Train'd Up Railway Resourcing Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Train’d Up Railway Resourcing Limited Independent learning provider

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Inspection dates 30 October–2 November 2018

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings

 Senior leaders have established excellent partnerships with employers, educational organisations and trade unions to provide high- quality apprenticeships in the railway and engineering industries.  Employers make valuable contributions to the planning, teaching and assessment of apprenticeship programmes.  Learners benefit from a good standard of teaching and learning from highly skilled tutors and assessors who are experienced in their specialist subjects.  Managers and employers recruit apprentices with integrity, enabling new employees to train in prestigious railway and engineering companies.  The very large majority of apprentices achieve their qualifications and most progress into sustained employment or gain promotion within their industries.  Apprentices are highly motivated, keen to learn and develop good interpersonal and communication skills, enabling them to make valuable contributions to the industries within

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Summary of key findings

which they work.  Apprentices develop very good knowledge and high-level technical skills which enable them to carry out their job roles to a high standard and prepare them well for future employment.  Leaders ensure that apprentices working in jobs with responsibility for public safety know how to maintain healthy lifestyles and keep themselves and the public safe.  Leaders do not use data and information sufficiently well to have a good oversight of apprentices’ progress.  Leaders and managers do not evaluate effectively the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, including that in employer and subcontracted provision.  Too many apprentices at level 2 do not achieve their qualifications within the planned timescales.  Too few tutors and assessors develop apprentices’ English skills beyond those required by their qualification.

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Information about the provider

 Train’d Up Railway Resourcing Limited (Train’d Up) is a national training organisation formed in 2004, delivering apprenticeships predominantly in the railway and engineering industries. The head office is based in Scotland, with satellite offices in Manchester and London. Apprentices are located across the country, but are predominantly in north-west England, the Midlands, London and south-east England.  Most of the 289 apprentices are adult learners on intermediate apprenticeship programmes in rail services driving and engineering. A smaller proportion of apprentices, aged 16 to 18 and adults, take advanced apprenticeships in similar programmes. A very small number of apprentices, working within related industries, take business administration at levels 2 and 3. Train’d Up works with a range of subcontractors who teach qualifications that make up a part of the apprenticeships.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should ensure that they gain a clear oversight of apprentices’ progress by improved use of the data and information available to them.  Managers should ensure that they have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, including that in employer and subcontracted provision.  Leaders must plan programmes of learning so that apprentices complete all components of their qualification in the agreed timescales.  Tutors and assessors should develop apprentices’ English beyond that required by the qualification so that they make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Senior leaders have a clear and ambitious vision to provide high-quality training for apprentices in the railway and engineering industries nationally. They have a well-defined recruitment strategy. This ensures that apprentices have the required skills to make good progress with their training and can carry out their job roles to a high standard, as expected by employers and industry bodies.  Senior leaders and managers have established highly effective relationships with industrial partners, such as the trade union and prestigious employers, to provide apprenticeships for the railway and engineering sectors. They work closely with partners to ensure that the proportion of well-qualified train drivers increases in line with the sector’s needs and reflects the requirement of the railway network. Employers speak positively about the high levels of support that they receive from Train’d Up and the good communication they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

have about the progress of apprentices.  Leaders and managers have used these partnerships well to ensure that the training that apprentices receive closely reflects their future job roles and industry expectations. Since the previous inspection, leaders have reviewed the curriculum offer, focused on their strengths and now only provide apprenticeship qualifications in train driving and engineering.  Directors and senior leaders set high standards for staff and students, which reflects the standards expected by the industries in which they work. Managers challenge the performance of staff rigorously through a system of annual appraisals which support staff effectively to improve their performance. A staff training programme provides relevant training for those staff providing administrative services and information, advice and guidance. Managers do not, however, make sufficient links in their appraisals to teaching

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and learning observations and the associated development needs of tutors and assessors.  Leaders and managers evaluate the performance of the organisation thoroughly and identify accurately their strengths through the self-assessment process. They use feedback from staff, employers and apprentices effectively to determine their strengths and areas for improvement. Although managers do recognise certain areas for improvement within their self-assessment process, they do not identify all of them.  Employers and senior leaders have taken decisive action to attract under-represented groups into engineering. For example, employers review shift patterns to make jobs more attractive to mothers returning to work, and increase the representation of females on train driver apprenticeships.  Senior leaders have taken prompt action to rectify the previously poor achievement in English and mathematics qualifications within planned timescales. This resulted in too

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

many apprentices not achieving their overall apprenticeship in time. Leaders and managers have ensured that apprentices now have enough time allocated to complete these components. For example, level 2 apprentices now complete their English and mathematics training at the start of their programmes, and level 3 apprentices have designated time to attend workshops and take the relevant examinations. Early indications show that apprentices complete their qualifications on time.  Senior leaders have recently introduced a new online system for monitoring apprentices’ progress. Managers used this system effectively to know which apprentices are on track to achieve. However, senior leaders do not make good enough use of the data available to them to evaluate the quality of the provision.  Leaders have only recently begun to evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment at their subcontracted and employer provision, and processes remain

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

underdeveloped. Observations of teaching, learning and assessment focus on the actions of the tutor and do not concentrate on what apprentices have learned, what skills they have developed or the progress they have made. Outcomes from teaching, learning and assessment observations do not identify specific areas of development for staff. They do not lead to suitable training activities to enable tutors and assessors to improve their practice.

