Jaguar Land Rover Holdings Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Jaguar Land Rover Holdings Limited Employer

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement Apprenticeships Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings

This is a provider that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings

 Governors, including senior managers, have been slow at responding to recommendations made at the previous inspection.  Senior leaders in the governance role have not held subcontractors to account for the delivery of high-quality learning and outcomes; consequently the quality of provision has deteriorated.  Leaders and managers do not use management information sufficiently well to analyse the main issues and set demanding targets to secure improvements.  Staff do not make use of the information on the starting point of apprentices sufficiently to plan individual learning and progress.  The majority of apprentices make slow progress and do not achieve their qualifications in the planned period.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has not improved since the previous inspection; observers do not measure apprentices’ learning, and do not provide sufficient guidance to staff to improve their

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Summary of key findings

practice.  Staff do not plan learning well to ensure that apprentices receive sufficient progress reviews and assessment, including support and challenge for the most able apprentices.  Apprentices’ understanding of British values and the risks of radicalisation and extremism is not sufficiently thorough.

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Summary of key findings

The provider has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings

 Workplace mentors provide strong coaching, training and support that help apprentices develop good levels of technical skills in safe working environments.  Leaders and managers have worked very closely with the sector and retailers to define the standards and specifications for four types of apprenticeship and customise the training to meet the needs of current and future employment in the motor vehicle sector.  The majority of apprentices progress to higher level job roles including master technicians.  The range and standard of learning resources and the quality of learning and working environments are excellent; these raise apprentices’ aspirations to work in the sector and develop strong loyalty to the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) brand.

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Information about the provider

 The head office and the main academy for training apprentices of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) are based in Warwick. Apprentices are directly employed by over 176 dealerships and they attend seven blocks of week-long training either at Warwick or in Halewood. Ten staff from Calex UK Ltd operate from the main academy and provide training and assessment for apprentices on light vehicle training programmes that make up 76% of the provision. Some 72% of the apprentices are on intermediate-level apprenticeships; most of these apprentices are aged 16 to 18. Since April 2016, Babcock, a new subcontractor, has begun to provide learning for ‘commercial’ programmes, including those for parts, service and sales advisers. Commercial programmes constitute 25% of all apprenticeship provision. Although it is not an essential entry criterion, most apprentices on programmes have achieved at least grades A*–C in English and mathematics before

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Hold subcontractors to account more rigorously by: – drawing up contract specifications that clearly define the quality standards expected of the subcontractors – setting precise, specific and measurable targets for the quality of provision and apprentices’ experience – monitoring subcontractors’ performance against the specifications on a regular basis so that they raise the performance levels of all apprentices and improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to the highest standards.  Collect, analyse and use data and other management information to: – set challenging targets for the recruitment of women and learners from minority ethnic groups so that the make-up of the future workforce is more representative of modern British society – demonstrate the full impact of learning on apprentices and their future careers – measure the performance of different groups of apprentices and take effective action

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

to narrow the achievement gaps among apprentices – quickly identify apprentices making slow progress and take prompt action to ensure that most apprentices complete their qualifications within the planned period.  Conduct thorough diagnostic tests on apprentices to identify their starting points and gaps in their learning accurately; ensure that staff make good use of the findings to plan learning and provide support to meet the individual needs of apprentices including the most able.  Sharpen the focus on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment on an ongoing basis by: – equipping observers with skills to evaluate learning while they observe trainers/assessors working with the apprentices – providing specific guidance and support for staff to improve their practice in training, assessment and progress reviews so that apprentices receive consistently high-quality learning and support.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Make considerable and rapid improvements in the planning and scheduling of training and staffing resources so that: – staff make theory lessons relevant for the apprentices particularly on ‘commercial’ programmes – staff accelerate the pace of learning and consolidate apprentices’ skills through timely interventions to provide support and challenge, so that most apprentices achieve their qualifications in the planned period – assessors encourage apprentices to take full responsibility to gather evidence about their competence and record their achievements accurately in their portfolios to demonstrate their high standards of theory and practical skills acquisition.  Ensure that apprentices are well prepared for modern British society and are able to deal confidently with a diverse client base through: – enhancing and consolidating apprentices’ understanding of fundamental British values and the dangers of extremism and radicalisation

