J G W Training Limited

J G W Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Stella Butler Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

J G W Training Limited Ascento Learning and Development 2 Dronfield Court Ward Yard Dronfield S18 1NQ Monitoring visit: J G W Training Limited, 13–14 February 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 themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

J G W Training Limited was established in 2009 as a privately owned independent learning provider. It began delivering non-levy and levy-funded apprenticeships in August 2017. This non-levy and levy-funded provision was in the scope of this monitoring visit. J G W Training has 227 apprentices. All are working towards the team leader, operations management or digital marketer apprenticeship standards at level 3 and level 5. Apprentices, all of whom are adults, work at sites across the United Kingdom and predominantly across South Yorkshire.

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Reasonable progress

Programmes meet the essential requirements of apprenticeship standards. The provider has focused its mission and resources to align with regional economic and business priorities to build expertise in the creative and digital industries and the business management sector. The apprenticeship provides an opportunity for employees, the clear majority of whom are aged 19 years or older, to develop their skills and progress to more senior roles in digital marketing or management.

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Reasonable progress

Recruitment, selection and initial assessment processes are effective in ensuring that the right individuals are selected to participate in programmes suited to meet their learning needs and the needs of their employers. The comprehensive introduction ensures that the training provider staff, the employer and the prospective apprentice consider carefully the requirements of the programme before commencing training.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have established good working relationships with employers. Employers clearly articulate the benefits of the apprenticeship programme to their businesses. The ongoing support and encouragement offered by J G W Training help employers develop their apprenticeship workforce in line with their respective business needs. Monitoring visit: J G W Training Limited, 13–14 February 2019 Managers have developed a strategic plan that clearly outlines the company’s mission and vision for future development. Robust systems and processes are in place and apprenticeship standards have been successfully implemented. Investment in the senior management team has strengthened the company’s operational capacity and expertise with a clear focus on training delivery and quality improvement.

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Reasonable progress

Quality assurance and quality improvement arrangements are appropriate and effective. Managers make good use of apprentices’ feedback in their own assessment of the providers’ strengths and weakness, which is honest and largely accurate. The quality improvement plan clearly identifies weaker areas, responsibilities and time scales. However, it does not give sufficient detail to explain how these tasks will be achieved.

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Reasonable progress

Managers use data well to track apprentices’ overall progress through their programmes. Tutors know the extent to which apprentices complete learning activities and online knowledge tests and can intervene where apprentices make less progress than expected. However, because this tracking focuses on the completion of tasks rather than the extent of learning, managers cannot be sure that apprentices retain the knowledge they need for their end-point assessments (EPAs) or the skills they must demonstrate.

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Reasonable progress

Employers understand the requirement for apprentices to receive off-the-job training during their working time and ensure that they receive their entitlement to this. Good information and guidance from J G W staff ensure compliance with this non- negotiable aspect of their apprentices’ training experience.

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Reasonable progress

Frequent meetings between the employer, apprentice and tutor raise any concerns, including the extent and effectiveness of on- and off-the-job training. Tutors do not always check that apprentices are recording off-the-job training accurately. In some instances, recordings do not show sufficiently clearly the activities apprentices have completed and the time they have spent on these tasks. Employers participate in apprentices’ progress reviews but this does not always lead to them organising tasks for apprentices in the workplace that build on what they have learned in their training sessions.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have made suitable arrangements to meet the requirements of the EPA. They use webinars to explain the process to both apprentices and employers, and they provide further information during monthly workshops. As a result, apprentices are clear about the expectations of the EPA and are using these resources, in addition to guidance from their tutors, to prepare for mock interviews and assessments. Monitoring visit: J G W Training Limited, 13–14 February 2019

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Reasonable progress

All apprentices work in roles that match closely the requirements of their apprenticeship programme. Apprentices develop a good range of new skills, knowledge and behaviours that enable them to make a significant contribution to their employers’ businesses. For example, digital marketing apprentices develop their knowledge and expertise in search-engine optimisation so that they are better able to direct web traffic to their employers’ sites.

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Reasonable progress

Appropriately qualified and experienced tutors use their expertise well to deliver training through a series of one- and two-day workshops, webinars and one-to-one support sessions. The workshops and webinars focus on specific themes that tutors sequence to progressively build apprentices’ knowledge and skills. Tutors plan these sessions well and, as a result, they are engaging and effective. Tutors use one-to- one sessions to explore the tasks apprentices undertake for their employers and to help them with specific aspects of this work.

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Reasonable progress

The quality of teaching and learning overall is good. Apprentices engage well and find all aspects of the training relevant to their jobs informative. However, independent study, undertaken between these sessions, is not sufficiently well planned. In most cases, apprentices decide for themselves what they will study and when, with little input from tutors. Although most apprentices are interested in their subjects and motivated to complete a substantial amount of study, this lack of a clear curriculum or direction from tutors means their independent study is less effective than it might be.

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Reasonable progress

Almost all apprentices start their programmes with the English and mathematics qualifications they need to complete them. Most apprentices are developing their technical language further, for example through the development of strategic plans, web pages or newsletters, but this learning is not extensive. Tutors do not do enough to encourage apprentices to develop occupationally relevant English and mathematical skills which would further enhance their knowledge in the workplace. In a few cases, tutors’ own work contains spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors, and this sets a poor example for apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have made appropriate arrangements to assure the quality of provision. Policies and procedures are suitable for the size and scope of the provider’s operations. Lesson observations focus appropriately on the features of teaching, learning and assessment most likely to impact on learning. Managers evaluate tutors’ performance carefully to identify good practice and to address areas requiring improvement. Where necessary, action plans are implemented to support ongoing professional development. As a result, competencies have increased and the quality Monitoring visit: J G W Training Limited, 13–14 February 2019 of teaching has improved. A comprehensive programme of training supports tutors to further develop their knowledge and skills specific to their roles.

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Reasonable progress

Managers understand their safeguarding duties well and have established effective safeguarding arrangements. All staff are subject to pre-employment checks prior to commencing work. A suitably trained and experienced designated safeguarding officer is in post.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors know how to refer and deal with concerns when they arise. They record details of these concerns well and, on the few occasions where incidents occur, they take swift and effective action. The provider has appropriate links to external agencies which apprentices can access readily, and staff know when and how to refer concerns.

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Reasonable progress

All staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training, including in the ‘Prevent’ duty, and this is regularly reviewed and updated. Apprentices feel safe and are safe in the workplace and when in training sessions. In the early stages of their apprenticeship, tutors give apprentices guidance and training about how to keep safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. In addition, apprentices gain a fair understanding of British values and how these might apply in the workplace. Tutors make apprentices aware of the importance of staying safe online, and digital marketing apprentices complete specific training to address this area. However, tutors do not do enough to revisit these themes throughout apprentices’ programmes and, as a result, apprentices can often only recall basic details. Monitoring visit: J G W Training Limited, 13–14 February 2019 the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s

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Reasonable progress

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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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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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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Reasonable progress

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

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

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