British Academy of Jewellery

Further education and skills inspection report

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British Academy of Jewellery Limited Independent learning provider

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Inspection dates 29 January–1 February 2019

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes 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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

 In 2017/18, the vast majority of adult learners achieved their qualifications in jewellery and silverware manufacturing and jewellery manufacturing computer aided design (CAD).  Leaders and managers have designed the curriculum very effectively. They have worked collaboratively with the awarding organisation to ensure that the skills required to achieve the new qualifications meet the exacting needs of the jewellery industry.  Leaders, managers and staff have strong partnerships with luxury and bespoke jewellers and industry guilds. They use these relationships very successfully to enhance the learning experience for learners.  Learners develop high-level technical skills in making and designing jewellery and learn a range of complex techniques such as cutting, drilling, riveting and metal assembly.  Highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced tutors support learners very well to understand the concepts of jewellery making. Learners

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Summary of key findings

develop good theoretical understanding and gain in confidence, using a wide range of materials.  Staff use projects and work-related visits very successfully to promote and develop learners’ understanding of British values. Learners know how to live and work in a diverse society.  Learners produce work of a very high standard; their sketch and drawing work is excellent and they make very good quality pieces of jewellery.  A minority of learners receive insufficient ongoing careers advice and guidance early enough in their programme. As a result, they do not know the full range of options available to them on completion of their course.  Leaders and managers do not respond quickly enough to learners’ feedback when they raise concerns. For example, they do not communicate sufficiently to learners the benefits of changes to qualifications and why they result in less workshop time.  Tutors do not provide learners with good

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Summary of key findings

enough feedback for them to be able to improve the quality of work in written assignments.

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Information about the provider

 The British Academy of Jewellery Limited (BAJ), formerly known as Holts Jewellery Academy, is an independent learning provider based in Camden, London. Established in 1999 as a family business, the academy changed owners in 2015 and gained a direct contract in 2016 to offer qualifications in jewellery making, through the advanced adult learner loans funding.  BAJ offers diploma qualifications at levels 3 and 4 in jewellery design and manufacturing at their academies in London and Birmingham. At the time of the inspection, BAJ had 51 adult learners taking qualifications, the vast majority at level 3. BAJ has apprentices, and learners on 16 to 19 study programmes, through subcontracted provision, which is not in scope for this inspection. BAJ has also recently gained a direct contract to offer their own apprenticeship programmes through the employer levy. At the time of the inspection, BAJ had not enrolled apprentices on to this programme.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all learners benefit from impartial careers information, advice and guidance throughout their learning programme to enable them to understand all the study and employment choices available for them.  Support tutors to develop their skills in giving learners clear and helpful feedback on their written work, so as to help learners improve the quality of their work and gain a higher standard.  Leaders and managers should improve how they communicate and respond to learners when they raise concerns by: – reviewing the learner feedback strategy and adding extra opportunities for learners to voice their views – introducing the proposed learner newsletter to keep learners informed frequently about any changes to their courses, timetabling or tutors.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and managers are successful in creating a curriculum, specific to the jewellery making sector, in which adult learners thrive, make good progress and achieve their qualifications. Managers ensure that teaching, learning and assessment are good and that learners develop excellent skills in jewellery manufacturing and design.  Leaders and managers make good use of their knowledge, and that of their partners within the sector, to design new qualifications in collaboration with the awarding organisation. These new qualifications meet the needs of employers. They enable learners to develop a wider range of skills to help them in the future. For example, the qualifications offer learners more opportunities to complete research, develop their communication and presentation skills, and learn about the history of jewellery.  Partnerships with local employers and industry guilds in the prestigious Hatton Garden

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

area of London are strong. Managers and staff use these relationships well to enhance learners’ experiences. For example, learners visit employers’ workshops and complete design projects that employers set.  Leaders have recruited a team of highly experienced staff from the jewellery sector. Tutors have excellent occupational experience and knowledge. The majority still work in the sector, running their own businesses. For example, they design fashion and specialist jewellery or run online blogs about CAD. Staff attend frequent updates and professional development sessions to keep up to date with current trends.  Leaders and managers have an accurate understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. They use a wide variety of quality assurance activities to evaluate the quality and success of their programmes. Managers accurately assess the quality of teaching and learning in sessions and workshops. The resulting improvement plan focuses

