Community Training Portal Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Community Training Portal Limited Independent Learning Provider

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Inspection dates 27 February–1 March 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

 As a result of leaders’ shared ambitions for, and high expectations of, learners, their achievement rates are high.  Learners make good progress over time. They develop good English, mathematics and information and communications (ICT) skills that they use effectively in the workplace and in their social lives.  Leaders and managers have a good knowledge of the training needs of local learners. They use this effectively to provide targeted training for adult learners. Leaders use their detailed knowledge of the provision effectively to identify problems quickly. They act rapidly to secure improvements.  Teachers make good use of the detailed information they have on learners’ starting points. As a result, learners develop good skills for employment.  In lessons, tutors challenge learners with demanding tasks and activities. Learners relish the chance to improve their skills and move quickly to higher level programmes.

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Summary of key findings

 Learners benefit from good individual help with their learning. This enables them to make good progress and achieve.  Leaders have yet to establish learners’ next steps on completing their studies. They do not know whether the qualifications learners gain help them to secure sustainable employment.  Leaders have not ensured that learners receive appropriate careers advice and guidance. Learners are not clear about the potential career pathways available to them.

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Information about the provider

 Community Training Portal Limited (CTP) started directly funded training in October 2016, with a small group of learners. The majority of these learners studied employability and information technology (IT) programmes, and about two thirds of them were unemployed at the start of the programmes. In 2017/18, CTP increased the number of learners, and changed the emphasis of the provision to provide English and mathematics training for employed learners. Approximately one third of learners were unemployed at the start of the programme.  CTP is an independent learning provider with a head office in Luton, and operates out of five main centres. Learners complete online training programmes. They do this in their own locations and in CTP’s centres. All learners are on adult learning programmes and are 19 years of age or older. Learners are either on directly funded programmes or use advanced learning loans to pay for their studies.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Establish an effective way of contacting learners after they have finished their programmes, in order to identify their destinations. Use this information to refine the programmes provided to meet learners’ career aspirations better.  Establish effective arrangements to provide all learners with appropriate careers information advice and guidance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders, managers and staff at all levels have high ambitions for, and expectations of, learners. They share these well with learners to establish a positive culture of supported learning. As a result, outcomes for learners are good. Leaders have enhanced this culture of learning by establishing a ‘leader board’. This enables leaders to recognise the achievement of learners on a centre-by-centre basis and promote healthy competition between centre managers and staff.  Leaders have established effective systems for monitoring and recording learners’ progress. Managers use this performance information in detail to analyse the achievements of groups of learners. Learners achieve equally well, and managers take effective action to reduce any small variations that occur.  Directors work diligently and well to establish sustainable provision that meets local learners’ needs. Leaders use their local community knowledge effectively to ensure the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

programmes provided in different centres reflect local training needs.  Senior leaders’ self-assessment of the quality of learning and the learners’ experience is accurate. They have a detailed understanding of the provision and use their knowledge effectively to identify problems quickly and secure improvements. Staff understand the arrangements for ensuring high-quality training and adhere to them well.  Arrangements to manage the performance of staff are good. Managers accurately identify the training requirements of staff and take appropriate action to improve their performance further. Staff receive a wide range of beneficial professional training, such as gaining additional teaching qualifications. Staff reflect on the impact of the training they receive and how it improves their teaching practice.  Leaders do not know enough about what learners do when they complete their studies to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of CTP’s provision. They do not know whether the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

qualifications learners gain help them to secure sustainable employment or progress to further education.  Leaders have not ensured that learners receive appropriate careers advice and guidance. Learners are not clear about the potential career pathways available to them.

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The governance of the provider

 Directors ensure that they provide sufficient oversight of, and challenge to, the organisation. Directors use their detailed knowledge to take a strategic overview of the provision and robustly challenge senior leaders on the quality of learning. Directors scrutinise improvement actions to ensure that senior leaders maintain and continually improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders and managers ensure that they safeguard learners. Staff carry out regular risk assessments, including those to do with safeguarding and issues relating to the ‘Prevent’ duty. Leaders ensure that staff at all levels receive detailed and frequently updated training. The designated person has appropriate training that is routinely updated. Staff record any incidents in detail. They respond swiftly and appropriately to issues when they arise.  Learners feel safe in their centres. Leaders require all visitors to sign in, and staff are vigilant in ensuring that they admit only authorised persons to the centres. Leaders have established effective physical measures to control the access to their centres.  Learners understand the potential dangers of using the internet. They know how to protect their own identity when online using social media or researching their studies.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Effective and skilful teaching enables learners to improve their skills and progress to higher levels of learning and it prepares them for their next steps. Tutors provide good individual coaching to complement learners’ online work, so that they develop new skills and make good progress.  In lessons, tutors challenge learners by providing demanding tasks and activities. Tutors progressively introduce new challenges to ask more of learners. These challenges include more difficult reading tasks and more complex calculations. They help learners to progress rapidly and prepare them well for the work that they will meet at the next level.  Extra help to enable learners to succeed in their studies is good. Tutors provide learners with sensitive and highly individualised support in individual and group lessons. This contributes effectively to the rapid rate of progress learners make.  Learners are very good at identifying the areas for improvement in their own work. Staff

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

support this effectively through their constructive feedback. Tutors work well with learners to help them assess their own progress.  Managers ensure that teaching resources are of a good quality and support learners effectively. Learners benefit from the extensive online activities that reinforce their subject knowledge and extend their understanding.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Tutors provide highly effective help for learners. This ensures that they remain in learning despite the many obstacles to completing their learning that many learners face. Tutors provide learners with frequent motivational support and feedback on how well they are doing. This helps learners to stay positive and work through any difficulties they may face in completing their studies.  Learners develop their English, mathematical and ICT skills to a good standard. They expand their vocabulary through frequent speaking and listening tasks. They improve their mathematics by working through individual assessment tasks that tutors provide, specific to their needs. Learners develop their ICT skills through using the online training materials.  Teachers make good use of the detailed information they have on learners’ starting points. As a result, learners develop good skills for employment. Learners know how to

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

present themselves appropriately for job interviews. They develop the confidence to apply for promotion at work.  Learners’ work is of a high standard. For example, in media make-up, learners match clients’ bridal make-up to their wedding dresses, creating a polished look. In mathematics lessons, learners organise their portfolio work carefully, record their calculations accurately and produce very well-presented work.  Learners develop a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities as learners and as citizens. For example, the weekly ‘tea break challenge’ gives learners the chance to develop and share their understanding of current affairs and other newsworthy issues. They discuss topics such as whether one can justify worldwide mandatory measles vaccinations, and whether a person should be permitted to return to England after belonging to an extremist organisation overseas.  Learners are ambitious and have clear plans for their future. They enjoy their courses and

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

take responsibility for their own learning. Learners behave well, and their attendance is high. Staff quickly follow up any absences and promote attendance effectively.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Learners make good progress, many of them from low starting points. They progress well through lower levels and onto level 2 or 3 qualifications, which many of them achieve.  Learners use the skills they develop well in their work and social lives. For example, because of their studies, learners receive encouragement to apply for promotion. Others apply their mathematical skills to their own homes, such as by calculating the amount of paint needed in redecorating.  The proportion of learners who achieve their qualification in the time planned is high and increasing. No significant achievement gaps exist between different groups of learners.  The proportion of learners who achieve employment or go on to study at a higher level is low.

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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 Sulcan Mahmood

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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

- 57 - 78 - 41 - - 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 quality manager, 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

Derrick Baughan, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Steven Sharpe 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

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

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 .

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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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