Envisage

Further education and skills inspection report

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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

 Leaders, supported effectively by governors, have established an organisational culture that has high expectations of learners.  Learners enjoy their studies and are proud of the work they produce; the large majority are making good progress towards completing their qualifications.  Learners’ development and application of critical thinking and analysis skills mean they are much more effective in helping clients improve their health and fitness.  A high proportion of learners pursue higher- level study or move into employment or more demanding work roles.  Leaders use their extensive links with sports coaches, personal trainers and sports and fitness businesses to help learners achieve their personal goals.  Training is undertaken in high-quality fitness facilities that support learners’ development well.  Learners gain a very good understanding of how to ensure that their and their clients’ health and safety are secured.

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Summary of key findings

 The large majority of learners achieve their qualifications and do so within the planned time.  Learners receive a good and improving quality of training from very well-qualified and experienced tutors that inspires them to succeed in their studies.  Tutors successfully raise learners’ interpersonal skills so that they engage effectively with clients and successfully enhance their personal fitness and well-being.  Not all groups of learners achieve their qualification at the same high rate.  Learners do not always develop well enough the skills and knowledge they need to set up their own businesses.  Tutors’ use of classroom-based information and learning technology is not always effective enough to promote learning.  Learners have limited access to appropriate online learning resources, which impedes their independent learning and digital skills development.

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Information about the provider

 Envisage is a small independent learning provider based in Manvers, Rotherham. It provides programmes for adults that are funded through advanced learner loans. Learners undertake level 3 and 4 programmes leading to fitness instructor and sports- related qualifications. All learners participate in classroom activities to develop their theoretical knowledge; this is supplemented by attendance at practical sessions held in fitness suites and specialist locations. All training venues are within the city of Sheffield.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should: – identify why male learners and those with a learning difficulty and/or disability achieve their qualifications at a lower rate than other groups and implement actions that rapidly address these performance differences – provide learners with appropriate training, so they gain the required skills and knowledge to set up their own business – ensure that tutors make use of classroom-based information and learning technology where their use would promote learning – give learners access to appropriate online learning resources as part of a strategy to develop their independent learning and digital skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders provide clear strategic direction and communicate this effectively to staff and employers. They are committed to providing high-quality training that addresses the skills development requirements of the sports and fitness industry. Leaders work well with universities, football clubs, leisure centres and gymnasia to offer provision that satisfies the local enterprise partnership and employers’ priorities. They make particularly good use of their local links to guide learners towards suitable employment or opportunities to volunteer at sports and sports-related events.  Leaders have given high priority to ensuring that all teaching staff are very well qualified and experienced in their vocational specialisms. Consequently, all are appropriately teacher trained and hold qualifications in sport, nutrition, health and fitness. Leaders and teaching staff communicate their passion for sport and fitness throughout the training

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

programme. They are ambitious for learners to achieve their goals. This very effectively enthuses and engages learners. The high qualification achievement rates reflect this well.  Leaders hold tutors to account through good monitoring and review of their performance. Quality improvement arrangements are effective in raising the standard of teaching, learning and assessment. Leaders use the results of classroom observations to help tutors improve their practice further.  Self-assessment is rigorous and leads to rapid improvements. Leaders make good use of management information to support judgements. The views of learners and stakeholders are used well to support self-assessment evaluations that reflect those found by inspectors. The quality improvement plan identifies the few necessary improvement actions. Leaders monitor and review it regularly to support the delivery of higher standards.  Leaders make good use of management information to check and improve the quality of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the provision. They regularly and frequently consider learners’ progress against suitably demanding targets. Where necessary, leaders implement swift actions to help the very few learners who fall behind in their studies.  Leaders have established adequate arrangements to promote the development of learners’ English and mathematical skills. Learners receive appropriate support and referral to outside agencies to improve their competence levels. Leaders recognise that the programmes do not develop learners’ digital skills sufficiently. Changes to programme delivery are being introduced, but it is too early to judge their effect.  Leaders analyse suitably performance differences based on gender, age and ethnicity and collect accurate data on learners’ destinations. Their analysis shows few performance differences exist between different groups. Where variances are evident, leaders’ actions to reduce them have yet to have a significant effect.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders ensure that courses prepare learners effectively for their chosen career, particularly within sport and fitness. Learners gain a good awareness of the choices available to them because of the good information, advice and guidance they receive from tutors. This is supplemented by input from current practitioners. For example, learners attend talks by local gymnasium owners and successful personal trainers about employers’ expectations of employees when undertaking different roles. Consequently, all learners develop a good understanding of what actions they must take to achieve their career goals. Many have used this help to change careers, improve their promotion prospects or re-enter the employment market.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders have engaged external consultants and freelance professionals to provide them with guidance and scrutiny on funding, quality assurance/improvement and curriculum development. This has led to sustained enhancements for all learners, including significantly improved qualification achievement.  Leaders acknowledge the benefits of formalising arrangements for external oversight of their performance further. They have recently appointed two highly qualified and experienced sports and education professionals to act as board members. The board met for the first time very recently to establish its purpose and terms of reference. It has yet to carry out its role fully.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff are subject to suitable recruitment and background checks prior to commencing work with learners. Up-to-date and appropriately detailed employee records are in place. Managers ensure that records are routinely monitored and reviewed to safeguard learners.  Tutors promote safe working practices effectively throughout a learner’s training. Learners’ understanding of health and safety in the context of health and fitness training and workplaces is good.  Learners feel safe and have a sound awareness of what to do if they wish to report any concerns. Their appreciation and understanding of British values and the relevance of these to work in sport, fitness and health are good. Learners have a suitable awareness of how to protect themselves from harm when using social media and the internet.  Relevant safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and include reference to

