Health and Fitness Education

Further education and skills inspection report

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Health and Fitness Education Independent learning provider

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate Adult learning programmes 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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

 Almost half of learners do not achieve their qualifications. Of those learners who are successful, too few achieve their qualifications within the planned timescales.  Governance arrangements are weak. Directors are not sufficiently knowledgeable about the requirements of delivering public-funded qualifications. They do not monitor or challenge the performance and quality of the provision with sufficient rigour.  Self-assessment and quality improvement arrangements are weak. Leaders do not identify key weaknesses sufficiently well. They do not take effective action to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Consequently, outcomes for learners are poor.  Leaders do not use data to monitor learners’ progress effectively. They do not challenge managers and staff on the effectiveness of their actions.  Leaders are too slow to recognise and respond to the poor progress learners make in relation

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Summary of key findings

to their starting points.  The processes and procedures for observing and improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are weak.  Tutors do not gather sufficient information on learners’ starting points. Consequently, tutors do not plan lessons that enable learners to make the progress of which they are capable.  Tutors do not record and monitor learners’ progress effectively enough; they do not set sufficiently specific and challenging targets to ensure that learners achieve their potential.  Learners do not receive thorough and impartial advice and guidance to enable them to make informed choices about their future career plans or future learning.  Leaders have not taken effective action to ensure that all tutors understand their responsibilities under the ‘Prevent’ duty. The majority of learners are unaware of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Summary of key findings

The provider has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings

 Learners develop the knowledge and practical skills that they need to work in the health and fitness industry.

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Information about the provider

 Health and Fitness Education is an independent learning provider based in Chorley, Lancashire, with training venues in Manchester, Warrington, Doncaster, York, Nottingham, Walsall, Birmingham, Dudley, Durham, Cardiff and London. It provides training in health and fitness through government-funded advanced learner loans.  At the time of the inspection, around 225 learners were undertaking health and fitness courses, most of whom were studying at level 3 and a few at level 4.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should increase significantly the proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications and ensure that they do so within the planned timescales.  Directors should ensure that they hold leaders and managers to account for the quality and standards of government-funded qualifications.  Leaders should analyse and use accurate advanced learner loan information, alongside data reports, to apply robust quality-assurance processes. This is so that they can evaluate courses accurately and put in to place a challenging and realistic action plan to improve provision rapidly.  Leaders should implement a rigorous system for monitoring learners’ progress. They should produce accurate and informative performance reports. Leaders should also ensure that staff use this information to respond swiftly and effectively to support learners who are making slow progress.  Leaders should ensure that staff and learners understand how to keep themselves safe

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

from the threats of radicalisation and extremism.  Leaders should improve the rigour of their observations of teaching, learning and assessment by: – ensuring that observations focus on the quality of learning that is taking place – ensuring that observations of teaching and learning take place for tutors who provide telephone and online remote support, as well as for those who teach learners face to face in practical workshop sessions – using their observations to identify tutors’ individual support needs, so as to improve teaching and learning, and to inform the organisation’s staff development plans.  Tutors should accurately assess and record learners’ starting points. They should use this information to plan effective learning and support, by taking into account learners’ abilities and prior experiences.  Tutors should set and monitor challenging targets. These targets should include deadlines

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

for learners to take and resit their examinations, and resubmit failed assessments, to ensure that they progress and achieve by the end of their course.  Leaders should ensure that staff provide independent, accurate and timely advice and guidance to learners throughout their course. This should support them to make informed decisions about their future career and progression plans.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have failed to identify accurately the areas that require improvement. They have not acted swiftly enough to raise the quality of the provision so that learners make good progress and achieve their qualifications. The proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications is low and even fewer learners achieve their qualifications within their planned timescales.  The self-assessment process is not fit for purpose. Leaders do not identify accurately or with sufficient rigour the strengths or weaknesses of their provision. Leaders and managers do not collect or use sufficient data or information to make a realistic assessment of the quality of provision. Consequently, the judgements they make are overly optimistic. For example, the self-assessment report judges that achievement rates are excellent, although almost half of learners do not achieve their qualifications.  The improvement plan, which leaders have developed, is insufficiently rigorous and has

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

not successfully addressed the quality of the adult provision. For example, leaders have extended the length of the courses to improve the achievement of current learners. However, this action has failed to increase the proportion of learners who pass their qualifications. At the time of the inspection, the provider’s information shows that over two thirds of learners who have completed their courses in 2016/17 have yet to achieve their qualification. There is no discernible difference compared to the same point last year.  The teaching and learning observation process is weak. Leaders have failed to standardise the process across the organisation. Formal teaching and learning observations take place only for those staff who teach learners face to face on the weekend practical sessions. Leaders do not ensure that they assess the quality of teaching and learning for those tutors who provide online and telephone support to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

