Partnership Development Solutions Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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Partnership Development Solutions Ltd Independent learning provider

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

 Almost all apprentices who successfully complete their apprenticeships remain in employment.  Apprentices benefit from good teaching, learning and assessment from well-qualified and experienced assessor-coaches who are effective in supporting the development of their skills.  Apprentices achieve high-level technical and business skills from very well designed and implemented programmes that match the needs of employers extremely well.  Apprentices benefit from highly effective support from assessor-coaches and employers that helps them maintain good progress towards achieving their apprenticeship.  Apprentices’ behaviour is exemplary; they develop positive working relationships with managers and colleagues at work, and their assessor-coaches.  Managers and assessor-coaches develop very strong positive working relationships with employers.  Assessor-coaches are not consistently setting and recording targets that are focused

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Summary of key findings

sufficiently on the development of apprentices’ skills, including mathematics and English.  Directors do not hold senior managers to account for the standards and the performance of the programmes due to insufficient information available to monitor apprentices’ progress over time.

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Information about the provider

 Partnership Development Solutions Limited (PDS) is an independent learning provider with a head office in Marlborough. It is a division of a larger company called Global Knowledge Network Training Limited and uses Global Knowledge’s training centres in Wokingham, London and Leeds for the technical training that it provides.  PDS offers apprenticeships across much of England. The provision focuses on the subjects of information technology (IT), business administration and management, retail and sales, mainly at advanced and higher levels.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Make better use of data to allow leaders and managers to monitor performance more effectively by: – monitoring progress and achievement of apprentices and trends over time – evaluating actions planned to improve performance – setting and monitoring performance targets for staff.  Set and record targets for apprentices that include skill development.  Ensure that apprentices develop their English and mathematics skills beyond the minimum level needed for their qualifications and that these skills are practised and developed within the workplace.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and managers demonstrate a clear commitment to ensuring that apprentices are on the most appropriate programme based on their starting points and job roles. They have a clear vision for developing the apprenticeship programmes to meet employers’ and apprentices’ needs and are increasing the number of employers they work with.  Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the reasons behind apprentices’ previously low achievement within planned timescales. They have recruited additional well-qualified staff to ensure the timely completion of quality assurance checks required by awarding bodies. This has resulted in a significant improvement in the number of apprentices completing as planned.  Managers and assessor-coaches develop very strong positive working relationships with employers. Dedicated programme managers work effectively with assessors and as the main point of contact for employers. They provide good tailored training to line managers

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

before apprentices start so that the employers’ staff have a good understanding of their role in the apprenticeship programme. Detailed monthly reports and discussions ensure that employers and staff understand apprentices’ progress and agree suitable actions to support those who need more encouragement and development.  Managers ensure that the range of programmes provided aligns closely to national priorities. Programme managers carefully design each apprenticeship to ensure that it matches employers’ needs and apprentices’ job roles well.  Staff are well qualified, experienced and knowledgeable, especially in the occupational areas of information technology and telecommunications. Regular meetings and forums keep staff well informed about developments within PDS as well as providing opportunities for sharing best practice. Managers support staff well to achieve the organisation’s objectives, although managers have not specified key performance

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

indicators for staff to achieve.  Leaders and senior managers do not make effective use of management information and data to monitor trends in performance over time or to evaluate actions taken to improve teaching, learning and assessment. Recent investment in a new electronic portfolio system is not in use with all apprentices. Consequently, clear patterns of performance for cohorts of apprentices are difficult to analyse. Managers have only recently collated data on the proportion of apprentices who continue beyond their expected end dates. This is now reflecting the effective actions they are taking to improve rates of completion.  Managers are introducing a more structured quality assurance framework but it is too early to judge the effectiveness of these arrangements. Self-assessment correctly identifies many of the strengths, but does not identity several key issues relating to slow progress of apprentices.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and managers promote respect for diversity and equality of opportunity effectively. Apprentices and staff work safely and well together, showing mutual respect. Programme managers and assessor-coaches promote apprentices’ understanding of fundamental British values well. Apprentices’ behaviour demonstrates that they understand and demonstrate these values.

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The governance of the provider

 Directors within Global Knowledge provide good guidance to leaders and managers in the PDS division. They fully support the strategic developments and growth of the apprenticeship programme and are well aware of the new apprenticeship standards.  The directors provided the necessary investment to increase staffing levels, resulting in an improvement in the quality assurance arrangements. However, Global Knowledge directors and their board do not yet receive enough management information to be able to scrutinise performance and challenge senior managers on the quality of the provision or the progress and achievement of apprentices.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Suitable safeguarding policies and procedures are in place. PDS meets its ‘Prevent’ duty requirements with an appropriate policy, risk assessment and action plans. Staff receive regular training and updates and, as a consequence, are confident at discussing a wide range of topics with apprentices, raising their awareness and increasing their understanding.  Apprentices know whom they need to speak to should they have any safeguarding concerns. When apprentices raise safeguarding concerns or demonstrate extreme views, staff take quick and effective action to deal with the matter. Managers maintain good detailed records of all incidents, including actions taken and resulting outcomes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Staff have high expectations of their apprentices’ skills, knowledge and professional behaviours, and instil in them the importance of taking pride in their work. This prepares them well for the workplace and enables them to gain additional responsibilities at work rapidly.  Programme managers and assessor-coaches plan apprenticeships effectively in consultation with employers so that the training is well coordinated with apprentices’ development at work. Apprentices benefit from an effective induction during which they receive valuable information about their job role. Employers are often involved in the induction that enables them to plan their programme and place apprentices in departments that are most appropriate for the apprentice.  Apprentices benefit from high-quality off-the-job training. IT apprentices develop high levels of confidence and a good industrial standard in using technology through

