Azilo Training Ltd

BNG Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Inspection date(s): 22 to 23 January 2019

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Media City 3 Central Park Ohio Avenue Salford Quays Manchester M50 2GT Monitoring visit: BNG Training Limited, 22 to 23 January 2019

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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

BNG Training Limited (BNG) is a training division of Bertram Nursery Group Limited. BNG was formed in 2013 as a provider of childcare training. It trained apprentices as a subcontractor of an independent training organisation. In July 2017, BNG began receiving public funding to deliver apprenticeship training in its own right. It currently has 74 apprentices, all of whom are on an apprenticeship framework in children and young people’s workforce. Thirty-two apprentices are studying at level 2 and 42 at level 3.

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Insufficient progress

Strategic and operational management are poor. Directors have not put in place sufficient staff to ensure that the apprenticeship provision is led and managed effectively. Directors’ interim arrangements for leading and managing apprenticeships, since a senior training executive left the company four months ago, are inadequate.

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Insufficient progress

Directors do not ensure that they meet the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship. They do not have effective arrangements in place to judge how much apprentices benefit from their training. Directors and senior managers do not check that apprentices receive individualised and coordinated on- and off-the-job training. Many apprentices do not associate theory with practice sufficiently, and this contributes to slow progress.

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Insufficient progress

Directors do not have an overview of the extent to which apprentices acquire substantial new vocational knowledge, skills and understanding. They do not oversee the progress that different groups of apprentices make. Directors are unaware of the weaknesses in the apprenticeship provision. As a result, they have not implemented actions to improve aspects of poor-quality on- and off-the-job training that apprentices receive. Monitoring visit: BNG Training Limited, 22 to 23 January 2019 Directors do not place enough importance on the need for high-quality functional skills training in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. Directors do not have sufficient specialist staff to deliver functional skills training. Apprentices make slow progress in these subjects because they do not receive enough tuition or development on and off the job.

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Insufficient progress

Governance arrangements are poor. Directors are not held to account for the quality of on- and off-the-job training, apprentices’ progress and apprentices’ achievements by a supervisory body. Directors are not set specific training-related actions to improve the apprenticeship provision. Their effectiveness does not improve.

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Insufficient progress

Managers and employers select apprentices with care. They ensure potential apprentices are appropriate for, and committed to, working with young children. Managers carry out the necessary suitability checks before apprentices are allowed to work in nurseries.

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Insufficient progress

Managers and assessors have positive relationships with employers in early years settings throughout England. Vocational assessors are suitably qualified and experienced as early years practitioners.

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Insufficient progress

Managers’ and assessors’ planning for off-the-job training is poor. They do not involve employers in planning apprentices’ training. Assessors do not make sure that apprentices’ starting points are assessed accurately at the beginning of their programme. Consequently, assessors do not plan learning to meet apprentices’ individual needs to ensure that they make rapid progress on their apprenticeship and in their workplace.

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Insufficient progress

The training that tutors and assessors provide is not stimulating or varied. It does not challenge all apprentices to work to their full potential. As a result, many apprentices are poorly motivated and do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors do not routinely provide accurate information to employers about apprentices’ progress. Many employers believe apprentices are making better progress than they are.

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Insufficient progress

Assessors, in too many cases, do not give enough detailed feedback to help apprentices improve their work. As a result, the weaker apprentices do not improve the quality of their work and assessors do not challenge the most able apprentices to reach their full potential. For example, assessors do not set the most able apprentices additional activities when studying child development to help them to investigate cognitive, emotional and social development in greater depth. Monitoring visit: BNG Training Limited, 22 to 23 January 2019 Tutors and assessors do not correct or give feedback on spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors regularly. As a result, apprentices continue to make the same mistakes. For example, apprentices complete progress reports for parents that contain many spelling and grammatical errors. These errors are not corrected by assessors or supervisors before being sent to parents.

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Insufficient progress

Most apprentices develop new vocational knowledge, skills and understanding as a result of on-the-job experience in their workplace nurseries. For example, apprentices at level 3 develop knowledge and skills relating to personal care for babies. They also become skilled in planning learning for children of different ages and abilities.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices develop professional and supportive relationships with parents, carers and children. Employers and children benefit as apprentices become more knowledgeable, skilled and confident.

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Insufficient progress

Apprentices gain a range of qualifications in addition to their national vocational qualification. For example, they obtain qualifications in paediatric first aid, manual handling, food hygiene and safeguarding. Apprentices and their employers value the additional knowledge, skills and understanding these courses provide.

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Reasonable progress

Directors and managers have developed an appropriate culture of safeguarding and protection. They ensure that all staff who work on the apprenticeship programme are risk assessed appropriately through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The designated safeguarding officer is qualified at the appropriate level.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and assessors understand the need to safeguard apprentices. Apprentices have extensive knowledge of how to safeguard the children in their care. They work in safe early years environments and feel safe in them. Apprentices know how to report safeguarding or safeguarding-related concerns in their early years settings.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices have good knowledge and understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. They understand the different forms of abuse and know how to recognise them. For example, if they see bruises on a child or identify a change in a child’s behaviour, they raise their concern immediately with a member of staff.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are insufficiently knowledgeable about how to keep safe online. They do not understand fully the dangers of the internet and social media. Monitoring visit: BNG Training Limited, 22 to 23 January 2019 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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Reasonable 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 looked after children, 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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Reasonable progress

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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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