learners. The quality of online and telephone teaching and support is not effective for too many learners.  Managers’ assessment of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is overgenerous. Managers do not correlate weak teaching and learning strategies, and ineffective learner support, with the learners’ slow progress and low pass rates. Leaders do not use the areas for improvement identified from the observation process to support tutors’ training and development needs. Leaders have not brought about the rapid improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment that are needed. Leaders do not have a systematic programme of staff training and development.  Leaders do not receive sufficiently comprehensive data reports to enable them to analyse effectively the performance and progress of learners and different groups of learners. As a result, they do not know the progress that learners make. Leaders are unable to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

challenge managers on the effectiveness of quality improvement actions. For example, at the time of the inspection, leaders did not have a robust strategy to ensure that the two thirds of learners who had already completed their courses would pass their qualifications.  Leaders have been slow to implement or monitor their ‘Prevent’ duty and British values action plan. As a result, learners’ knowledge and understanding of these areas is poor. Three fifths of staff have yet to receive training in the ‘Prevent’ duty, although plans are in place for the remaining staff to undertake training this academic year. Learners receive an information leaflet outlining the ‘Prevent’ duty. However, leaders do not evaluate its impact on learners’ understanding of how to keep themselves or others safe from extremism and radicalisation.  Leaders, managers and staff promote equality and raise learners’ awareness of diversity.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

This is achieved through the induction programme and as part of the learning activities. Staff also check learners’ understanding in assessment activities. Learners demonstrate positive working relations with their peers, trainers and clients during the weekend workshops. Leaders have not sufficiently identified the differences in outcomes for particular groups of learners or taken action to minimise those differences.  Leaders and managers develop strong and positive links with partners within the leisure and fitness sector. Partners contribute to specialist focus groups. As a result, tutors provide up-to-date and relevant content, reflective of current industry practice, in lessons. For example, learners on personal training courses now benefit from learning about kettlebell and suspension training. This helps them in their chosen career path.  Leaders plan their courses effectively to meet the growing demands of the UK fitness

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

industry. Courses, such as Pilates and exercise referral, provide learners with the skills to work with professionals who make referrals to general practitioners.

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The governance of the provider

 The directors of Health and Fitness Education have close strategic and operational involvement in the business. However, they do not monitor or challenge sufficiently well the performance and quality of the provision. Directors do not have an adequate understanding of the requirements of delivering government-funded courses. Consequently, learners’ outcomes are poor. Governance arrangements require improvement to ensure that directors hold leaders and managers to account for the quality and standards of government-funded qualifications.  Leaders have developed a strategic plan, which outlines an ambitious direction for the organisation. The key performance indicators and operational targets they set, however, lack challenging and detailed measurable targets. As a result, directors, leaders and governors cannot monitor and evaluate the progress made in improving teaching, learning, assessment and outcomes for learners.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Safeguarding processes and procedures meet the current national requirements for keeping learners safe in a private sector provider. Leaders have put in place clear policies for whistleblowing and employee vetting as well as a ‘Prevent’ duty risk register and action plan. Leaders adopt appropriate safer recruitment practices.  Leaders ensure that all staff receive information that familiarises them with their safeguarding responsibilities. However, leaders are not sufficiently clear about the effectiveness of this information on staff’s understanding of their role. Leaders are, however, taking effective steps to rectify this issue.  Leaders have implemented a clear process for reporting any safeguarding concerns by tutors who teach at weekends at remote training venues. Tutors report health and safety concerns promptly and effectively and leaders take effective and timely action in

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Safeguarding

response.  Tutors support learners well to apply their understanding of health and safety in the health and fitness setting. Learners demonstrate a clear understanding of their responsibilities and keep themselves and their clients safe from injury during practical activities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Currently, the provider has 227 adult learners studying level 3 and level 4 health and fitness courses funded through the Government’s advanced learner loan scheme. Learners study for their qualifications online and attend weekend workshops where they receive coaching in practical techniques.  Tutors’ planning to meet the needs of learners is inadequate. Tutors do not use the information available to them about learners’ progress over time to plan teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, too many learners do not make the progress of which they are capable. Too many learners are unsuccessful in attaining their learning goals and progressing to their planned next steps.  Tutors do not carry out effective initial assessments or diagnostic assessment of learners’ starting points. Subsequently, too many learners struggle to pass their written examinations. Tutors enrol learners remotely onto their individual learning programmes

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

and do not assess whether learners’ existing knowledge or skills are suitable in relation to their intended programme of study. Additionally, tutors do not assess the written skills of learners who speak English as an additional language before they start their course.  Individual course planning for learners is ineffective. Tutors do not set learners individual programme plans for their learning with clear, time-bound targets. As a result, too many learners do not complete their assessments and do not pass their qualifications. For example, current learners who have completed their course but have not yet passed their qualifications have a range of incomplete assessment requirements, including unfinished client case study work and examinations that need taking or resitting.  The online and telephone support provided by tutors is ad hoc and does not prepare learners well enough for their assessments or examinations. Support tutors do not know

