5 E Ltd.

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

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Mr Raj Doshi Managing Director 5 E Ltd Selby Centre Selby Road N17 8JL

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Short inspection of 5 E Ltd

Following the short inspection on 2 and 3 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 August 2014.

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Short inspection of 5 E Ltd

Since the previous inspection, you and your team at 5 E Ltd have continued to provide a supportive learning environment in which learners receive very good academic and pastoral support. Leaders and managers have a strong commitment to providing education and training to those who have found it difficult to gain an education or a job, such as unemployed people and ex-offenders. This vision motivates and inspires learners, some from the most deprived parts of the local area, to achieve their qualifications and progress into employment.

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Short inspection of 5 E Ltd

Managers have developed a curriculum that supports learners to gain employment and meets the needs of the local community and employers; for example, they have increased the number of apprenticeships and information technology courses. Managers have ensured that lessons take place at times that suit learners, for example by teaching lessons in the evenings and at weekends. As a result, achievement rates have continued to improve since the previous academic year and are high. Managers have taken effective action to remedy weaknesses. For example, they have successfully improved timely apprenticeship achievement rates on health and social care courses. Achievement rates on functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics remain high.

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Short inspection of 5 E Ltd

Leaders and managers have made good progress in rectifying the majority of the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection, in August 2014. They have improved the arrangements to monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Managers use a broad range of measures to make their judgements including reviewing marked work, and checking learners’ attendance and their progress. As a result, managers have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and learning across the organisation, including in subcontractors.

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Short inspection of 5 E Ltd

Leaders and managers implement effective safeguarding arrangements throughout the organisation. They complete thorough checks to ensure that staff are safe to work with learners. Managers ensure that all new staff have a thorough induction, including in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty, prior to commencing work, and they do comprehensive risk assessments to keep learners safe. Managers keep detailed records of attendance at mandatory training and for the completion of online tests.

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Short inspection of 5 E Ltd

The designated safeguarding lead has received extensive training and teachers and support staff receive training appropriate to their job roles. Regular mandatory updates ensure that staff keep their knowledge current. Staff understand signs of radicalisation and extremism and they explore ideas well in lessons. For example, in a lesson on diagnosing computer faults the teacher discussed with learners what they would do if they found forums linked to extremism.

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Short inspection of 5 E Ltd

Learners and apprentices feel safe and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe within the local context, for example where there are local gangs. They know how to report concerns and are confident to do so. Teachers and support staff refer vulnerable learners or those with specific needs to outside agencies for specialist support, such as counselling.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the organisation’s main strengths and areas for development and they are able to identify clearly the actions that they are taking to rectify weaknesses. Leaders gather relevant data to monitor quality across the organisation, but do not analyse and report on this to the management team in order to provide a consistent and shared overview of performance. As a result, they do not identify early signs of poor performance.  Leaders do not provide sufficient challenge for managers through, for example, management meetings or external peer reviews. Consequently, they do not consistently ensure that processes and systems designed to secure improvements are effective as early as they could be. Monitoring of performance often focuses solely on areas of development leading to some areas of previously strong performance declining.  Managers have improved their monitoring of subcontractors and now have a very

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Inspection findings

good understanding of their performance. Managers work closely with subcontractors to ensure that they meet the standards of performance expected and the majority of their work is now of a good standard and improving. Where subcontractors do not meet the expected standards, leaders do not continue to work with them.  Managers and teachers continue to develop strong relationships with local employers, who benefit from the contribution that apprentices and trainees make to their businesses. Employers speak positively about the skills that apprentices develop and the quality of training that they receive. Employers support apprentices’ and trainees’ understanding of the workplace by providing high- quality work placements and these often lead to full- or part-time employment.  Teachers are keen to develop their skills and have benefited from an extensive programme of professional development activities, including accredited teaching

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Inspection findings

qualifications. Managers plan the programme to reflect the needs of individual teachers, as identified through lesson observations.  Teachers’ confidence and practice in lessons have improved through the work of a team of advanced practitioners, who provide one-to-one mentoring and support, and through teachers observing each other’s lessons. Teachers share their ideas and continually seek to find creative approaches to their teaching.  Teachers assess learners’ skills and knowledge at the beginning of their course well and use this information to set learners challenging targets. Teachers track the progress of learners closely and, as a result, the large majority of learners and apprentices make good progress from their starting points.  Teachers provide very good support to learners, including those with specific learning needs, enabling them to achieve their qualifications and progress into employment. The proportion of learners who go into employment and further

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Inspection findings

education is high.  Teachers, in the large majority of lessons, use questioning techniques well, challenging learners to think more deeply and extend their learning. However, in a minority of lessons teachers do not ensure that all learners participate in discussions or answer questions; as a result, this limits the progress they make.  Teachers develop learners’ and apprentices’ speaking and listening skills well. They use a variety of resources to stimulate interest and discussion. For example, in an English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) lesson, the teacher used role-play to improve learners’ confidence and develop their vocabulary. Teachers provide encouragement to learners in the feedback they give. They help learners to identify errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation, but in too many cases do not make it clear to learners how they should make the improvements required.  Teachers ensure that learners develop the skills they need for employment well.

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Inspection findings

For example, in ESOL lessons, teachers make sure learners fully understand the importance of team working within the workplace. In level 2 computer maintenance, learners researching software characteristics were able to record changes that they made to the configuration of a computer. Teachers use their own subject specialist knowledge and expertise well to illustrate topics and link activities to future employment.  Leaders, managers and teachers treat learners and apprentices with respect. A strong culture of tolerance permeates through the organisation and learners and apprentices respond well to this. As a result, learners are highly respectful to each other and to staff. Learners’ behaviour is of a very high standard in lessons and in the workplace.

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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 analyse and report on management data more regularly to identify emerging areas for improvement, enabling managers to understand better how different areas perform and to put interventions into place swiftly  managers receive sufficient challenge from leaders, so that they are able to ensure that procedures and processes they put into place are effective, and rapidly secure the intended improvements  teachers provide learners with detailed feedback so they know what they need to improve. 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

Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector visited 5 E Ltd. The managing director, as nominee, assisted inspectors. Inspectors met with the managing director, senior leadership team, managers and tutors and scrutinised key documents, including the self-assessment report and relevant policies. Inspectors spoke to apprentices and employers on the telephone to gain their views. They observed teaching and learning and reviewed learners’ work.

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