HYA Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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HYA Training Limited Independent learning provider

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 16 to 19 study programmes 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 Good

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Summary of key findings

 Staff provide exceptionally good support to learners; this enables learners to overcome their multiple disadvantages to produce work of a high standard and develop their skills well.  Leaders have a strong vision for the future of HYA Training and have a clear strategic aim to continue working with vulnerable young people whose educational options are limited.  Leaders’ accurate understanding of their company’s strengths and weaknesses enables them to improve the quality of what they offer learners.  Leaders have very strong links with local employers and partner organisations. Employers positively influence course content to ensure that it meets their needs.  Standards of behaviour are good. Learners and apprentices demonstrate tolerance for the beliefs of others and are respectful to each other.  Arrangements to recognise and share good practice in teaching, learning and assessment are effective; as a result, tutors improve their

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Summary of key findings

teaching skills.  Learners on study programmes make good progress from their often low starting points; most achieve their main qualifications.  Learners and apprentices receive high-quality feedback from tutors that encourages them to improve the quality of their work and to be enthusiastic about learning.  The attendance and punctuality of learners on study programmes, although improving, remains low.  An increasing proportion of learners on study programmes progress to further education and employment; however, this proportion is still too low.  A small number of learners on study programmes do not have the opportunity to take part in external work experience.

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Information about the provider

 HYA Training is an independent training provider based in Kingston upon Hull. It provides study programmes for 16 to 19 year-olds in a range of vocational subjects and apprenticeships at intermediate, advanced and higher levels in business administration, health and social care, team leading and management. The apprenticeship contract is a recent addition to the provider’s provision, and there are very few apprentices on programme. No apprentices are due to complete their programme in the current contract year.  Unemployment in Kingston upon Hull is higher than both the regional and national averages, and the proportion of workless households is higher than that found nationally. The proportion of residents in the city with qualifications at level 2 and above is considerably lower than the national average. The proportion of school leavers gaining five A* to C grades at GCSE is substantially below the national average.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance and punctuality so that all learners on study programmes make good progress and replicate the standards expected in the workplace.  Increase the proportion of learners on study programmes who progress into further education or employment by developing further the advice and guidance that learners receive about the next steps available to them.  Ensure that all learners on study programmes who are ready to benefit from external work experience do so.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and those undertaking the role of trustees have a very clear vision and ambition for HYA Training and are determined to ensure that these are realised. Leaders implement a carefully considered strategic decision, in line with the provider’s charitable history, to work with local young people who are vulnerable and have become disengaged from learning. Staff place a very strong emphasis on improving the personal and employment-related skills of learners and apprentices. As a result, learners and apprentices benefit from enhanced employment opportunities.  Leaders are highly effective at improving the performance of staff. They observe tutors’ and assessors’ teaching sessions and audit the quality of learners’ work regularly, providing detailed and accurate feedback to tutors on the areas that need to improve. Leaders carry out regular appraisals of staff performance and use action plans to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

challenge staff to improve their practice. They monitor regularly the progress that staff make towards achieving improvement actions, and provide training and development to improve performance. Where staff are unable or unwilling to improve their practice, they leave the organisation.  Leaders and assessors have very good links with employers and partner organisations. They use long-standing partnerships to ensure that the programmes they provide match well to local and regional employment needs. Many employers contribute to developing the content of programmes. For example, the local National Health Service trust co- designed a specific bereavement services apprenticeship that has been adopted by other trusts across the country.  Leaders evaluate accurately the quality of their teaching and learning so that they can recognise where they need to make improvements. For example, they identified that they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

needed to improve the way that tutors and assessors gave verbal and written feedback so that learners were clearer about what they did well and what they needed to do better.  The recently appointed managing director manages subcontracted provision effectively. Leaders support the learners currently studying with their underperforming subcontractor to achieve their qualifications within the planned timescales. However, as the performance of the subcontractor has not improved sufficiently, leaders have taken the decision to stop subcontracting provision from the end of this academic year.  Leaders recognise the importance of learners improving their English and mathematical skills. They provide assessors and learners with good-quality resources and work well with assessors to develop realistic, individualised assessment schedules. As a result, current learners are making good progress with their written English skills and are developing

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

mathematical skills that link to their future careers.  Leaders ensure that tutors and assessors integrate fundamental British values into learning sessions well. Staff are knowledgeable about the topics and, consequently, learners are able to speak confidently about British values. Learners value the use of guest speakers to develop their understanding of the differences and similarities among cultural and social groups. As a result, learners openly discuss and confront issues of discrimination and prejudice in modern Britain with confidence.