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

sufficiently on the areas for improvement.  Leaders and managers use performance management effectively to support staff to improve their practice. They have high expectations of their staff and set sufficiently challenging improvement targets. In instances when staff have not made the necessary improvements, leaders put in place their capability process, and staff move on when appropriate.  Leaders, managers and staff have established a culture which provides equality of opportunity, respects diversity and helps learners to develop a good understanding of British values. For example, staff encourage learners to research a variety of cultures when designing their jewellery. These include the symbolism and meaning of signet rings in medieval Europe, Victorian Britain and Renaissance Italy.  Learners benefit from well-equipped workshops and very good technical support. They use a wide range of equipment, such as the ‘ring stretcher’ and cutting machines. During

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

drop-in guided learning sessions, learners have frequent access to very supportive technicians.  At the start of this academic year, leaders and managers did not explain sufficiently to learners the reasons and benefits of introducing the new qualifications. The new delivery model resulted in less time for learners in the workshops, and a change of tutors. For a minority of learners, this resulted in dissatisfaction, and they felt that staff had not listened to them or consulted them.  Too often, learners and staff work in classrooms and workshops that are too cold, and which have insufficient hot running water. At the time of the inspection, the provider was installing heating. However, leaders have been slow to address this issue and respond to learners’ feedback about it.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance is effective for programmes funded by advanced learner loans. The chief executive officer (CEO) oversees the programme and ensures the company’s financial stability and capacity to improve. The CEO has a good understanding of the quality of the adult learning programme. He receives updated information on the performance and progress of learners on a very regular basis from the head of academy and head of quality. He challenges managers and staff on the performance of the programme.  The CEO has high expectations for his management team. He has ambitious plans, including the development of international work and a foundation degree. The CEO is very aware of the need to identify extra external expertise to provide a more comprehensive oversight of the business, as BAJ begins to offer its own apprenticeship programmes.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and managers have developed appropriate policies to ensure that learners are safe when at the academy. The designated safeguarding officer and deputy have undertaken appropriate training. They have a good understanding of their responsibilities to adult learners. Managers maintain an appropriate ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan.  Learners feel safe and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and from the dangers posed by extremism and radicalisation.  Leaders and managers ensure that learners adopt safe working practices in the workshops and when using machinery. They ensure that learners follow the correct procedures when using specialist equipment and materials, such as the ‘pickle pots’ they use to dissolve metal. Learners complete risk assessments. They wear goggles, gloves and aprons when soldering metal, working in the polishing workshop and using corrosive

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Learners benefit from very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tutors. Tutors have very high expectations of their learners and know them very well. Tutors use the information they have about learners’ prior skills and knowledge effectively to ensure that teaching, learning and assessment methods help learners to develop good practical skills, achieve their qualifications and make good progress.  Tutors use their expertise very effectively to engage and motivate learners in sessions. They relate the tasks they give learners clearly to industry methods and standards. Learners gain up-to-date professional practice in a range of techniques such as CAD, hand-finishing, piercing and riveting. Learners enjoy their lessons and the majority take advantage of the additional guided learning sessions on offer.  Tutors ensure that learners have a good understanding of the theory that supports their practical skills. Tutors use clear and concise learning outcomes in sessions to inform

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

learners of the knowledge they will learn. As a result, learners accurately describe processes such as ‘annealing’, the process of heating and cooling metal appropriately to produce a refined microstructure, and its importance in jewellery making.  Assessment practice is thorough and focuses closely on the requirements needed for learners to enter the jewellery making industry. The academic standards team has designed assessment points to cover the elements of design and manufacture within a set time, and this reflects industry requirements. As a result, tutors assess learners’ work frequently, and learners complete realistic work projects.  Tutors support effectively those learners who have additional learning needs and/or social and emotional needs. They establish a supportive and caring environment and make suitable arrangements for learners who fall behind. Tutors and staff arrange helpful extra

