staff are taking to ensure that learners complete on time or to improve overall success rates.  Safeguarding at GTA is effective in protecting apprentices from harm. GTA has also successfully incorporated an action plan to raise both staff and

p.3

Inspection findings

apprentice awareness of the dangers of extremism and terrorism. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to ensure that apprentices remain safe, both in the training centre and in the workplace. Managers are effective in identifying early potential safeguarding issues and they take appropriate action to resolve them quickly when they arise. Apprentices feel safe within the centre and adhere to all health and safety requirements in the workshop areas.  Teachers now integrate the dangers of radicalisation and extremism well within their session plans. Workshop areas include very effective displays and notices related to radicalisation and extremism. Staff undertaking progress reviews do not check the recall, knowledge and understanding of apprentices in sufficient detail in order to reinforce these issues with apprentices in an ongoing manner.  Trainers and managers challenge robustly the small minority of apprentices

p.3

Inspection findings

who fail to respect differences. Trainers have received training on how to promote to apprentices democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Around half the apprentices have also undergone the same training; plans are in place to train the remainder over the next few weeks. Although GTA has not been successful in developing clear and discreet strategies to recruit more under- represented groups into apprenticeships, its staff still attend and participate in a good range of careers events and ‘taster’ days that are successful in promoting the apprenticeship provision in general. The marketing department has improved the range of general recruitment activities including the use of a vehicle at events enabling ‘hands-on’ activities for possible recruits. This is successful in demonstrating to interested females that engineering work is

p.4

Inspection findings

possible for them.  Marketing staff have also produced a good-quality magazine aimed at under- represented groups, in particular females in the motor vehicle industry, and this includes a good section on ‘myth busting’ that dispels many of the negative stereotypical characteristics. However, the use and distribution of the magazine is not part of a clear and discrete strategy. The systems to record and measure the impact of recruitment activities are not yet sufficiently robust to ensure that they target specific learner groups well enough.

p.4

Next steps for the provider

Leaders and board members should ensure that:

p.4

Next steps for the provider

 managers develop a better system to capture and record reasons why learners do not succeed or leave their programme early so that GTA can analyse these in order to create and implement appropriate strategies to reduce the number and increase their overall achievement rates even further  managers develop a plan that will enhance the skills of tutors to deliver theoretical learning within the centre better, and to monitor how staff promote and reinforce effective safeguarding practices more closely within curriculum delivery and progress reviews  the marketing team reviews the effectiveness of the relationships with schools and other organisations to direct energy and resources where they will have the biggest impact and reach the under-represented learner groups more successfully  managers and staff improve the partnership working with business administration and customer service sectors to recruit more learners

p.4

Next steps for the provider

 trainers and assessors review the progress of learners more regularly to ensure that they do not fall behind, that there is an effective action plan for those who are behind, and that they support these learners to make progress to get back on target.

p.5

Next steps for the provider

I am copying this letter to the Skills Funding Agency and the Education Funding Agency. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.5

Information about the inspection

One HMI, assisted by three Ofsted inspectors and the operations manager, as nominee, carried out the inspection. During the inspection, inspectors met with managers and staff, observed teaching activities and met and talked to apprentices and staff in workshops and classrooms. Inspectors also reviewed a large number of documents, learners’ files and records.

p.5