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that apprentices can apply this knowledge and understanding in practical situations in their daily lives – incorporating British values in lessons, assessments and progress reviews so that these are seen as a part of core learning rather than add-on topics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Senior managers have been slow at responding to inspectors’ recommendations for improvement from the previous inspection in 2012.  As a result of the considerable changes to the leadership roles within JLR, senior managers have still not implemented some of the recommendations such as those concerning the recruitment of women and ethnic minority learners onto programmes. Outcomes for apprentices, although above the national average, have not improved significantly; the number of apprentices achieving their qualifications in the planned period still remains low. Apprentices’ skills in writing have improved; however, progress against other recommendations has been too patchy and inconsistent to demonstrate good leadership and management.  In recent months, senior managers have improved the management of subcontractors, but it is not yet good. They use key performance indicators mainly relating to data and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

the minutiae of visits to the apprentices’ workplaces to undertake progress reviews using two separate sets of dashboards. However, these indicators do not focus sufficiently on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the performance of different groups of apprentices.  The management of the commercial programmes is effective, as shown in improved qualification achievement rates in two of the three programmes. The newly hired subcontractor, Babcock, has begun to consolidate the improvements made.  Programme management requires improvement. Assessment, support and the ongoing development of English, mathematics and information and communication technology are not working effectively enough to ensure that apprentices gain a comprehensive range of skills to accelerate their skills development and make rapid progress through their programmes to move to higher levels. Staff do not make use of the findings of the initial

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

assessment of apprentices’ prior attainment levels in English and mathematics. Staffing levels have been low, and the assessor workload has been high. As a result, assessors have not planned assessment visits well and have not assessed apprentices sufficiently often. This has had an adverse effect on their progress. Some of the newly recruited assessors are still in training and not carrying the full assessor workload. Practical training in the workplaces is working very well. The apprentices develop wide-ranging technical and commercial skills and enjoy learning.  Subcontractors’ staff produce a range of reports purely for contractual purposes. Senior managers of the subcontractors and JLR do not conduct appropriate analyses of data and management information and do not use it proactively to make improvements. For example, the managers have known of the slow progress among apprentices but have not conducted an analysis of the extent of the slow progress and the reasons behind it to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

enable them to rectify the situation promptly.  Leaders and managers do not manage the performance of the staff well enough. Their informal approach has not led to rapid improvements. For example, the majority of apprentices are making slow progress and action to deal with this issue has been ineffective.  Staff at both subcontractors conduct routine observations of teaching, learning and assessment; however, they focus on teaching and the performance of the trainer/assessor rather than on the impact of teaching on learning and progress. The trainer/assessor observation process is too focused on trainers’ activities and there are few comments on what the apprentices have achieved or the progress they have made. Trainers/assessors do not receive sufficient guidance on what and how to improve their practice to motivate and accelerate the progress of the most able apprentices.  The current self-assessment report, produced in December 2015 by the main

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

subcontractor and ratified by the senior managers of JLR, accurately identified the areas for improvement. However, the report did not weigh up the scale of the weaknesses and their impact on the apprentices’ progress. Inspectors awarded a lower grade than the one claimed in the self-assessment report.  Senior managers at JLR have created a separate structure within the company for apprenticeships to enable a sharper focus on improving the quality of learning for apprentices and increasing the number of apprentices. This clear vision and direction are central to growing and developing a strong cadre of apprentices and master technicians to meet the high demand for JLR vehicles in the UK and abroad. They see apprenticeships as key to realising the company vision of providing excellent customer service to engender lifelong loyalty to the JLR brand.  JLR staff have established a very close association with subcontractors, retailers and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

partners and have been involved in producing new standards for the automotive industry through their involvement in ‘Trailblazer’ developments, which set the revised standards for knowledge, skills and competences to meet the future needs of the motor vehicle and engineering sector. JLR is well equipped to implement the new apprenticeships standards.  Staff are appropriately qualified and have benefited from regular professional development and mandatory training, including in topics such as equality and diversity, the ‘Prevent’ duty, modern British values, and health and safety. They use their awareness of these issues well to protect and safeguard apprentices. The subcontractors have not paid sufficient attention to the development of the teaching skills of their staff, including the sharing of good practice.  The quality of information, advice and guidance is good, and these prepare apprentices

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

well for their next steps. The progression routes for all apprentices are well developed and comprehensive. The majority of apprentices progress through JLR career pathways to higher level work. Most apprentices are recruited with GCSEs at grade C or above in English and mathematics. However, managers have no clear plan to develop the English and mathematical skills of apprentices beyond this level to prepare them for their next steps in their career development.

