Humberside Engineering Training Association Ltd (HETA)

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

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Mr Iain Elliott Chief Executive Officer Humberside Engineering Training Association Ltd Copenhagen Road Hull HU7 0XJ

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(HETA)

Following the short inspection on 15 and 16 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 December 2013.

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(HETA)

HETA continues to provide apprentices and trainees with good opportunities to access high-quality programmes in engineering. Staff are successfully migrating the apprenticeship programmes on to the new standards. They have also introduced successfully the use of an electronic monitoring system for apprentices.

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(HETA)

All learners undertake a full year of off-the-job training in one of HETA’s three centres. This provides them with a very good opportunity to develop their vocational skills, knowledge and understanding. Learners thoroughly enjoy the training, particularly in the workshops where they develop many relevant practical skills. Apprentices then benefit from completing the remaining two years of the programme in the workplace. During this time, a team of field assessors maintains regular contact with them and their employers. Staff and instructors create a good, positive working relationship with learners while, at the same time, providing learners with a very realistic experience of working in the engineering industry. They ensure that all learners become aware of the requirements for punctuality: learners are required to be in the training centre for an 8.00 am start, which matches standard industry practice.

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(HETA)

You and your managers have worked hard to implement the recommendations from the inspection in 2013 and, in most areas, have been successful in doing so. Inspectors identified a small number of new minor areas for improvement on this visit. Safeguarding is effective.

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(HETA)

Since the last inspection, together with your team, you have continued to meet and, in some cases, exceed the statutory requirements for safeguarding. Recruitment processes remain robust, and all staff undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks. All staff receive training in safeguarding, and designated officers undertake additional higher-level training. All staff, apprentices and trainees are clear about how to report safeguarding concerns so that relevant staff can provide help swiftly. Trustees also undergo safeguarding training, and a trustee has designated responsibility for safeguarding.

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(HETA)

All your staff are meticulous about the application and demonstration of safe working practices. The use of personal protective equipment is mandatory. Trainers and instructors routinely embed risk assessment of the use of machinery and safety training on machinery into everyday practice. Apprentices and trainees fully understand safety expectations and know how to keep themselves safe at work.

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(HETA)

Apprentices and trainees are very aware of dangers and threats when online. They are able to discuss this topic with confidence and give practical examples of how to keep themselves safe online. For example, they understand that they must not accept unknown contacts and should retain privacy settings on their devices.

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(HETA)

Managers have implemented the ‘Prevent’ duty since the last inspection. A detailed action plan is effective in driving improvements in knowledge and understanding of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. You and your staff maintain strong links with external organisations to support them in their implementation of the duty.

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Inspection findings

 Since the last inspection, the new chief executive officer has restructured the senior leadership at HETA. He has formed a leadership team with clear roles and responsibilities, and this has improved the process for setting strategic priorities and business planning immeasurably.  The leadership team now sets out clear business strategies with objectives and targets for all aspects of HETA’s work. These include, for example, the development of higher education programmes and commercial programmes to enhance progression opportunities for apprentices and to improve facilities and resources for all learners. Detailed, well-considered plans for a number of new initiatives, such as the move to new premises and expansion into a new training centre, support the key objectives identified in the business plans very well.  Staff have maintained outcomes for learners at a good level since the last inspection. They have worked particularly hard at improving the proportion of

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Inspection findings

learners who complete their training within their planned time. This rate is now almost in line with the overall achievement rate and is significantly higher than that for similar providers. For the smaller proportion of learners who are trainees, the progression rate into either full-time further education or an apprenticeship is very high.  Managers now have effective systems to track the progress of learners. Field assessors have more frequent contact with learners in the workplace. Although managers and staff endeavour to analyse the reasons why learners leave the programme early, there remain a few instances where they are unaware of the reasons for leaving.  Teaching, learning and assessment remain good. In particular, teaching and learning in practical workshops is very effective in developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by the industry. The training continues to be well planned and coordinated in the apprentices’ and trainees’ first year on

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Inspection findings

programme. The new standards programmes are giving apprentices a wider range of opportunities to develop their technical skills.  Although managers have made good progress in improving the quality of classroom-based theory sessions, they continue to identify this as a major improvement objective. Managers have made significant inroads in improving the craft of teaching for many of their instructors and identifying the most skilled deliverers. They have created a core team role for instructors who now deliver all of the theoretical components of the programme across all sites. Instructors now benefit from more professional development activities which enhance their practice. An improvement group meets regularly to analyse and review feedback from observations; this group is effective in identifying areas for improvement and developing staff skills to remedy any shortcomings.  The quality assurance procedures provide leaders and managers with a very

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Inspection findings

accurate and rigorous analysis of all aspects of the provision. Leaders and managers make good use of this analysis to make improvements.  Managers set and review progress against performance indicators that enable them to monitor accurately the progress of apprentices and trainees. They keep staff informed of apprentices’ progress through monthly team meetings. Good development and implementation of an electronic monitoring system enable staff to track and record apprentices’ progress accurately, both on frameworks and for those on the new standards. However, a small minority of performance indicators do not identify clearly the required targets or improvements needed.  Since the last inspection, managers have developed the observation of teaching and learning process further, and it now gives leaders an accurate analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in learning. Observations of sessions are carried out at

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Inspection findings

least twice each year, following which staff receive a detailed development action plan. Although managers check that instructors have implemented the actions by the next observation, they are not involved sufficiently in agreeing and approving how instructors will achieve the required actions.  Staff who are identified as requiring intensive development work with a teaching and learning mentor or a centre manager who provides more rapid support prior to the planned re-observation.  Leaders, managers and staff have gone to great lengths to introduce and promote British values. The comprehensive induction for all learners includes a significant section that focuses on the concepts related to British values. All learners receive a number of printed resources to act as a constant reminder of these values. Staff reinforce topics relating to British values by an on-screen reminder that appears each time a learner logs on to a HETA computer. Learners

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Inspection findings

take part in democratic activity through electing members of the learner council. Staff strive to make clear to learners how HETA’s own values relate to and support British values, and the relevance of these values in a modern society and, particularly, a modern workforce.  Learners are able to access high-quality information, advice and guidance prior to starting their programmes. Staff engage with a large number of local and regional schools to ensure that young people are aware of the opportunities in engineering in the local region.  Managers and staff set high expectations of apprentices and trainees throughout the programme. They have developed a higher education pathway to enable apprentices to access a degree course.  Managers do not maintain sufficient records of trainees’ starting points or their development needs to demonstrate and ensure that a traineeship is the right programme to meet their needs.

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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 take every possible action to reduce the number of apprentices who leave the programme after the first year of training and before they complete their planned learning  staff maintain an accurate and full record of initial assessments of trainees so that it is clear that trainees’ needs are best met by participating in the traineeship programme  managers monitor and evaluate the impact of their actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning in classroom-based theory sessions so that they can assess accurately the quality of this part of the programme and identify additional actions for improvement where needed  managers agree and approve action plans to support instructors’ development needs in teaching, learning and assessment prior to their implementation.

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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

Four inspectors and the operations manager, as nominee, carried out the inspection. During the inspection, inspectors met with managers and employers and observed teaching activities. They also met and talked to staff and apprentices in meetings and classrooms. Inspectors reviewed a number of documents, learner files and records.

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