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The governance of the provider

 The board of trustees implements the charitable aims of HYA Training effectively, and demonstrates a strong commitment to working with young people who have become disengaged from learning. Trustees provide support and guidance regarding the positive changes that recently appointed leaders are making. For example, the trustees have supported the managing director well to bring about changes to the leadership structure and in the decision to remove subcontracted provision where it is not good enough.  Trustees have a good range of skills relating to business development, commercial contracting and human resources. However, they are less well equipped in areas relating to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, they do not hold leaders to account consistently well in matters relating to the overall quality of provision, such as the decline in achievement rates in 2015/16.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Learners feel safe and know whom to contact when they have safeguarding and other concerns.  Leaders ensure that all staff have clearance for working with young people, and all staff receive safeguarding training regularly. Staff respond to safeguarding referrals well and ensure that all incidents are either resolved internally or, when necessary, escalated to the appropriate external agency.  Staff are have a good understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty and receive good quality training regularly. They are aware of local challenges and ensure that learners are aware of the risks of radicalisation and extremism, including how to spot the signs of someone becoming radicalised.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Tutors and assessors provide strong support to their learners and apprentices to enable them to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. Many learners on study programmes join HYA Training with few academic qualifications, and many have to overcome disadvantages caused by low incomes and unsettled domestic lifestyles.  Most tutors motivate learners well, and use discussions to explore topics in depth. Tutors check learners’ knowledge of topics effectively and, through pertinent questioning, help them to develop their understanding further. However, in a few cases, tutors do not give their learners sufficient time to understand a topic before moving on to the next subject.  Tutors and assessors provide high-quality verbal and written feedback to help learners and apprentices understand how to improve their work. Written feedback is clear and provides helpful guidance for learners on how they can improve their work further.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Consequently, learners have a good knowledge of what they are achieving and what they need to do to develop further.  Staff support each other well to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Leaders ensure that staff attend regular professional development events. At these events, teaching staff select, and then research, interesting topics before presenting their findings to the rest of the team. Through this support, staff members have a better understanding of effective teaching and good practice in assessment. Most staff use this knowledge well to make their lessons relevant and enjoyable for learners.  Staff are well qualified, and they use their knowledge and experience well to help learners and apprentices to develop and make progress. They use good examples from the world of work to make learning more relevant, such as drawing on their experiences in the armed forces and security industries. As a result, learners understand better the reality of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

their intended future jobs.  Staff ensure that learners and apprentices develop a detailed understanding of equality, diversity and safeguarding. Staff cover these topics well in lessons and during progress reviews. Learners’ knowledge of equality and diversity is good, and they understand how to relate these topics to their everyday lives.  Staff identify learners’ starting points accurately. Appropriately detailed individual learning plans outline starting points effectively and link well to learners’ individual needs. Staff record learners’ progress meticulously and ensure that learners understand the progress that they are making. Tutors on study programmes plan learning very well, and this enables learners to make swift progress.  Learners develop good English and mathematical skills. Staff include good examples of English and mathematics in lessons and relate these well to work contexts. Learners make

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

good progress in developing these skills. However, in a few cases, staff do not correct learners’ spelling and grammatical mistakes; consequently, a few learners are unaware that they have made errors. In a very few cases, tutors’ written English in feedback contains errors.  Too many assessors do not work well enough with apprentices and employers to plan how apprentices will complete their learning in the planned timescale. In the majority of cases, planned completion dates for individual units are the same as the planned overall completion date for the programme. As a result, apprentices are not able to plan and manage their learning.  Staff do not communicate well enough with parents and carers of learners who are under 18 years old. Staff react to any issues of concern and contact parents to resolve them. However, they do not routinely inform parents of the progress that learners are making. Staff are aware of this and are planning to send out termly reports to parents of learners