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The governance of the provider

 The governance oversight of the provision has lacked rigour and urgency to implement recommendations from the previous inspection in 2012. Senior managers have entrusted the subcontractor with delivering good-quality provision, with insufficient challenge and insufficiently clear specifications of the quality expected. As a result, all key judgements have deteriorated from good at the previous inspection to requiring improvement at this inspection.  The recent action to improve their oversight has been effective.  Senior managers of JLR commissioned an independent assessment of the apprenticeship programmes, which identified accurately the work they need to do to improve the programmes and the quality of apprentices’ experience.  Senior managers have set up and implemented four projects to improve the provision that are at various stages of implementation. The full impact of these actions and changes is

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff receive appropriate recruitment and background checks and the subcontractor maintains up-to-date detailed records of all employees.  Staff carry out comprehensive assessments of health and safety in the workplace and in the hotels where apprentices stay during their blocks of training. Trainers and assessors promote safe working practices very well. Consequently, learners’ understanding of health and safety is good.  Managers have completed a comprehensive action plan and risk assessment to meet the company’s responsibilities to prevent extremism and radicalisation. Staff are well aware of the need to protect learners against radicalisation. However apprentices’ awareness of such issues is not thorough enough. Managers and staff take effective actions and record these systematically and in detail to counter incidents of safeguarding, bullying and

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Safeguarding

harassment or to deal with complaints.  Learners feel safe and have a sound awareness of what to do if they need to report any concerns.  Learners are vigilant as to how they can protect themselves while online from the dangers of cyber-bullying, online grooming and access to inappropriate materials.  Apprentices’ appreciation of modern British values and the relevance of these to their current and future job role needs further strengthening.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Staff do not plan teaching, learning and assessment sufficiently well. Too many apprentices complete their portfolios too slowly and the most able are not challenged to progress as quickly as they are capable of doing. The majority of apprentices are making slow progress.  Trainers and assessors make little use of the information about apprentices’ initial knowledge and skills to plan their learning so that they can progress rapidly and to the best of their ability. Staff set targets for the completion of the units of qualification; however, too many learners do not complete the evidence and portfolio in time.  The majority of apprentices on commercial programmes that comprise those for parts, service and sales, and many technical apprentices, have not received sufficient support in the workplace from assessors to review their progress frequently or well enough to enable them to make rapid progress towards completing their apprenticeships. Apprentices on

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

commercial programmes do not fully appreciate how theory fully relates to their practical work.  Trainers and assessors do not make use of the findings of initial assessment and other information to intervene to help apprentices close specific gaps in their English, mathematical and technical knowledge. Trainers and assessors do not ensure that all apprentices who need to complete functional skills qualifications in English, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) do so sufficiently quickly. This has led to a few apprentices not completing their apprenticeship on time.  Master technicians of JLR, who act as mentors to the apprentices in their workplaces, provide good and often outstanding on-the-job training in high-quality, well-resourced workshops. Motor vehicle apprentices develop good theoretical knowledge and acquire high-level technical skills while practising and applying these skills alongside master

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

technicians. This improves their prospects for employment and many gain promotion. Mentors encourage and support apprentices to work without supervision on basic systems. The majority of apprentices have developed high levels of skill in diagnostic analysis and fault-finding. Apprentices find the residential training weeks very useful and develop their confidence, team-building and communication skills well.  Apprentices benefit from high-quality, web-based and paper-based training resources that enhance their learning. Many apprentices use these resources to consolidate their learning and write on the worksheets to demonstrate their competence in written English.  Trainers and assessors are highly supportive of their apprentices. They have relevant qualifications and good vocational experience which they use effectively to record apprentices’ competences, and to develop apprentices’ vocational and employability skills,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

both in the classroom and in the workplace. For example, apprentices are encouraged to consider the best approach for using diagnostic equipment.  Apprentices improve their skills, confidence and self-esteem. As a result they are more competent at carrying out their work roles, for example, in using the correct protective equipment and the correct tools for a given task. Trainers and assessors use questions well to check current levels of understanding so that apprentices make good links between theory and practice, for example, when checking apprentices’ knowledge of fault-finding techniques.  Apprentices develop a strong understanding of safeguarding and health and safety. They work in a safe manner. Assessors and trainers constantly reinforce health and safety and encourage apprentices to develop ‘safety first’ attitude. Although trainers and assessors introduce apprentices to the subjects of extremism, radicalisation and British values, they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

do not reinforce sufficiently these topics at progress reviews and do not test apprentices’ understanding of these topics thoroughly. Apprentices do not develop a sufficiently thorough understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty or British values to appreciate the full implications of these topics for their workplace and daily life.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