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

completing a good range of additional qualifications in using specialist software and hardware. Telesales apprentices develop effective approaches to selling through undertaking sales courses featuring, for example, how to complete a deal.  Well-qualified assessor-coaches and workplace supervisors use their experience well to enrich learning and keep apprentices well motivated. Line managers and work-based mentors coach their apprentices very well in the workplace to help them develop their skills and complete their apprenticeships. Employers are kept very well informed about their apprentices’ progress, enabling them to provide additional support when required.  Assessor-coaches are appropriately qualified and they use their extensive experience well to plan and deliver personalised learning to meet the individual needs of each apprentice. Assessor-coaches use good questioning techniques to probe and reinforce apprentices’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

deeper understanding of vocational topics. As a result, apprentices enjoy their learning and they quickly develop new skills that are highly relevant to their work roles.  Assessment of apprentices’ starting points is effective. Assessor-coaches assess apprentices’ skills on entry to the apprenticeship programme accurately, including clear identification of their prior learning, vocational experience and skills in English, mathematics, and information and communications technology. However, assessor- coaches are not consistently setting and recording targets that are focused sufficiently on apprentices’ skill development, including mathematics and English skills.  Assessor-coaches check learning well through focused progress reviews. Assessment is thorough and frequent. Assessor-coaches mark apprentices’ work promptly, identifying and feeding back clearly and precisely on strengths and any areas for improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Assessor-coaches are skilful at relating their feedback specifically to each apprentice’s job role. Apprentices, therefore, understand how to improve their working practices and quickly become effective employees.  Care and support for apprentices are good. Apprentices benefit from supportive assessor- coaches and employers that inspire them to progress and be successful in their learning. Assessor-coaches develop apprentices’ awareness of equality, the dangers of radicalisation and an understanding of diversity well.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Apprentices enjoy their learning and become more confident and articulate during their apprenticeship. They show this by being well-motivated and demonstrating a desire to produce work of a high quality.  Apprentices are enthusiastic and very well behaved. Apprentices apply themselves effectively in developing their technical, personal and work-related skills. As a result, they undertake tasks requiring considerable responsibility at an early stage within their apprenticeship. For example, IT apprentices apply anti-virus patches and manage backups to large corporate systems. IT higher apprentices solve problems and implement solutions independently at clients’ sites. A business apprentice’s analysis of attendance patterns for a production line, identifying higher absence rates due to operators suffering from muscular-skeletal issues, has resulted in actions to improve the procedures to reduce workers’ illness.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Apprentices work in high-quality, safe working environments. They demonstrate a good understanding of health and safety and know how to stay safe at work. Apprentices feel safe and are confident about whom to contact at the centre and to report any concerns. However, too few apprentices have a sufficiently developed understanding on how to keep themselves safe online. As a result, apprentices are not always fully aware of the risks associated with being online.  Apprentices demonstrate respect for assessor-coaches, their peers and colleagues and have a good understanding of the need to be tolerant towards others. Most apprentices demonstrate a good awareness of the risks posed by extremism and radicalisation and how to keep themselves safe and are able to explain what they would do if they had any concerns.  Apprentices benefit from a range of specialist and additional training in order to meet the

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

needs of their employers and to enhance future employment prospects. For example, apprentices undertake courses in change management, a variety of programming languages and a range of industry-recognised vendor qualifications. As a result, apprentices develop skills sought by employers.  Most apprentices have a good understanding of the opportunities for progression within their organisation at the end of their apprenticeship. For example, IT apprentices are beginning to develop skills in order to move into network-related aspects of the organisation. Apprentices within the telecommunications sector are preparing for roles of greater responsibility within their company. However, due to limited careers advice, apprentices are less clear about alternative career options available to them.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Apprentices achieve good outcomes. Achievement rates in-year show considerable improvement and a greater proportion in 2016/17 have achieved higher rates than in previous years. Apprentices become skilled IT technicians and business support and sales staff and produce work of a high standard. They make considerable progress from their starting points and develop their skills rapidly, allowing them to undertake responsible tasks.  All apprentice groups achieve equally well; there are no significant gaps between the performances of different groups over time. The few apprentices identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities benefit from good support and achieve as well as their peers.  Apprentices make a significant contribution within their organisations and their employers value them highly. This results in a very large majority of apprentices remaining in permanent employment after completing their programmes.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Apprentices make good progress developing their skills in mathematics, English and IT and do well in examinations in these subjects. However, assessor-coaches do not develop the English and mathematics skills of apprentices beyond the minimum level needed to pass their examinations.  Apprentices develop their vocational and broader work-related skills well. Many benefit from achieving additional specialist vendor qualifications that are valued highly within their companies.

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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 Jenny Harman

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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+ - 1 99 111 48 83 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: 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: -

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the centre manager, 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 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

Roger Pilgrim, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gavin Murray 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

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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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