Be Totally You

Further education and skills inspection report

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Be Totally You Independent learning provider

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate Apprenticeships Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings

 Current learners are making insufficient progress towards achieving their qualifications and learning goals.  Leaders, managers and assessors do not monitor the progress of learners closely enough. As a result, they do not know what progress current learners are making and when to intervene should learners fall behind.  Tutors and assessors do not plan well enough for the individual learning needs of trainees and apprentices.  Safeguarding is not effective.  Leaders’ implementation of the ‘Prevent’ duty is weak and their action plan does not reflect local threats well enough.  Arrangements for governance require improvement, as there is weak external scrutiny and challenge.  Leaders do not plan the provision well enough to ensure that it meets the requirements of apprenticeships and traineeships.  Leaders’ assessment of the provision is not sufficiently evaluative and does not clearly identify the major weaknesses in the provision.

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Summary of key findings

 Attendance on traineeships is very poor and too many learners arrive late.  Learners do not develop their English and mathematical skills well enough.  The provision of information, advice and guidance for learners is weak.

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Summary of key findings

The provider has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings

 The proportion of apprentices who achieve their qualifications in the planned timescale has risen steadily since the previous inspection and is now above the national rate for similar providers.

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Information about the provider

 Be Totally You is an independent training provider based in the London Borough of Lewisham. The provider offers apprenticeships in business administration, childcare and health and social care. In early 2017, leaders introduced traineeships with a number of pathways available for learners to study. At the time of the inspection, the first cohort of trainees had not yet completed their programme of study.  The London Borough of Lewisham is the 19th most deprived local authority in England with unemployment rates higher than both the London and national averages. The proportion of residents in Lewisham with qualifications at level 2 and above is significantly higher than the national average.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Urgently address the serious weaknesses in the arrangements for safeguarding by: – ensuring that appropriate criminal record checks have been completed for all members of staff that need them – ensuring that all current members of staff complete appropriate safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training – reviewing the documentation to record safeguarding incidents to ensure that it allows the recording of sufficient detail and the evaluation of incidents.  Develop a better understanding of the progress that current learners are making towards their qualifications and learning goals by: – ensuring that assessors establish and record effectively the starting points of all learners – developing a mechanism for tracking the progress learners make towards achieving their individual learning goals and qualifications – taking appropriate and rapid action to support learners who fall behind.  Monitor learners’ attendance and punctuality very closely, challenging appropriately those

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

who do not attend so that they improve.  Revise the ‘Prevent’ duty action plan to ensure that it adequately reflects local threats and risks. Managers should ensure that staff and learners understand how to keep themselves safe from the threats of radicalisation and extremism.  Strengthen the arrangements for governance to ensure that there is appropriate external scrutiny and challenge that hold leaders and managers to account for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, as well as the overall quality of provision.  Urgently review curriculum plans, so that the principles and requirements of provision are met by ensuring that: – all apprentices receive the appropriate volume of off-the-job training to meet the requirements of apprenticeships – all trainees take part in work experience to meet the requirements of traineeships.  Improve the rigour and accuracy of managers’ evaluation of the provision by ensuring

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

that this is accurate and based on appropriate evidence, and that it identifies weaknesses in the provision.  Improve the quality of information, advice and guidance given to learners by ensuring that staff providing support are appropriately skilled and qualified.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: – teaching methods and resources used are appropriately challenging to enable learners to make at least expected progress – leaders provide effective feedback to tutors about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and that actions to improve are supported through carefully selected professional development opportunities.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and managers have been too slow in addressing many of the key areas for improvement identified at the two previous inspections. Managers and staff do not analyse and use information to evaluate the performance of learners. Managers and staff are unaware of learners’ attendance, retention and achievement rates. As a result, they are unable to put in place appropriate interventions to improve the quality of provision.  Too many actions planned following the previous inspection have not been completed, not had the desired impact or have lapsed due to significant changes in staff. The system for monitoring the progress of current learners is weak and managers do not have an accurate overview of current progress. Consequently, managers and staff are not able to evaluate the progress that learners make from their starting points.  Leaders and managers do not plan or manage the curriculum well enough to ensure that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

they meet the principles and requirements for apprenticeships and traineeships. Not all current apprentices receive sufficient off-the-job training to develop the range of knowledge and skills expected as part of an apprenticeship. Learners on traineeships are unaware of when, or how, work experience will take place. No trainees have completed any work placements to date.  Leaders and managers do not ensure that the arrangements to manage the performance of staff lead to improvements in the quality of the provision. Staff are not currently set targets or objectives linked to improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment or ensuring that learners make good progress. Managers have not observed all trainers and assessors in the last year, although many are new in post.  The self-assessment report is insufficiently evaluative. This was an area for improvement at the two previous inspections and remains a weakness to action. Many statements lack