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

support for learners returning to education or experiencing anxiety. Learners attend extra sessions to catch up on their work.  In classroom and workshops sessions, learners develop good information technology skills. They confidently use spreadsheets in business start-up sessions and CAD technology to create computer-generated models and concepts.  Learners receive very helpful, frequent and detailed feedback on their practical work. In workshop sessions, tutors discuss constantly with learners how to refine their finishing skills. They discuss how to explore new ideas and processes which will help them make more individualised pieces of jewellery. However, tutors do not give learners the same level of detailed feedback on their written work. As a result, a minority of learners do not know how to improve the standard of their written work, which will help them to move on to the next qualification level.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Managers and tutors do not supply learners with enough learning resources outside their sessions. Tutors email resources to learners on demand. However, the lack of an easily accessible learning resource environment slows down learning for those who wish to complete further study and/or work at home.  In a minority of theory lessons, tutors do not check frequently enough on learners’ knowledge of each topic before setting the next task. As a result, tutors do not know if all learners have sufficient understanding of the subject before they move on.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Learners have good attitudes to learning and behave in a very professional manner during their training sessions. They show respect to each other and their tutors, and have ambitions to be successful in the jewellery design and manufacturing industry. The vast majority of learners develop their communication skills well and talk clearly about the skills they develop.  Learners enjoy a range of work-related opportunities to help them develop the skills they need in employment. For example, learners visit employers specialising in gem setting and metal polishing. They attend talks by employers who advise them on how to set out their curriculum vitae. They work on real-life design briefs that enable them to work to a specific set of industry-based criteria.  Tutors use their expert knowledge successfully to help learners to develop their wider skills and understanding of social, personal and ethical issues. For example, learners learn

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

how to consider the factors that affect a jewel’s value. They discuss the mining of precious metals and consider ethical sourcing of precious stones. In business sessions, learners understand the legal requirements of setting up a business and how to market successfully.  Learners confidently use a range of mathematical skills in their practical and theory sessions. For example, they measure volume when cutting metal, calculate the cost of producing a necklace and use ratios to scale up their designs.  Learners receive very thorough careers advice and information at the start of their qualification. This ensures that they are on the right course to enable them to progress in their career or gain employment. The induction supports learners well to settle in to the learning environment. A minority of learners do not receive careers advice early enough in their training. As a result, these learners do not have a clear understanding of the

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

opportunities available to them, or of their next steps.  Learners are very well prepared for life in modern Britain and gain a deep understanding of British values. Learners from diverse backgrounds work closely together and show respect to each other and to staff. Through the carefully planned projects, facilitated by tutors, learners explore British values and interpret them through their work.  Learners have good English, communication and presentation skills. They use presentations effectively to critique their work. They improve their writing skills in their personal statements, and they learn and use correctly the appropriate vocabulary in assignments and discussions.  Learners’ understanding of how to keep themselves safe online, and from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism, is good. Learners feel very safe and know to whom they should speak should they have concerns. Tutors facilitate discussions with learners which

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

help them identify the factors that lead others into taking extreme actions.  Managers track and monitor attendance effectively. Their records show that the majority of learners attend their lessons and do so on time. However, a minority of learners miss lessons or are late.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 In 2017/18, the vast majority of adult learners achieved their qualifications in jewellery and silverware manufacturing, and in jewellery manufacturing CAD. They did so within the planned time. Achievement rates for learners on level 4 qualifications are very high.  Managers and staff track accurately the progress that current learners make. The majority of learners stay on their programme, make good progress and are on target to achieve their qualifications.  Learners develop excellent technical and practical skills in jewellery making. They learn a range of techniques, such as cutting, drilling and metal assembly, which they use to create well-designed finished pieces of jewellery. For example, learners make a series of difficult and intricate well-made innovative rings with moving parts.  Learners produce work to a high standard. They show their drawing skills particularly well in their sketch books. Tutors support learners very effectively to use competently a wide

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Outcomes for learners Good

range of drawing techniques. For example, learners complete technical drawing and experimental drawing, using mark-making to create textures. They use line drawing to complete good primary research.  Managers have effective systems in place to check the destination of their learners after they complete their programme. A high proportion of learners gain employment or start their own businesses in jewellery making.  Managers track the achievement of different groups of learners appropriately. Learners who have additional learning needs achieve at a higher rate than their peers. Managers have identified that male learners do not achieve as well as female learners. Their evaluation does not identify any specific reasons for this and they have no actions in place to make improvements.

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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 Gabriel Gherscovic

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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

- - - - - 48 - 3 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+ - - - - - - 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 head of quality, 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 learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Jane Hughes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ray Walker 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

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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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