Creative Sport & Leisure Ltd

Creative Sport & Leisure Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Matt Vaughan HMI

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

The Green Centre Pitsea Hall Lane Pitsea Basildon Essex SS16 4UH Monitoring visit: Creative Sport & Leisure Ltd, 17–18 December 2018

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the Further education and skills inspection handbook, especially the sections entitled ‘Providers newly directly funded to deliver apprenticeship training provision’ and ‘Monitoring visits’. The focus of these visits is on the three themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Creative Sport & Leisure Ltd (CSL) formerly acted as a subcontractor to a neighbouring college and two training providers before being awarded a prime contract to provide directly funded apprenticeship training from September 2017.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, 158 apprentices were studying apprenticeship programmes at different levels, mostly in sport, leisure and recreation. Around a third of apprentices follow standards-based apprenticeships, with the remainder enrolled on frameworks programmes. Around a fifth of the public funding that CSL receives is through the employer levy. Almost all apprentices commenced their programmes in 2018.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders effectively design a curriculum with a variety of employers, such as schools, professional football clubs, and leisure and recreation companies, to ensure that their apprentices have the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours demanded by the sport, leisure and recreation industry. They place particular emphasis on ensuring that apprentices maximise their off-the-job training and study additional qualifications that bolster their chances of employment and promotion. For example, apprentices following community sport and health practitioner programmes study short qualifications in paediatric first aid. Leaders’ self-assessment pays good attention to teaching and its impact on apprentices’ outcomes. They demonstrate a high level of self-critical analysis in identifying key strengths and weaknesses, but are overly generous in their assessment of the quality of provision. As a result, this impedes their action planning

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Reasonable progress

to secure improvement in some areas. Managers’ performance management of tutors does not take sufficient account of the findings of the accurate and incisive observations of their practice. Leaders’ monitoring of apprentices’ progress in their vocational studies focuses solely on whether apprentices pass or fail qualifications, and does not assess whether Monitoring visit: Creative Sport & Leisure Ltd, 17–18 December 2018 apprentices make swift progress and deepen their knowledge and skills. As a result, apprentices make satisfactory progress, but rarely better than this. However, leaders’ and managers’ tracking of apprentices’ progress in improving their English and mathematics skills is very effective. This ensures that the teaching of these essential subjects meets the needs of apprentices and enables them to rapidly improve their reading and writing skills and proficiently solve numeracy problems.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have recently ensured that non-executive directors with appropriate expertise provide effective challenge of leaders’ actions and are now beginning to help drive improvement.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors work collaboratively with employers to ensure that apprentices augment their practical skills and behaviours and add value in the workplace. Apprentices take much pride in their practical work, dress appropriately and work productively with colleagues, pupils in schools and clients in leisure centres and football clubs. Tutors provide tasks that enable their apprentices to make satisfactory progress in their vocational studies. Tutors use questioning techniques, and self- and peer- assessment activities, and provide feedback that ensure apprentices improve their grasp of relevant theory. However, too many tutors do not set demanding targets that motivate their apprentices to excel. For example, they accept apprentices’ work on how to structure coaching sessions to minimise the risk of injury to participants without probing apprentices to explore, extend and elaborate their thinking. As a result, too few apprentices produce high standards of vocational theory work. A few

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Reasonable progress

tutors do not challenge the most able apprentices to deepen and consolidate their learning. As a consequence, these apprentices often fail to make the accelerated progress that the most talented apprentices could sustain. English and mathematics tutors provide stimulating activities that challenge apprentices to understand the value of such skills in the workplace and work hard to improve them. Consequently, most apprentices achieve their functional skills qualifications at their first attempt and progress to further hone their English and mathematics skills. These tutors set demanding writing and problem-solving tasks that ensure that most apprentices who are exempt from studying for examinations extend their higher-level English and mathematics skills. They effectively promote the value of independent working and self-evaluation, which helps apprentices to advance their knowledge and skills. Staff conduct regular assessment and reviews of progress with most apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

However, a few apprentices enrolled on the community activator coach apprenticeship programme are visited less frequently. As a result, these apprentices complete little portfolio work and make slow progress. Monitoring visit: Creative Sport & Leisure Ltd, 17–18 December 2018

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices are safe and feel safe. They place significant priority on making sure apprentices know how to, and whom to, report any arising concerns. Leaders ensure that all staff have received safeguarding training, including that of the ‘Prevent’ duty, and, as a result, they fully understand safeguarding reporting arrangements. Leaders maintain an accurate and up-to-date single central register. All staff are appropriately vetted prior to working for CSL. Leaders check that apprentices working in schools are appropriately checked and authorised to work in such settings. Managers operate a ‘free phone’ facility that is available 24 hours a day for any apprentice who wishes to report any concerns or anxieties. Reported safeguarding and welfare concerns are followed up diligently by designated leads to effective resolution. Managers ensure that apprentices who have raised concerns are

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Significant progress

sensitively supported. Leaders have recently and effectively promoted the importance of supporting mental health in the workplace for both apprentices and staff. Apprentices have a good understanding of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism and how these may manifest in their work environments and personal lives. Monitoring visit: Creative Sport & Leisure Ltd, 17–18 December 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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Significant 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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Significant progress

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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Significant progress

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

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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