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

who are aged under 18, but, at the time of the inspection, this had yet to happen.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Tutors support learners on study programmes well in developing the personal and social skills and behaviours that employers expect. Most learners start their courses with little experience or understanding of how to behave in the workplace. Tutors set high expectations for learners. As a result, most learners behave well and work hard in lessons; this prepares them well for their next steps.  Tutors challenge poor behaviour and derogatory language well. During lessons and enrichment activities on study programmes, learners are respectful of each other’s opinions and ideas, work well together and take pride in their work. Apprentices demonstrate the behaviours expected of them at work and, consequently, make a positive contribution to their employers’ businesses.  Learners benefit from well-planned and effective enrichment activities. They become more confident and develop good work-related skills. For example, learners planning to

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

enter the armed forces take part in additional team-building and fitness testing activities. Many learners also develop their ability to live independently through, for example, taking part in basic cookery classes and learning how to do laundry.  Learners and apprentices feel safe and are safe. They benefit from realistic and challenging activities, such as tutorial sessions on safe driving and the signs and symptoms of abuse. Learners understand the risks of radicalisation and know whom to contact if they have concerns. As a result, they are able to identify and avoid behaviour such as bullying and harassment, dangerous driving and online abuse that may put them at risk of harm.  Tutors’ and support workers’ concerted action and guidance have resulted in improvements to the attendance and punctuality of learners on study programmes over the past three years. Despite these efforts, attendance and punctuality at lessons

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

still remain low.  Learners and apprentices use detailed information and guidance to make informed choices about their futures. Staff support learners on study programmes to change their career choices as they develop a deeper understanding of different vocations. During apprentices’ introduction to their job, they use the careers advice that they receive well to ensure that they are fully aware of their future career options after completing their apprenticeship.  For a small proportion of learners on study programmes, staff do not plan for external work experience when learners are ready to participate. In a few cases, staff accept learners’ resistance to carrying out work experience rather than challenging their views.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Most learners on study programmes achieve their main qualification. The proportion of learners achieving their main qualification has improved greatly since the previous academic year and is now high and above the overall rate for similar providers.  Current learners on study programmes make good progress from their often low starting points. Most apprentices have made a good start to their programme; however, many apprentices have begun their programme only very recently and it is too early, therefore, to evaluate the progress that they are making.  Most learners develop the skills in English and mathematics that they need to complete their vocational programmes and for their future careers. When starting their courses, many learners have weak English and mathematical skills. Good support from tutors enables learners to improve the quality of their written work. Learners develop their knowledge of mathematics well; tutors link mathematical skills effectively to the

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Outcomes for learners Good

vocational subjects that learners are studying. The majority of learners who take functional skills qualifications at entry level and level 1 are successful and progress to higher levels of study. However, achievement rates for the small proportion of learners taking GCSE and level 2 functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics are not high enough.  Learners produce work of a high standard. They develop good vocational skills and knowledge, and they are able to use subject-specific language in the correct context. The standard of learners’ work improves during the time that they are on programme. As a result, learners are able to progress to higher levels of study.  Managers closely monitor the performance of different groups of learners. At the time of the inspection, female learners achieve better than their male peers. Learners who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve qualifications more successfully than their

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Outcomes for learners Good

peers. After careful analysis, managers are taking appropriate action to address these gaps, but it is too early to evaluate the impact that their actions are having.  Leaders ensure that learners have access to impartial advice and guidance about their next steps. Tutors provide learners with effective support to prepare job applications and advise learners on how to prepare for interviews. As a result of this guidance and support, an increasing proportion of learners progress to further education or into employment. However, this still remains too low.

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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 Patrik Knowles

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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

31 0 9 0 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+ 0 5 0 0 0 25 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 subcontractor: Quality Personal Development

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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, 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

Richard Ronksley 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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