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

evidence and too many judgements do not specify the impact on learners. The self- assessment report fails to identify many of the major weaknesses identified during this inspection. The recently appointed senior manager is aware of many of the areas for development, but has not had sufficient time to make any changes.  The director, trustees and senior manager continue to develop their ambitious vision and strategies to support the most disadvantaged young people and adults and to ensure that learners develop skills needed for employment, apprenticeships or further education. Managers and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to valuing diversity and develop positive working relationships with learners. However, the expectations of tutors and assessors often fail to match this vision.  Managers and leaders have designed a curriculum that is responsive to local community needs, and the recent introduction of a traineeship programme demonstrates the leaders’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

strong commitment to supporting young people who are not yet in education, employment or training. However, there is no alternative programme available for those learners who are not ready or willing to develop the skills needed for their next steps, such as good punctuality and attendance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Senior managers and trustees have established strong partnerships with referral agencies, local community groups and employers. Managers are developing new partnerships so they can offer work placements in areas of growing employment, such as the creative industries. However, apprenticeship employers do not always feel well informed about the progress their apprentices are making.

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The governance of the provider

 Current governance arrangements require improvement. Several trustees have recently left or retired and, as a result, too few are now in place to provide effective challenge to senior leaders. The director is working closely with a consultant to refresh and change the model for governance to one that supports the organisation’s core principles.  Governors fail to hold leaders and managers to account for the low standards and performance of the programmes and lack sufficient expertise to do so. External scrutiny and challenge of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, or the overall quality of provision, are weak. The director makes effective use of consultants and trustees to explore the strategic direction for the organisation.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  Records to validate that staff and visiting tutors have relevant clearance to work with young people are incomplete.  The recently appointed designated safeguarding officer has completed basic safeguarding training and is booked onto the local authority’s level 3 designated safeguarding lead training course. Most staff have completed basic ‘Prevent’ duty and safeguarding training during the last two years, although staff training records are incomplete. Additionally, no evidence exists to demonstrate that staff have completed refresher training. Plans are in place for recently appointed staff to complete relevant training, but at the time of the inspection, this had not happened.  The designated safeguarding officer recently took appropriate action to protect a learner when a tutor reported a concern, and completed the safeguarding log. However, the

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Safeguarding

record of the incident lacks sufficient detail to evaluate the effectiveness of the action taken and identify any necessary follow-up actions.  Managers have produced a generic ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan that do not reflect local challenges and risks. Little evidence exists that managers have implemented any of the actions listed, and leaders have failed to identify what support is available from their local police force, especially considering Lewisham is in an area of high risk.  Learners benefit from well-managed discussions to increase their awareness and understanding on a wide range of topics, including grooming, gang culture and the consequences of being involved in crime.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The progress learners make is too slow. Tutors and assessors use teaching methods and resources that fail to meet learners’ needs. During lessons, activities take too long or are too easy, and insufficient checks on learning take place before teachers move on to the next activity. As a result, teachers do not adequately meet the different needs of learners and progress is too slow.  Leaders and assessors do not track and monitor learners’ progress effectively. Staff are unclear of the progress their learners make towards achieving qualifications and personal learning goals. As a result, leaders and managers have an overly optimistic view of learners’ current progress and are unaware that current progress is too slow.  Tutors and assessors do not carry out learners’ reviews consistently well. Not all staff monitor progress, set targets or provide feedback to help learners improve. For example, learners who achieved childcare apprenticeships in the previous academic year received

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

regular reviews, but the arrangements for current learners, including trainees, are weak. The use of personal learning targets to enable rapid progress in skills and knowledge development is ineffective. Assessors do not involve employers well enough in learners’ reviews and, as a result, employers are not aware of the progress their apprentices are making.  In too many lessons, learners’ poor attendance and punctuality impede effective teaching and learning, with regular pauses in the session as learners arrive late or learners miss lessons completely. As a result, current learners make very slow progress towards achieving their qualifications and developing their readiness for work.  Tutors and visiting speakers use their life experience well to help learners understand what may impede their progress. Tutors and visiting speakers develop positive working relationships with young people, including those who are most disadvantaged, and this

