Deere Apprenticeships Ltd

Deere Apprenticeships Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Gerard McGrath HMI

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Address:

Hexgreave Hall Upper Hexgreave Farnsfield Newark Nottinghamshire NG22 8LS Monitoring visit: Deere Apprenticeships Ltd, 11–12 July 2018

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of a series of monitoring visits to a sample of new apprenticeship training providers that are funded through the apprenticeship levy. Ofsted’s intention to carry out monitoring visits to these new providers was first announced by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector in November 2017. The focus of these visits is on the three themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Deere Apprenticeships Ltd (Deere) started to deliver vocational training and apprenticeships in 2011. Deere began apprenticeships funded through the apprenticeship levy in 2017 and these were in scope for the monitoring visit. Deere currently delivers training for 91 apprentices at levels 2, 3 and 5. Apprentices are following programmes in health and social care, business management, team leading, administration, warehousing and distribution, and retail.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders and managers are very committed to providing a high standard of training for all apprentices. They have made good use of the findings of previous inspections of their prime contractors’ provision to introduce improvements across their apprenticeship provision. For example, senior managers have introduced monthly caseload review meetings so that the checking of the delivery team’s performance is more regular and systematic.

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Reasonable progress

Senior managers have set and communicated a clear strategy to ensure that high- quality training supports the new apprenticeship standards. As a consequence, senior managers ensure that newly recruited tutors are suitably qualified and knowledgeable about their vocational areas and the requirements of apprenticeship programmes.

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Reasonable progress

The senior management team will only work with employers who are able to deliver all aspects of the apprenticeship. For example, managers no longer work with employers who fail to meet all the apprenticeship requirements. Deere’s staff undertake significant preparatory work with employers. As a result, apprentices are on the correct programme and the large majority of employers are involved effectively in the planning and delivery of apprentices’ training. Managers make good use of service-level agreements to support their effective working relationships with employers. These agreements clearly outline and reinforce the responsibilities of all parties in the management and delivery of high-quality training. Monitoring visit: Deere Apprenticeships Ltd, 11–12 July 2018 Managers and employers have good working relationships and almost all employers have a good awareness of how they can help apprentices to succeed.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders and managers have a good and realistic understanding of the provision’s strengths and weaknesses. They make effective use of their existing quality-improvement arrangements to raise standards of training, learning and assessment. Experience of self-assessment, as a subcontractor to other prime providers, makes a valuable contribution to the senior management team’s quality evaluations. However, senior managers have been slow to respond to a small number of weaknesses.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors’ recording of apprentices’ participation in training has recently improved and is now good. The large majority of apprentices consistently receive their full entitlement to on- and off-the-job training. However, managers agree that they need to improve further their monitoring arrangements so they can intervene more quickly when they identify shortfalls in training attendance.

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Reasonable progress

A board of directors provides effective support and challenge to senior managers. The board meets regularly and monitors apprentices’ progress closely. Board members acknowledge the need to improve the independent scrutiny of their decision-making. They have recruited an additional non-executive member with extensive expertise in teaching, learning and assessment in further education and training to help them to judge their effectiveness.

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Reasonable progress

Senior managers make good use of data to track and review apprentices’ achievements. Managers identify areas for improvement accurately and implement effective remedial actions. For example, managers have identified the need to enhance the information system used to check apprentices’ progress. They are refining the weighting given to the completion of different aspects of the apprenticeship. Improvements are at an early stage and therefore it is too soon to evaluate their impact.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices’ training ensures that they develop a wide range of new skills, knowledge and behaviours. This allows them to be more effective in their workplace. For example, management apprentices were able to demonstrate how they could apply their learning to communicate more successfully with different groups and individuals. Team-leading apprentices used their delegation skills to help colleagues adopt greater responsibility and carry out more complex tasks safely. Apprentices are more motivated in their work and achieve at a higher level. Monitoring visit: Deere Apprenticeships Ltd, 11–12 July 2018 Apprentices have a clear appreciation of how their training contributes to the attainment of personal career aspirations. At the start of their training, apprentices receive useful support to help them understand the available vocational options. However, managers recognise the need to increase the availability of independent

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Reasonable progress

careers information, advice and guidance throughout their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Workplace tutors review apprentices’ progress frequently. Apprentices comment favourably on the good pastoral and learning support that workplace tutors provide. Communication between workplace tutors and apprentices outside of planned workplace visits is good. Workplace tutors have established collaborative and productive partnerships with employers, who are usually involved appropriately in checking and supporting apprentices’ progress. Apprentices make good use of the electronic portfolio to access their programme at a time and place that suits them. Workplace tutors schedule review and assessment visits adeptly to fit in with apprentices’ employment shift patterns.

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Reasonable progress

Workplace tutors use a good range of assessment methods to evaluate apprentices’ competence and development. They provide swift responses to apprentices’ queries and submission of completed work. Workplace tutors’ feedback is generally detailed. It includes sufficient guidance to help apprentices to improve quickly within the agreed challenging time constraints.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders keep apprentices and employers fully informed about the emerging requirements for end-point assessment. Apprentices have a clear appreciation of what the end-point assessment might entail and how their programme is preparing them for it. Apprentices’ completed written work is of the required standard or better.

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Reasonable progress

The good quality of on- and off-the-job training experienced by most apprentices effectively enhances their learning and development. Workplace tutors are vocationally well qualified and have a sound understanding of apprentices’ job roles. This helps tutors to link taught theory with apprentices’ workplace situations skilfully.

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Reasonable progress

Workplace tutors assess apprentices’ starting points in English and mathematics accurately. They make good use of this information to plan training that improves their English and mathematical knowledge and skills. Apprentices’ occupational responsibilities effectively allow them to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by their apprenticeship. Consequently, the majority of apprentices make the expected or better progress in achieving their planned learning goals.

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Reasonable progress

Managers use well-established quality-assurance processes effectively to monitor and improve apprentices’ learning experiences. Evaluation of teaching, learning and assessment through direct observation places adequate emphasis on judging their quality. Managers identify accurately the majority of key strengths and weaknesses in observed sessions. Improvement plans for observed tutors are effectively linked to Monitoring visit: Deere Apprenticeships Ltd, 11–12 July 2018 performance appraisals and the training they require to improve teaching and learning further.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Senior managers give a high priority to protecting all apprentices and staff from harm. Safeguarding policies and procedures, including those that inform safe recruitment and vetting of staff, are comprehensive and fit for purpose. Apprentices report that they feel safe during their training and develop a good understanding of safe working practices within their busy work settings. They have a good awareness of how to raise any concerns about their safety or welfare.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have ensured that the designated safeguarding lead is qualified and competent to carry out the associated duties. Managers and tutors have a good understanding of their responsibilities and how to respond to safeguarding concerns. All staff undertake a wide range of relevant training.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices generally have a sufficient appreciation of fundamental British values. They have sufficient understanding of how to apply these values to their work and in their personal lives. Managers have recently strengthened the arrangements to raise apprentices’ awareness of the ‘Prevent’ duty. However, not all apprentices are sufficiently aware of the dangers associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices usually demonstrate an adequate understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet and social media. Monitoring visit: Deere Apprenticeships Ltd, 11–12 July 2018 the 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 . 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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Reasonable progress

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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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to

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the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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