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The governance of the provider

 Train’d Up is a private company owned by two directors who also have an operational role in the organisation. The directors have a very good understanding of the industries in which they work. They have recently employed a general manager who has provided a more focused approach to the improvement of teaching, learning and assessment. The monitoring of data is more coherent, so that managers can implement appropriate interventions more swiftly.  The directors have identified the need for external scrutiny and challenge to enhance their strategic overview of the company. They have recently engaged with an external partner to provide additional challenge and support, but it is too early to ascertain the impact of this innovation.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Senior leaders have put in place relevant safeguarding policies and action plans which they implement effectively throughout the organisation. They ensure that appropriate pre-employment checks are in place. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding requirements, including the ‘Prevent’ duty, and they receive annual updated training and frequent team briefings so that their knowledge is current.  Senior leaders work effectively with employers to ensure that apprentices have a very good understanding of health and safety. They apply this well in the workplace to keep themselves and the public safe. Apprentices feel safe in their workplace and in learning. They know how to report any concerns.  Managers keep detailed records of any safeguarding referrals and they act on these in a timely manner. However, they have not established effective relationships with local or

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Safeguarding

regional safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty coordinators in the geographical areas in which apprentices train. Consequently, they cannot seek guidance swiftly in these areas.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Apprentices benefit from high-quality teaching and learning. Tutors and assessors are very experienced in their fields and provide apprentices with real-life and interesting examples to make their learning enthusing and motivating. Train driver apprentices use excellent resources, such as train simulators, interactive computers and realistic train models, to develop and practise their skills. Engineering apprentices working with lifts and have mentors who oversee their day-to-day work and provide them with valuable feedback on their work. Managers implement a ‘rotational’ approach to activities and tasks, so that apprentices on engineering qualifications develop a broad range of skills and become competent engineers.  Employers and assessors provide apprentices with challenging tasks related to their future job roles. Consequently, apprentices receive good preparation for future full-time employment and so the majority secure permanent employment.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The small proportion of level 3 apprentices who are studying the new standards have a good understanding of the components of their apprenticeship. Although they have only recently started their courses, they experience a broad range of off-the-job training and most are aware of their end-point assessment and opportunities to achieve high grades.  Apprentices rapidly develop very good industry-standard skills. Lift engineers, early in their programme, are confident about the work they do installing, servicing and repairing lifts, escalators and automatic doors. Train driver apprentices take supervised control of trains after four months’ training. They apply effectively the theory that they learn in basic training to their practice. For example, one apprentice could respond appropriately to a major signal failure, communicate effectively with passengers and return the train to the station.  Tutors and assessors have very high expectations of apprentices. Apprentices have a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

thorough and rigorous initial assessment which ensures that they have the skills required to be successful on the programme. For example, train driver apprentices have a manual dexterity assessment to ensure that they can perform the practical requirements of their job role and respond quickly to emergencies. As a result, apprentices have a very good understanding of the requirements of the courses they are taking. They have a good preparation for the practical and theoretical demands. In the few instances when apprentices fall behind with their work or need additional support, tutors and assessors plan learning and support activities well to meet individual needs. As a result, most apprentices remain on their course and achieve their qualifications.  Apprentices on train driver and engineering apprenticeships gain very good skills that they need for employment. For example, they work collaboratively to complete repairs swiftly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and they develop very good customer service skills. They learn to communicate confidently with a wide range of diverse customers in challenging situations, such as informing passengers when trains are delayed, or lifts have broken down.  Apprentices produce very high standards of work in their portfolios. Tutors and assessors provide detailed records of practical observations and include a wide range of evidence, including photographic evidence, to confirm apprentices’ competences. Tutors do not, however, routinely ensure that they record apprentices’ reviews or their targets in their portfolios. Consequently, apprentices are unable to review easily what they need to do to improve their skills and knowledge.  Tutors and assessors do not consistently challenge students to develop their skills and knowledge beyond the requirements of their qualification or their current job role. In too many instances, feedback on apprentices’ work only informs apprentices of the progress

