Profile Development And Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Profile Development and Training Limited Independent learning provider

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes Good

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Apprenticeships Good 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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

 Staff have built successfully on a strong past record of achievement under subcontracting arrangements and made a good start to their direct provision.  Managers and tutors have ensured that the recently introduced apprenticeship standard for teaching assistants is designed well to help apprentices develop exactly the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need.  Strong governance arrangements ensure a good focus on continually improving quality and ensuring that apprentices and learners make the best possible progress.  Leaders and managers monitor the performance of staff effectively. They share best practice among tutors, and provide constructive feedback following observations of training, to help tutors improve.  Learners and apprentices develop rapidly new practical skills, which they apply in the classroom.  Tutors have an excellent understanding and extensive experience of supporting teaching and learning which makes adults’ and

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Summary of key findings

apprentices’ learning enjoyable, meaningful and relevant.  Tutors quickly establish very positive relationships with their learners and apprentices, and give them regular, constructive and encouraging feedback on their progress, which helps them improve.  Learners and apprentices receive good-quality information, advice and guidance which help them to make well-informed choices about their programmes and next steps.  Apprentices and learners on supporting teaching and learning courses and framework programmes do not receive enough support from their tutors to improve the mathematical and English skills they need to help them contribute even more effectively to children’s learning.  Managers have not focused sufficiently on improving the quality of feedback that tutors provide to apprentices and learners to develop their written skills, including their spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Tutors do not ensure that all learners and

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Summary of key findings

apprentices are sufficiently stretched to make the progress they are capable of making.

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Information about the provider

 Profile Development and Training Limited is a small provider offering training to learners and apprentices in mainly the education sector, preparing learners and apprentices for employment in schools. It started in 2008 and began delivering directly funded training in 2016. The company operates from a head office in Broadstairs, Kent and has 11 staff.  The provider delivers programmes leading to qualifications at Level 3 and Level 4, for adults who have taken learning loans. The very large majority initially work towards the Certificate in Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools, and then complete additional units towards the Level 3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools. Most learners complete their programmes while carrying out voluntary placements at schools in Kent. At the time of inspection, there were 35 learners on programme.  The provider delivers framework and standards-based apprenticeship programmes for

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Information about the provider

apprentices aged 16 to 18 and 19 and over, at Levels 2 and 3. Most apprentices are working towards the Level 3 Teaching Assistant Standard and the Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools qualifications. Apprentices are employed in schools in Kent. At the time of inspection, there were 21 apprentices on programme, 11 of whom are aged 16 to 18.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Managers and tutors need to ensure that they identify and teach the most important English and mathematics skills that apprentices need to develop, so that they can support teachers to help children learn more effectively.  Managers need to ensure that tutors provide apprentices and learners with accurate feedback on their work to help them improve their spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Tutors need to ensure that all learners and apprentices take ownership of their learning and that they challenge the most able by setting appropriately stretching learning targets for them to achieve. This will be particularly important for the standards-based teaching and learning apprentices as their programme progresses to ensure that all those who are capable achieve distinctions.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Directors and managers have successfully built on their extensive experience of providing apprenticeships under subcontracting arrangements to other providers. As a result, they have introduced apprenticeships seamlessly alongside their courses for adults which are funded through learner loans. They have also ensured that the recently introduced teaching assistant apprenticeships programme is planned well to meet the principles and requirements of the teaching assistant standard.  Directors have a good focus on continually improving quality and ensuring that apprentices and learners make the best possible progress. They have a good understanding of the strengths of the provision and areas for improvement. The self- assessment process is well structured to capture the views of all staff and considers feedback from learners and apprentices.  Managers’ quality assurance arrangements are extensive and largely effective. Managers