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Safeguarding

radicalisation and extremism. The designated safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty officers have received appropriate training. They have a sound understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Tutors use their broad vocational knowledge to provide training that reflects good practice within the sport and fitness sectors. Several have coached elite athletes at national and international level. They successfully use their experiences to enrich the curriculum by introducing learners to the most current professional practice. As a result, learners are developing and improving their industry-specific knowledge and skills well. This is supporting learners’ achievement of their career aspirations effectively.  Tutors have high expectations of learners to succeed. They plan sessions well and challenge learners effectively to build on their existing knowledge and skills. As a result, the large majority of learners are improving at a good rate and are on track to complete by their planned completion date.  Tutors ensure that topics in taught sessions link well to their practical application. Consequently, learners quickly gain competence and apply their newly acquired

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

knowledge when working with clients. For example, learners use their understanding of anatomy and physiology to explain confidently how specific training methods can improve a client’s fitness.  Learners receive regular and effective assessment that includes clear and detailed feedback on how they can improve further. Tutors make good use of relevant question and answer techniques to check and reinforce learners’ understanding of theoretical concepts. This includes tutors’ good use of strategies to promote learners’ development and use of critical thinking and analysis skills. For example, learners gain a sound appreciation of medical conditions such as osteoarthritis and the rationale for the frequency and intensity of proposed health and fitness regimes.  Tutors make good use of demonstration techniques to show learners the most appropriate methods to use when undertaking practical tasks. During these sessions,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

tutors are highly successful in promoting learners’ awareness of methods to protect their own and clients’ health and safety. For example, tutors emphasise the correct posture and hand position to adopt when lifting and lowering weights. This ensures that learners carry out the required procedures properly and know how and when to intervene if they identify poor practice.  All training takes place in high-quality fitness facilities that offer learners the opportunity to train on an outstanding range and variety of equipment. Training venues are used by both national and international athletes, who act as excellent role models for learners. This motivates learners to attain to their full potential.  Most learners commence their programme with a high level of English and mathematics skills that are appropriately developed through programme participation. For example, learners apply their mathematical skills to calculate body composition and weight

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

accurately and use this to assess health risks. Tutors provide learners with adequate feedback to improve their skills. However, in a few cases tutors do not correct spelling and grammar mistakes in course work to help learners avoid repeating errors.  Tutors do not make enough use of information and learning technology where it would further promote learning. Learners’ access to a suitable range and variety of online learning resources is limited. This impedes learners’ development of the independent learning and digital skills they need to progress further in their chosen career. Managers have commenced actions to address these weaknesses, but significant improvements have yet to be realised.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Learners are highly motivated to progress and achieve. They take pride in their work and enthusiastically participate in learning tasks. Learners have a good appreciation of how the skills and knowledge they are acquiring will make them more effective in their chosen careers. Their attendance and punctuality are good. They behave well and treat each other with respect.  Learners make good gains in developing interpersonal skills that allow them to interact more effectively with their clients. For example, they can tactfully engage with clients to discuss nutritional intake and how dietary adjustments contribute to heathy lifestyles. Learners have a sound appreciation of the professional and legal importance of confidentiality when dealing with clients.  Learners have a good understanding of how to protect themselves from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. They can apply this learning well to explain how they would

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

deal with the different scenarios they may encounter within a job role, such as a personal trainer. Tutors use thoughtfully produced learning materials that celebrate diversity and promote learners’ understanding of and respect for British values effectively. For example, learners participated in a Remembrance Day event that tutors used effectively to reinforce learning.  Learners have access to an appropriate range of additional programmes that give them opportunities to extend their knowledge of fitness, exercise and nutrition. For example, learners can undertake circuit training and indoor cycling programmes that enhance the potential career options available to them. Achievement of the related qualifications is high for the relatively few learners who participate in the available provision.  Learners’ programmes prepare them well for employment within the sport and fitness sectors. Many learners commence self-employment as a personal fitness trainer or sports

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

coach following completion of their programmes. However, they do not always receive enough guidance on how to set up their own businesses. Too often learners do not develop the skills and knowledge needed to produce an effective business plan that supports their self-employment aspirations. Leaders and managers have started to address this weakness, but it is too early to judge the effect of improvement initiatives.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 The very large majority of learners are making good progress towards completing their qualification when compared to their starting points. All but two are on track to complete their programme by the planned date.  In 2017/18, the proportion of learners who achieved their qualifications successfully, and did so within the planned timescale, was very high. This reflects an improving trend from the previous year.  A high proportion of learners who complete their programmes undertake further study at a higher level and/or take up employment within their preferred vocational area. The proportion of learners who take on more responsible employment roles because of their improved competence and the qualifications they achieve is high.  Variances in the attainment of different groups exist. The proportion of male learners achieving their qualifications is not as high as for females. The proportion of the very

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Outcomes for learners Good

small number of learners with a learning difficulty and/or disability achieving their qualification is lower than that of their peers.

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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 Partner Dave Ireson

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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

- - - - - 38 - - 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 one of the provider’s partners, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and staff; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions. The inspection considered all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Nigel Bragg, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jai Sharda Her Majesty’s 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

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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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

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.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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