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

that they have made or of the evidence that is missing. It does not provide information that helps apprentices to improve their skills or broaden their technical knowledge. In a small minority of sub-contracted provision, tutors do not challenge apprentices to achieve merit or distinction grades.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 The vast majority of apprentices are highly motivated and enjoy their courses and their employment. Apprentices are proud of the jobs that they perform and are aware of the highly competitive roles that they have secured. They quickly develop confidence in their ability to complete tasks to a high standard at work.  Employers and assessors have high expectations of apprentices to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed in the workplace. Apprentices quickly understand the importance of working as a part of a team. They do this, for example, when installing escalators efficiently and repairing lifts swiftly. They respond well to the guidance provided by their employers. Apprentices develop very good practical and vocational skills and they quickly make a positive contribution to the workplace.  Apprentices have very positive attitudes to their learning. The very large majority attend their learning sessions frequently, in line with employers’ expectations. They become

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

reliable employees. Most apprentices work closely with more experienced workplace colleagues and this enables them to adopt the high standards of behaviour and performance expected by employers.  Apprentices receive very good advice and guidance at the start of their programmes. The vast majority of apprentices are on courses that are appropriate to their career aspirations. Many have a good understanding of the future promotions that might be available to them, such as a team leader position or taking on a training role within their organisation. Many apprentices talk enthusiastically about their future plans and the actions that they need to take to fulfil their goals.  Many apprentices take opportunities available to them to gain additional qualifications which improve their employability. For example, train driver apprentices take the personal track safety and first aid at work qualifications and engineering apprentices take

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

additional units in health and safety related to the industry, such as safe working at heights. Apprentices develop very good customer service skills in the classroom and in their practical work. Trainee train drivers deal with passenger queries and makes announcements confidently. Lift engineers demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with customers when repairing lifts.  Apprentices on engineering courses develop good mathematical skills. For example, apprentices accurately plot the radius of the bends required for railway tracks, which need to be right first time. Many engineering apprentices take units in higher level mathematics to help them to understand complex mathematical concepts related to their job roles.  Employers and staff support apprentices well to understand how to stay healthy. Train driver apprentices receive guidance from a dietician during their induction and they understand the ‘eat well, drive well’ strategy. Apprentices speak confidently about the

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

importance of having sufficient sleep, eating healthily and keeping fit physically, in order to carry out their jobs safely.  Apprentices have an excellent knowledge of safe working practices and apply these well in their job roles. They understand how to keep themselves, their work colleagues and the public safe, while operating trains and related machinery. Apprentices demonstrate high professional standards of behaviour in the workplace.  The majority of apprentices on level 2 qualifications achieve their English and mathematics qualifications early in their course. However, not enough tutors develop apprentices’ English skills above the level required by their qualification. Too often, tutors do not provide developmental feedback on apprentices’ work. Consequently, apprentices do not know the errors that they have made or how to improve. Apprentices’ work often contains too many spelling and grammatical errors. Apprentices develop good information

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

and technology skills.  Apprentices know how to keep themselves safe online. Most have a basic understanding of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism, but too many are unable to identify the risks associated with these in the workplace or in their everyday lives. While leaders and managers provide detailed information for apprentices during their induction programme, they do not reinforce these throughout their courses. Too many apprentices are unable to recall key aspects of the information they have received.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 The proportion of apprentices who achieve their qualifications has increased over the previous three years and is now high. The vast majority of apprentices achieve their qualifications. A high proportion of trainees who completed their qualifications in 2017/18 achieved their employability programmes.  A small proportion of apprentices are on level 3 programmes in engineering manufacture, and the large majority of them achieve within the planned timescales. Although most of the apprentices on the level 2 train driver programme achieve their overall qualification, too few complete their apprenticeship on time. This is largely because apprentices do not complete their functional skills qualifications in the planned time. Managers have taken decisive action to rectify this. The large majority of apprentices who have completed in the current academic year have achieved within the planned timescales.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 The very large majority of apprentices make good progress from their starting points and are well prepared for employment in their chosen careers. They develop very good practical and vocational skills within the workplace and perform complex tasks to industry standards and timings.  Apprentices on both the train driver and engineering programmes work in jobs with prestigious employers during their training. Apprentices undergo a rigorous recruitment and induction process. Consequently, the very large majority remain on their programmes and secure sustained, full-time employment at the end of their training. Most apprentices become valued employees and many secure promotions within the industry.  The proportion of apprentices passing their functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics at both level 1 and level 2 is high. The very large majority achieve their English and mathematics qualifications at their first attempt. The proportion of

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Outcomes for learners Good

apprentices who achieve level 2 information technology qualifications is very high.  Managers effectively monitor the progress of different groups of learners and no significant differences exist between these groups. Apprentices from different ethnic groups achieve as well as each other. Female apprentices, who make up a small proportion of apprentices, achieve at least as well as their male peers.

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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 Principal/CEO David Gillespie

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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

- - - - - - - - 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+ 7 203 36 43 - - 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: Leeds City College City College Plymouth Wigan and Leigh College Wolverhampton College Basingstoke College of Technology Barking and Dagenham College Coleg Gwent Derby College Mid-Kent College Govia (GTR) MTR Crossrail Arriva Chiltern

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by a director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. 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 learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Lynda Brown, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Hunsley Her Majesty’s 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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