PETA Limited

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Robert Hiskey CEO PETA Limited 1 Access Point Northarbour Road Portsmouth PO6 3TE

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Short inspection of PETA Limited

Following the short inspection on 1 and 2 November 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The inspection was the first short inspection carried out since the provider was judged to be good in January 2014.

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Short inspection of PETA Limited

PETA council members and senior leaders have kept a good focus on sustaining the quality of learning and the very high levels of achievement for the apprentices. As a result, the very large majority of apprentices make good progress. A very high proportion of them achieve their qualifications, and most within the time expected. You have also successfully introduced a wide range of standards-based apprenticeships. Senior leaders took decisive action when it became clear that the quality and outcomes of traineeships and study programmes were not improving quickly enough. As a result, you no longer offer traineeships and have significantly reduced the study programme provision to a single course in engineering. The recruitment team signpost any young people who are not yet ready for apprenticeships to other local providers.

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Short inspection of PETA Limited

Senior leaders and managers have made good progress in dealing with most of the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. They have made sure that:

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Short inspection of PETA Limited

 trainers and assessors set detailed short-term targets which ensure that apprentices know what they have to do to improve  managers improved the accuracy and usefulness of observations of teaching, learning and assessment to identify what trainers and assessors are doing well and which aspects of their performance need to be improved; these observation reports are linked to effective development plans and support to enable rapid improvement where required  managers accurately evaluated the reasons for the continued poor achievement rates on study programmes in the self-assessment report  managers now closely monitor apprentices’ progress and use the management information system well to identify individuals who are making slow progress and provide additional support to improve progress.

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Short inspection of PETA Limited

Leaders, managers and staff place a very high priority on safeguarding. Managers carry out appropriate checks on all staff who have regular contact with apprentices and learners.

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Short inspection of PETA Limited

Instructors and tutors provide effective safeguarding training during apprentices’ and learners’ induction. They reinforce this by including appropriate safeguarding and health and safety themes in frequent progress reviews. Apprentices and learners feel safe and are safe. They know what to do if they have concerns and they have a good understanding of safe working practices. Where concerns are reported, managers keep detailed records and take appropriate action.

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Short inspection of PETA Limited

Apart from a very small number of apprentices who have just started their programmes, apprentices and learners are aware of the dangers of extremism and radicalisation. Managers have developed a thorough risk assessment and action plan that they regularly review and update to meet their ‘Prevent’ duties.

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Inspection findings

 The large majority of apprentices and study programme learners are making at least the progress expected of them. Many are making good progress. Most of those who have recently started their framework or standards-based apprenticeships can already recognise how the skills and knowledge they have gained will help them in the workplace. Apprentices on standards-based programmes, for example, perform machining operations to high standards and use complex, dangerous machinery safely.  Trainers and assessors help the large majority of apprentices to improve their mathematical skills and to achieve their qualifications. For example, apprentices take measurements and perform calculations to ensure that the components they manufacture are within tight tolerances.  Mathematics tutors provide good, well-tailored, individual support. This helps the large majority of apprentices and learners to make good or better progress.

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Inspection findings

 Trainers and assessors improve apprentices’ English well on business-related programmes. They provide detailed, accurate feedback that helps apprentices to recognise their mistakes and understand how to improve their written English. These apprentices produce workbooks with well-written reports demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of important theories such as models of communication. They maintain good standards of written English. However, instructors on engineering programmes do not always provide good-quality feedback on marked work to help apprentices and learners improve their written English skills.  The provider’s own data for 2016/17 shows that achievement rates for apprentices remained high and well above those at similar providers and nationally. However, achievement rates for study programme learners and trainees did not improve sufficiently quickly. Data also demonstrates that

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Inspection findings

managers do not yet monitor the relative achievement of apprentices and learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, and this requires improvement.  Apprentices on standards and frameworks develop highly relevant and valued skills. For example, one standards-based apprentice is responsible for testing and repairing actuators used with domestic aircraft fuel delivery systems and works to very high standards demonstrating high-level skills.  The vast majority of employers are very positive about the experience of working with PETA managers and assessors. These employers are closely involved in all aspects of planning and delivering learning. They routinely plan work rotas to allow their apprentices to develop workplace skills that meet the framework or standard. They are also involved at each progress review to agree new short-term targets with the apprentice. These targets make sure that apprentices’ learning is closely linked to employment needs. Because of this

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Inspection findings

good partnership working, many employers have worked with PETA for many years. An insurance company, for example, has now employed five apprentices in succession and values highly the contribution these young people make to the organisation.  Many apprentices gain promotion or take on additional responsibilities as a direct result of the improved skills, knowledge and behaviours they develop during their apprenticeships. One business apprentice, for example, was recently promoted to the role of project coordinator, with a new apprentice appointed to replace her.  Although trainers and assessors now set good short-term targets which help apprentices and learners make rapid progress, longer-term targets are less useful. There are good examples of detailed longer-term targets. These have dates that recognise individual abilities and potential. However, too many assessors set the same targets and timescales for groups rather than individuals.

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Inspection findings

 Apprentices who started their standards-based programmes in September are making good progress, but they do not yet know which grade they are working towards. Managers need to use the results of initial assessments and early progress reviews to identify more quickly those apprentices who are capable of achieving merits and distinctions.  The process managers use to evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is now accurate and is helping trainers and assessors to improve. However, mangers do not yet have good information about the quality of lessons provided by local colleges for a small minority of apprentices.

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Next steps for the provider

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the provider

 they monitor and measure the achievement of apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds to make sure that they achieve as well as their peers  all learners and apprentices benefit from detailed feedback on marked work so that they can improve their written English  all learners and apprentices are well informed about the dangers of extremism and radicalisation from the start of their programmes  longer-term targets for learners and apprentices reflect their individual abilities and needs, so that the more able learners are encouraged to make rapid progress and the less able have the time they need to successfully achieve  they evaluate the progress and ability of apprentices who started on a range of standards-based apprenticeships in September this year to determine whether they should aim for a pass, merit or distinction  they gain a good understanding of the quality of the small amount of apprenticeship learning subcontracted to local colleges.

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Next steps for the provider

I am copying this letter to the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two Ofsted Inspectors were assisted by the head of government-funded training. Inspectors met with members of the senior management team, training managers, tutors, instructors, apprentices and study programme learners. They scrutinised key strategic and policy documents, including those relating to quality assurance, safeguarding and the performance of PETA Limited programmes. Inspectors analysed data on apprentices’ and study programme learners’ achievements and progress relative to their starting points. Additionally, they analysed feedback from apprentices, learners and employers.

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