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

how many learners they support. The level of support given is too reliant on learners contacting the support tutor. On too many occasions, learners do not answer telephone calls from their support tutor and a lot of their time is wasted logging unanswered calls. Learners who make regular contact with their support tutor are supported well and make good progress.  Too often, learners do not understand what they need to do to pass their written assessments. A high proportion of learners do not produce accurate work at the right standard. For example, learners are not given specific enough help before they start to complete an assessment to develop a fitness programme for a client. Learners choose a client that does not meet the assessment brief and so they spend time completing an assessment that does not meet the awarding body criteria.  The monitoring of learners’ progress is poor. Support tutors do not have an overview of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

the progress of their learners so that they can prioritise who requires additional help to achieve. Learners’ progress and performance reviews are not frequent enough. Many learners, who should have completed their course and who have not yet achieved their qualifications, remain on the provider’s records as current learners.  Teaching, learning and assessment are inconsistent and they vary in quality between remote delivery and face-to-face delivery. Tutors have good technical sport and fitness knowledge and learners benefit from their expertise. However, support tutors lack sufficient teaching expertise. Their ability to support individuals’ learning needs remotely is weak. For example, tutors’ feedback on assessments does not always help learners to know what they need to do to produce the right work at the right standard.  Learners’ attendance at weekend workshops is good and they have access to a range of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

good paper-based and electronic learning resources. Learners transfer and apply the knowledge that they have learned from their course to their workplace well. For example, learners report how they can now produce fitness and exercise plans for their clients using a range of equipment.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

 In too many instances, tutors do not develop learners’ use of technical language and they do not consistently feedback to learners their spelling errors. Tutors do not develop learners’ mathematics skills. For example, tutors do not encourage learners to solve naturally occurring mathematical problems as they arise. As a result, learners do not develop their English and mathematics skills adequately in their professional practice.  Leaders and managers do not ensure that learners receive thorough and impartial advice and guidance. Staff do not support learners effectively in planning their careers. As a result, learners do not understand their options for their next steps and do not develop a challenging and realistic plan for their future.  Leaders and managers have yet to develop all tutors’ understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty and British values. Some learners are unaware of the risks associated with radicalisation

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

and extremism and their understanding of British values is weak. Leaders do, however, have plans to address these issues.  Tutors do not ensure that learners participate sufficiently in their planned distance- learning activities and as a result they make slow progress throughout their course. Support tutors do not effectively follow up these learners to keep them on track and, as a result, too many learners do not achieve their qualification.  Tutors in practical lessons coach learners well to develop their practical and presentation skills. As a result, learners develop their communication skills and build their self- confidence, both personally and professionally. For example, tutors coached learners who were training to be yoga teachers well in correcting clients’ postures and learners were able to practise these techniques. This improved learners’ confidence.  Tutors in practical lessons encourage learners to keep themselves fit and healthy.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

Learners develop their understanding within the theoretical content of their courses. As a result, learners know how to keep themselves fit and healthy and how to apply this knowledge when working with clients. For example, learners report that their increased knowledge of how muscles work enables them to adapt exercises to meet their own and their clients’ needs.  Tutors develop learners’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities as a learner and employee well. As a result, learners develop the skills to deliver their own classes and promote good working practices with their clients, tutors and colleagues. Learners are courteous, polite and respectful.

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

 Too many learners do not achieve their qualifications. In 2015/16, almost all learners completed their programme. However, almost half of learners did not achieve their qualification. Added to this, almost three fifths of learners did not achieve their qualifications in the expected timescales.  Leaders have failed to identify the significant achievement gap between male and female learners. In 2015/16, only 43% of male learners, who make up a third of the cohort, achieved their qualification, which is 19% below the achievement of females. Leaders have not implemented any actions to narrow this large achievement gap.  Data produced by the provider for current learners who are due to finish in 2016/17 indicates that only a small minority have achieved their qualification. Almost three quarters of current learners who have completed their course have yet to achieve their qualification. In spite of the interventions put in place by leaders to improve learners’

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

achievements, learners’ pass rates have declined by three percentage points in comparison to the same time last year.  The progress that current learners make is slow. Support tutors do not systematically monitor learners’ progress and achievements or set them clear targets and deadlines to ensure that they complete their qualifications. They do not have a clear overview of the learners they support and do not always follow them up in a timely manner. Consequently, too many learners have significant amounts of work which they need to complete to achieve their qualification.  Leaders, managers and staff do not systematically use the recording and monitoring of learners’ progression or destinations to improve the courses they offer or support learners to their next steps. Leaders do not know how many learners have secured new positions relating to the course they studied. Leaders are also unaware of whether those learners

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Outcomes for learners Inadequate

who were already in employment in the health and fitness industry have secured better jobs.

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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 Principal/CEO Mr Lee Cain

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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 0 0 0 209 0 18 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+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total 0 0 0 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: No subcontractors

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the managing director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans. 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

Alison Cameron Brandwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bev Barlow Her Majesty’s 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

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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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