 Too many apprentices fail to meet the deadlines that they are set during progress reviews. Consequently, for many apprentices, progress is too slow. Time between reviews is too long, and assessment is too infrequent. These hamper the swift progress of which many apprentices are capable.  Apprentices do not make sufficient use of their independent learning skills to complete their portfolio work. They do not take full ownership of completing off-the-job training with the same level of care and attention as on-the-job training.  Historically, the poor experience for many ‘commercial’ apprentices has had a negative impact on their commitment and attitude towards their completion of their apprenticeship.  Apprentices develop high-quality motor vehicle service and maintenance skills that are valued by their employers. They demonstrate high-quality professionalism in line with the business brand. Consequently, the majority of apprentices progress to higher levels and

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

employment within the dealerships.  Apprentices enjoy and benefit from the ‘retailer project’, where they experience time in parts departments, customer services and workshop control. They develop an appreciation of the interlinking functions and challenges of each department and how their own role is integral to the business success of their dealership.  The majority of apprentices contribute significantly to the business needs of their employers and are considered as team members from the beginning of their programme. Many work autonomously and benefit from the additional responsibility that they receive as a result. They also develop additional team-building and leadership activities away from work such as the Avon Tyrrell residential training.  Apprentices value the mentor role and benefit from their close support in the workplace. The role helps to build their confidence and allows apprentices to make effective progress

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

in their garage environment. For example, one apprentice used his mentor for reference when diagnosing an electronic fault. This saved hours of investigatory work.  Apprentices’ attendance is excellent, with many arriving at work early to start work in their dealerships. They develop a strong work ethic at a young age, exhibit high levels of pride in their workmanship and are proud to be working for JLR.  Apprentices know to keep themselves safe in their industrial settings. Assessors make swift interventions, where appropriate, to ensure that the learners’ safety and the safety of others is kept a priority. Staff deal swiftly with a few and rare instances of bullying.

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

 The majority of apprentices are making slow progress towards achieving their qualifications in the planned period. This is particularly serious as most of them have good levels of education and qualifications and are well motivated to succeed. The timely achievement of qualifications has not improved significantly since the previous inspection. This is slowing down the supply of qualified workers and master technicians to the retail network, thus affecting the company’s capacity to train and increase its workforce to grow the business.  The managers do not collect data on apprentices’ ethnicity or on those who have disabilities and/or learning difficulties. The number of female apprentices is very small. Managers have no evidence of any action taken to narrow the achievement gap.  The qualification achievement rates for advanced apprentices are particularly good; however, their numbers are small when compared with the intermediate-level

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

apprentices, who make up 72% of the apprentices, most of whom are aged 16 to 18.  Qualification achievement rates have improved over the last three years and are currently above the national average. Managers have successfully raised qualification achievement rates for service adviser apprentices. The apprentices in the relaunched sales adviser role are progressing well. A very small number of parts adviser apprentices are making particularly slow progress.  The large majority of apprentices complete their programme successfully and progress to permanent jobs with the retailers. The majority of them progress to higher level roles including master technicians on the JLR progression pathway.  Apprentices are well motivated to become skilled technicians and stay on the programme to complete their qualifications. The number of apprentices leaving the programme has reduced markedly over the past three years. Managers carefully analyse the reasons for

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

leaving early and take appropriate action to reduce these rates.

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Principal/CEO Sarah Nelmes

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Provider details

Website www.landroverdealerapprenticeships.com

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Main course or learning programme level Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

– – – – – – – – Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age Intermediate Advanced Higher

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 214 23 24 69 – – Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total – – – Number of learners aged 14 to –

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Number of learners for which the provider receives high- needs funding –

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Funding received from: Skills Funding Agency

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors:  Calex UK Ltd  Babcock.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the lead quality assurance coordinator, as nominee. 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 apprentices 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.

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Inspection team

Harmesh Manghra, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steven Sharpe Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

Learner View Learner View is a website where apprentices can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other apprentices think about them too. To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Employer View Employer View is a 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. To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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