Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Gary Hewitt Quality Manager UK Training Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited 7–8 Glaisdale Business Centre Glaisdale Parkway Bilborough Nottingham NG8 4GP

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Short inspection of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

Following the short inspection on 5 and 6 July 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The inspection was the first short inspection carried out since the Skills Funding Agency transferred the Valley Forge (UK) Limited training contract to Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited (the company). Most of the staff that had responsibilities for the delivery of the provision in Valley Forge (UK) Limited are delivering the current provision. The provision offered by Valley Forge (UK) Limited was judged to be good in June 2013.

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Short inspection of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

Following the transfer of the SFA contract in 2014, you have maintained the good quality of apprenticeship provision that inspectors found at your previous inspection. You have sustained the strengths identified at the inspection and made good progress in tackling most of the areas for improvement. You and your team have the capacity and capability to make further improvements and are very determined to do so.

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Short inspection of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

Apprentices continue to receive good on- and off-the-job training. Most apprentices make good progress and complete their apprenticeships; however, a small minority take longer than planned. Apprentices continue to benefit from outstanding resources, which trainers use well to ensure good development of apprentices’ vocational skills, such as engine diagnostics and fault finding. Well-planned and regular week-long training in the company’s training centres have enabled apprentices to share ideas. For example, they discuss practices in different dealerships during lessons.

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Short inspection of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

Managers and trainers are rigorous in monitoring the quality of provision and take appropriate steps to tackle any issues that need improvement. In your current self- assessment report, managers have identified accurately areas for improvement and have a detailed improvement plan. However, the arrangements to share best practice between trainers are not effective enough to ensure apprentices benefit from even better training and assessment practices. For example, only a few trainers have high expectations for apprentices to develop their written English; as a result, only a small minority of apprentices develop this important skill well.

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Short inspection of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

Staff at all levels place a high priority on ensuring that apprentices are safe. For example, you have set clear and demanding expectations for hotels that apprentices use when on their training weeks. As found at the previous inspection, the arrangements to keep apprentices safe are fit for purpose.

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Short inspection of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

All appropriate staff have undergone the required background security checks and received appropriate training and updates. Trainers and workplace staff focus particularly well on promoting and ensuring that apprentices have an effective grasp of health and safety at work. As a result, apprentices have a good level of understanding of how to keep themselves safe in dealerships and garages.

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Short inspection of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Limited

Trainers have received training for promoting values that apprentices require to live in modern Britain and the risks posed by extremist groups. However, they are not confident enough to promote these values well. As a result, apprentices do not gain an accurate understanding of the issues; for example, a few apprentices relate extremism only to followers of the Islamic religion.

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Inspection findings

 Senior managers, training staff and the staff in dealerships and garages are very committed to the apprenticeship programme which they value highly. This is illustrated in how employers encourage their apprentices to attend regular week-long off-the-job training in the provider’s five well-equipped learning centres. The provision is well planned to meet the career aspirations of apprentices as well as develop the skills valued by employers. Senior managers at Bosch have ensured that apprentices benefit from up-to-date industry-standard equipment. For example, many apprentices receive their training in the well-equipped Bosch Service Training Centre in Uxbridge, providing good opportunities for them to learn about computerised diagnostic systems.  The provision is managed well. Trainers use their many years of vocational experience in the automotive industry with specialisms in areas such as truck

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Inspection findings

maintenance to plan their training. They have responsibility for on- and off- the-job training of a small number of apprentices. Trainers use their very detailed knowledge of apprentices’ workplaces and the types of work apprentices complete to plan training and monitor their performance and progression. Consequently, apprentices are supported well and quickly become valued and productive employees.  Managers have implemented the majority of the recommendations made at the previous inspection. For example, the proportion of apprentices who achieve has improved significantly. Staff with responsibility for monitoring the quality of training have reviewed their practices and they regularly evaluate the quality of lessons. However, the observers focus mostly on what trainers do; they do not evaluate sufficiently what apprentices learn or the skills that they develop. Consequently, the staff action plans, resulting from their

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Inspection findings

observations, are not accurate and detailed enough to provide guidance on what they need to do to make improvements to their practices. Managers have not been successful in increasing significantly the number of apprentices from under-represented groups as recommended at the previous inspection.  Trainers plan lessons well and often make theory relevant to the apprentices’ practical work. Most trainers assess well apprentices’ understanding, for example, they use well-directed questions and quizzes. They link theory and practice well with good examples from the workplace. However, in a small minority of lessons trainers do not plan and ensure that the learning needs of apprentices who require more support, or the most able apprentices, are met. As a result, those apprentices who are struggling are too often rushed and the most able apprentices have to wait for others to complete their tasks and waste valuable training time.

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Inspection findings

 Apprentices benefit from frequent good-quality workplace assessments, for example, trainers often spend between three hours to a whole day in workplaces to ensure assessments are accurate. As a result, apprentices develop high levels of skills and take significant responsibility for gathering suitable evidence. For example, they upload their job cards, write-ups of practical tasks and witness testimonies to their digital portfolios.  Apprentices, a significant majority of whom already have GCSE grades A* to C in English and mathematics, apply their knowledge of mathematics well in their work. For example, they calculate the compression ratios in car engines. Most trainers do not have high expectations of apprentices to improve their written English. Trainers do not provide feedback to help apprentices understand what they need to do to improve their writing. As a result, apprentices make grammatical mistakes which makes their writing less

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Inspection findings

precise.  As recommended at the previous inspection, trainers have improved the apprentices’ understanding of fair treatment and respecting differences. However, trainers are not confident enough to respond to apprentices’ questions in relation to many of these issues; for example, when discussing the concept of individual liberty and how this impacts on living in modern Britain.  Since March 2014, when the company took responsibility for the provision from Valley Forge (UK) Limited, senior managers with responsibility for training at the company monitor the quality of the provision appropriately. However, they have not established fully robust governance arrangements for the strategic oversight and development of the provision.

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Next steps for the provider

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the provider

 governance provides sufficient challenge and support to senior leaders so they are held fully to account for the quality of the provision  trainers receive precise feedback following the observations of their training sessions so that they know exactly what to do to help apprentices develop their skills, knowledge and competencies  all staff take responsibility for promoting the value of a diverse workforce in dealerships and garages and identify opportunities to increase the uptake of apprenticeships from under-represented groups   trainers are confident in their ability to enable their apprentices to develop a greater understanding of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance  trainers develop activities and training that are well matched to specific needs of both the least- and most-able apprentices  the feedback given to apprentices enables them to improve their written

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Next steps for the provider

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

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection we were assisted by the internal quality assurer, as nominee. We met staff at all levels and apprentices. We observed training and lessons with members of your staff and looked at apprentices’ work. We interviewed your apprentices. We reviewed key documents including those relating to self-assessment, performance and safeguarding. We considered the views of apprentices by reviewing the comments received on Ofsted’s online questionnaires, and by seeking their views during on-site inspection activity.

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