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

plan internal quality assurance activities in an annual quality cycle and provide constructive feedback and guidance where areas for improvement are found. However, managers have not focused sufficiently on the quality of feedback that tutors provide to apprentices and learners to develop their written skills, including their spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Leaders and managers monitor the performance of teaching staff effectively. They hold frequent meetings to share best practice among tutors, and provide constructive feedback following observations of training, to help tutors improve.  Managers have instilled, very successfully, a culture of continuous individual and team improvement. Staff are keen to improve their performance and managers support them to complete a very extensive range of professional development. For example, tutors have completed additional training in areas such as mental health awareness, developments in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

functional skills, e-tutoring and cybersecurity. As a result, the quality of the training is good.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance arrangements are strong. Directors on the senior management team have high expectations for, and a good focus on, the quality of the provision and the progress learners and apprentices make. They set appropriate targets for managers to achieve and monitor their performance in improving the provision through frequent one-to-one meetings. During these meetings, directors challenge and support managers to achieve targets which are set in a range of improvement action plans.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The designated safeguarding officer is a senior manager who is well trained for the role. Managers and tutors have also benefited from appropriate training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty and know how to keep their apprentices and adult learners safe.  Clear policies ensure that managers, staff, apprentices and adult learners know who to contact if they have any safeguarding concerns. Managers carry out appropriate checks on all staff who have contact with apprentices and learners.  The designated safeguarding officer maintains a sufficiently detailed record of safeguarding and welfare concerns. This shows that appropriate action was taken in each of the small number of concerns raised.  Tutors ensure that their apprentices and adult learners have a good awareness of safeguarding and that they have at least a basic awareness of the dangers of extremism

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Tutors use their extensive and detailed knowledge and experience in schools very effectively to make learning meaningful for their learners and apprentices. They provide good practical examples of classroom approaches which learners can apply successfully within their own schools. As a result, most learners make good progress and gain their qualifications. They increase their understanding of how broad educational principles can be applied effectively within specific school settings for the benefit of pupils.  Tutors know their learners and apprentices well. Following their thorough induction, tutors monitor learners’ and apprentices’ individual progress very closely. They encourage them to share their workplace experiences, including the more challenging ones, with their peers at regular, off-the-job training sessions. As a result, learners and apprentices are better prepared to deal with difficult situations which may arise.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Tutors quickly establish very positive relationships with their learners and apprentices, and give them regular, constructive and encouraging feedback on their progress. They frequently provide them with additional resources and reading materials to help broaden their understanding.  Tutors provide good personal support for individual learners and apprentices and respond quickly to any concerns they may have. This motivates them to continue their programmes, even where, for example, adult learners have extensive family commitments. Where learners and apprentices are in danger of falling behind, for example because of ill-health, they provide additional support which keeps them successfully on programme.  As a result of the good training and high-quality placements, learners and apprentices make good progress in the workplace. Tutors work very closely with leaders in school to coordinate training and to monitor individual learners’ and apprentices’ progress. For

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

example, they work collaboratively to help learners and apprentices increase their understanding of teaching approaches and childhood development. Consequently, learners and apprentices quickly develop new practical skills, which they apply in the classroom. For example, one learner worked with a group of children with special educational needs to create ‘marble mazes’ which other children admired.  Learners and apprentices know how to keep themselves safe and know how to report any concerns they may have, for themselves or for their pupils. With strong guidance from their tutors and school leaders, learners and apprentices become keenly aware of the importance of safeguarding in schools. They are vigilant in ensuring the safety of their pupils, for example when visitors come to their schools. They understand the importance of keeping children safe online and help young children to develop an appropriate, early

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

understanding of the potential dangers of the internet.  Tutors agree broad development targets with learners and apprentices, which are frequently linked to unit completion. Many of these targets do not include sufficiently precise detail to help learners and apprentices deepen their learning, for example to help them reflect on what they have learned, in order to apply approaches to their own classroom practice and future development. Tutors do not encourage learners and apprentices sufficiently to take greater ownership of their learning and do not ensure that the most able develop higher-level skills such as evaluating their own learning.  Learners and apprentices develop good spoken skills in English. They learn to communicate effectively with teachers, parents and children. They become confident in presenting a wide range of spoken information in public. Their written work often shows evidence of extensive research and a good understanding of the wider educational

