AKG (UK) Learning Limited

Learn Plus Us Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

63–65 Colney Hatch Lane London N10 1LR Monitoring visit: Learn Plus Us, 27 February 2019

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Context and focus of visit

Learn Plus Us was inspected in March 2018. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in addressing the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

Learn Plus Us is a small independent learning provider based in Barnet, north London. The provider opened in 2008 and since 2014 has offered courses for adult learners in childcare, education, English and mathematics, and health and social care. Since January 2018, the provider has also been offering apprenticeships in the same subjects. At the time of the monitoring visit, Learn Plus Us had 90 apprentices and 117 adult learners. The majority of adult learners fund their studies through an advanced learner loan and register with the provider from across London.

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Significant progress

Leaders’ and managers’ actions have secured a marked improvement in the overall proportion of adults who achieve their qualifications within the planned time. In 2017/18 the proportion of adult learners who achieved qualifications in health and social care was very high. The vast majority of learners taking qualifications in childcare and early years at levels 2 and 3 achieved them. All of the male learners taking qualifications in 2017/18 achieved. The gap between achievement rates for learners from different ethnic groups has closed and the vast majority now achieve at the same rate as their peers. Leaders have correctly identified that there remains a small group of Asian learners who achieve less well. Leaders have put in place focused actions to improve this. Leaders and managers have been successful in implementing an effective, new tracking system to check the progress that learners make. Leaders, managers and

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Significant progress

assessors use this system very well to track closely learners’ progress and identify quickly when learners fall behind or need extra help. As a result, they now have a clear view on how their learners are progressing towards completing their qualifications on time. The vast majority of adult learners who started courses in this academic year have achieved them. The current cohort of apprentices are making good progress and are on track to achieve their qualifications. Monitoring visit: Learn Plus Us, 27 February 2019

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Reasonable progress

Since the inspection, leaders and managers have introduced an external chair and board of governors to offer support and challenge to the directors. The chair has extensive experience in working with private training providers and board members have a good range of skills and knowledge within the childcare and education sectors. For example, one has specialist knowledge in working with learners who have additional learning needs, and another is a qualified teacher. The board has clear lines of responsibility and monthly meetings take place. During the meetings board members successfully support and challenge the senior leadership team and set precise actions for leaders. For example, the board have supported the senior leadership team to identify the risks to the business. They have also put in place contingency plans, should key members of staff unexpectedly be away from the business. Board members attend staff meetings and support

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Reasonable progress

managers effectively to observe teaching, learning and assessment. The board members have access during their meetings to reports and information on the progress learners make. However, they do not receive detailed reports in sufficient time before the meetings to consider them fully. They do not receive regular reports on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to give them a better understanding of how leaders’ and managers’ actions have improved tutors’ and assessors’ practice.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have supported assessors and tutors with a good variety of staff development activities to help them improve their practice. Assessors and tutors have attended effective group and one-to-one training sessions, focusing on how to set clear, meaningful and helpful targets for learners. As a result, the majority of assessors and tutors now set targets in progress reviews that give learners clear instructions on how to achieve them. Assessors and tutors give learners helpful, developmental feedback during training sessions, professional discussions and workplace assessments. This gives learners a clear understanding of what they did well, the progress they have made and how they can improve their practice. However, assessors do not give learners the same level of detailed feedback on their written work to help them improve. Monitoring visit: Learn Plus Us, 27 February 2019 Assessors and tutors have fully engaged in the opportunity to complete a level 5

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Reasonable progress

course in education and training. They use the skills and knowledge they learn through this training to improve their teaching practice. For example, their learning plans for group sessions and one-to-one reviews now include useful exercises to integrate the mathematical skills learners need in a childcare setting. Assessors and tutors set high expectations with their learners. These are carefully linked to the qualification standards and the needs of the childcare and health and social care sectors. They direct learners well to additional reading, online resources and useful information. As a result, learners make good progress towards achieving their qualifications and deepen their understanding of the subjects they study.

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Reasonable progress

Since the inspection, leaders and managers have revised and strengthened their observation of teaching, learning and assessment process. Staff responsible for observing the quality of teaching, learning and assessment have implemented a frequent schedule of observations. They accurately evaluate how effectively assessors and tutors use the information about learners’ starting points to plan and teach sessions that motivate and challenge learners. Staff thoroughly assess the prior skills and knowledge learners have before they start a course. For example, they assess learners’ skills in English and mathematics, learners’ vocational understanding of the subject they plan to study and their wider social and personal skills. Assessors and tutors make good use of this information when facilitating group activities with learners. Assessors and tutors know their learners very well and use relevant real-life

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Reasonable progress

examples to support their teaching. For example, in functional skills mathematics, learners convert metric and imperial calculations using examples such as refuelling a car and buying loose fruit and vegetables. During observations of teaching, learning and assessment observers pay close attention to how effectively assessors and tutors deliver sessions and their impact on learners. Observers accurately identify the strengths and weaknesses in sessions and set clear and realistic targets for assessors and tutors to make improvements. However, observers do not always follow up whether the actions set for improvement have been met at the next observation. As a result, on a minority of occasions, assessors and tutors do not make the required improvement quickly enough. Monitoring visit: Learn Plus Us, 27 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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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 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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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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