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

helps the learners reflect on their attitudes to education and work. As a result, the learners who attend regularly know what they need to do to prepare for their next steps.  Teachers of English and mathematics provide effective support for the development of learners’ skills by planning sessions in the learning centre to fit in with apprentices’ work patterns. Learners value this support and most attend these sessions. However, tutors place insufficient emphasis on developing these skills in the workplace and in vocational lessons, meaning that learners who are not studying qualifications in English and mathematics do not understand the importance of these subjects in their working lives and do not develop their skills well enough.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

 Too many learners do not attend their sessions on time or regularly enough. Leaders and managers do not monitor attendance and punctuality sufficiently well, registers do not show who is due to attend, and staff do not effectively challenge those who do not meet the expectations of good attendance. Staff rely too much on the referral partners they work with, such as local charities and Jobcentre Plus, to speak with learners to identify why they have not attended. Owing to this approach, too much time passes between a learner being absent and the referral partner contacting them. As a result, the impact on improving learners’ attendance is limited.  Learners do not take responsibility for their own learning. They do not understand the progress they are making towards achieving their qualifications and do not set themselves targets to improve their performance. Tutors and assessors do not encourage learners to

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

review the development of their personal and social skills. As a result, learners do not know what they need to do in order to improve their performance.  Staff do not provide adequate advice to learners before starting a programme of study. Staff providing advice and guidance are not appropriately skilled or qualified. Learners start programmes that they are realistically unable to achieve based on their starting points. However, leaders and managers have failed to plan for alternative programmes that would be more accessible, and nor do they refer learners to alternative providers who would be better able to meet their needs.  Leaders and managers recognise the challenging background that some of their apprentices and trainees have come from and attempt to raise the aspirations of the people they engage. However, tutors do not have high enough expectations of learners. They do not appropriately reinforce the expectations of work or sustained education, such

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

as for learners to attend regularly and to produce work that is of a high standard. As a result, not enough learners are ready for their next steps.  Leaders educate learners about the risks associated with life in modern Britain. They use the first-hand experience of external guest speakers to raise awareness about local issues such as gangs, and gun and knife crime. Learners discuss these issues openly and honestly and, as a result, they understand the risks to their safety.  Tutors, when planning their teaching, carefully consider British values. They use activities that engage learners and help develop their awareness of life in modern Britain. Learners demonstrate tolerance and respect for each other in discussions and during interaction around the learning environments.  For learners who have completed their qualifications, their work demonstrates that they take pride in their work, and that they complete the vocational units that they need to

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

achieve their qualification to the necessary standard. However, current learners have insufficient work in their portfolios, lack the detailed subject knowledge expected and their progress is too slow.  Learners feel safe. They know who the provider’s designated safeguarding officer is and are confident about what process they should follow if they need help, or what to do if they are not safe.

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

 The progress made by current learners in achieving their qualifications is too slow. Apprentices are given too long to complete their courses and they are slow in producing work towards their qualifications. The standard of their work is lower than expected. Trainees are not developing the attitudes, such as timekeeping, that would prepare them to progress to their next steps or employment.  Too few learners develop the skills they need to be successful in their next steps. Leaders, managers and assessors do not place enough emphasis on the development of learners’ personal and social skills as part of their programmes. As a result, too many learners are seemingly unaware of how to produce work that is of a high standard, or the need to attend regularly.  Too many learners do not go into sustained work or study on completing their programme of study. The provider’s own progression data for apprentices shows that

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

approximately three quarters remain in full-time employment upon completing their courses. Managers are unaware of the destinations for too many completed apprentices. Destination data for classroom-based learners who completed their course in 2015/16 is incomplete and no data is available for learners who have completed in the current contract year.  Not enough learners achieve their qualifications. The proportions of learners who achieve classroom-based qualifications and apprenticeships in childcare are too low. Not enough learners achieve functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics and their progress towards developing the skills needed in everyday life is too slow.  The performance of different groups of learners varies too much. Leaders and managers have been too slow to identify and address the gaps in performance by different groups of learners. Based on the published data for 2015/16, male apprentices underperform

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

compared with their female counterparts and those who have identified additional learning needs perform better than those without. Managers have failed to take action to close these gaps.  Achievement rates have improved since the previous inspection across all provision types; however, this is from very low starting points. The proportion of apprentices who achieve their qualifications in the planned timescale has risen steadily over the last three years and is now above the national rate.

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Director Beverley Ejimofo

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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

0 0 11 23 0 0 0 0 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+ 2 4 0 16 0 8 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total 11 23 34 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 Funding received from Education and 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 N/A

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the operations manager, 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 learners 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

Ken Merry, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Philip Elliott 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 learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners 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

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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