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

context. At the same time, their written work contains too many basic mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar; too often tutors do not correct these mistakes to help them improve. As a result, too many learners and apprentices do not develop the knowledge and written accuracy expected of those working in schools.  Leaders and managers recognise that in the past they gave too little attention to developing all learners’ and apprentices’ skills in mathematics. They have recently put in place a system to identify any weaker areas at enrolment. They have also provided targeted online support for the development of their skills in mathematics. Learners and apprentices do not yet recognise sufficiently how improving their knowledge of mathematics can support and benefit the children in their classes, as well as improving their own career development.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Learners and apprentices are highly motivated to work with children in schools. They approach their training with enthusiasm and a keenness to learn more about education. They listen carefully to advice from tutors and teachers and share experiences willingly with their peers to help them improve their understanding and skills in supporting children in the classroom.  Learners and apprentices gain personal confidence and become more self-assured working with teachers and groups of children in a busy educational environment. For example, one business administration learner felt confident in dealing with enquiries from parents and in using educational software. They conduct themselves professionally and work well with other school staff, such as their link teachers.  Learners and apprentices take pride in their increasing contribution to the development of children in their schools. They gain a strong understanding of educational principles and

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

practice, which they apply successfully in their support roles. As their experience grows, they take on wider responsibilities and make a valued contribution to the life of the school. As a result, many learners and apprentices are subsequently employed by their schools.  Learners and apprentices receive good-quality information, advice and guidance which help them to make well-informed choices about their programmes. Where an applicant is assessed initially as not yet ready to join a programme, they are quickly directed to alternative, local provision. Staff provide effective, ongoing careers advice to learners so that they develop realistic plans for the next stage of their employment and education. Staff maintain good links with national careers agencies for learners and apprentices who need further guidance.  Learners and apprentices have a basic awareness of the ‘Prevent’ duty, and the dangers

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

of extremism and radicalisation. They recognise the importance in their lives of British values, such as respect for others and the rule of law. As a result of their training, learners and apprentices become more aware of how these values apply to school life. They also learn how to react to incidents of playground bullying, whether physical or verbal.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Staff have sustained the high achievement rates for apprentices they secured under subcontracting arrangements and made a good start delivering their own provision. As a result, current framework apprentices and learners make good progress. The small numbers of apprentices on the very recently introduced teaching assistant standards- based programme have made good early progress.  Apprentices and learners develop a good range of knowledge and skills that prepare them well for work and help them take on extra responsibilities with confidence.  Apprentices and learners improve rapidly their levels of confidence. They are polite and respectful of each other and their tutors.  The new and enhanced skills, knowledge and workplace behaviours that apprentices develop help them improve their performance at work and gain extra responsibility. Employers report that they quickly become highly valued employees.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Apprentices on supporting teaching and learning framework programmes do not improve sufficiently the mathematical and English skills they need to help them support children’s learning. This is because tutors have not identified the particular skills that would be of most benefit and adapted and/or prioritised apprentices’ English and mathematics skills development appropriately. Rather, they have focused on supporting these apprentices to achieve functional skills qualifications where required.  Functional skills first-time pass rates for the few apprentices who do not already hold GCSE qualifications at the appropriate level are good.  There are no achievement gaps between different groups of learners.

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Adult learning programmes Good

 Reported on together with apprenticeships in the teaching, learning and assessment text because the delivery model is identical.

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Apprenticeships Good

 Reported on together with adult learning programmes in the teaching, learning and assessment text because the delivery model is identical.

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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 Managing Director Andrea Webb

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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 - 4 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+ 1 5 10 5 - - Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total - - - 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 -

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors: -

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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. 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 and evaluated a range of learning activities and learning records. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Mark Shackleton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Winchcombe Ofsted 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

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.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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