Aim Skills Development Limited

Aim Skills Development Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jai Sharda, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 170 Harold Road Upton Park London E13 0SE Monitoring visit: Aim Skills Development, 17-18 April 2019

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Context and focus of visit

From March 2019, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision which began to be funded from August 2017 or after by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. 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 ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly funded to deliver adult learning 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

Aim Skills Development (ASD) delivers vocational qualifications in early years and care, customer service and food safety at level 2 and 3. It also offers a qualification at level 2 for door supervisors in the private security industry. In addition, ASD offers courses from entry level to level 2 in functional skills and in English for speakers of other languages. ASD provided training for around 80 learners in 2018/19; at the time of the monitoring visit, there were 19 learners on courses. ASD started to deliver its newly funded adult learning in September 2017. It provides training as a subcontractor to three further education and skills providers. This provision was not within the scope of this monitoring visit.

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Reasonable progress

ASD’s leaders are passionate about their mission to serve the disadvantaged communities of East London by offering opportunities for residents to improve their life chances. They achieve this mission by offering training, employment and work placements for unemployed adults and supporting employers to upskill their staff.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have expertise in delivering English to speakers of other languages, early years care, adult social care, the security industry and retail and commercial work. They deploy their skills and experience to provide high-quality training that learners, employers and stakeholders value.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have carefully designed a curriculum that targets funding towards the most disadvantaged groups. They provide high-quality courses for unemployed adults referred by Jobcentre staff that results in a high proportion achieving a qualification and gaining a job after they complete their studies. As a result, Jobcentre managers continue to refer jobseekers to ASD. Leaders also work closely with employers to provide a bespoke curriculum designed to upskill their staff. Monitoring visit: Aim Skills Development, 17-18 April 2019 Leaders have established effective procedures for tracking and monitoring the progress and achievement of different groups of learners. They meet with tutors to review progress and to identify any learners who fall behind. Leaders ensure that tutors respond swiftly to help learners who need extra time or support to complete their studies. As a result, qualification achievement rates are high, with few

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Reasonable progress

performance differences between learners from different backgrounds.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the company’s key strengths and areas for improvement, including in the quality of teaching and learning. They demonstrate this through their careful and frequent monitoring of the detailed, quality improvement plan. Most improvement targets are achieved within planned timescales.

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Reasonable progress

Managers are unable to use the available data on learners’ destinations to evaluate fully the effectiveness of the curriculum they deliver. This is because the data does not tell managers whether unemployed learners went on to jobs that were temporary or permanent, part time or full time. The data also does not identify whether learners who were already employed at the start of their training gained a promotion or enhanced responsibilities.

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Reasonable progress

Learners receive a thorough assessment of their learning needs before beginning their studies. Tutors use this information effectively to plan and deliver learning activities so that learners progress well and achieve.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors support learners well to improve their independent living skills, including their use of mathematics and written and spoken English well. For example, learners’ enhanced oral English skills enable many to participate in community activities and to reduce their social isolation. Many become confident to attend medical and welfare appointments unchaperoned.

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Reasonable progress

Learners receive careers information, advice and guidance that ensures they are on a suitable programme at an appropriate level. Many learners are inspired to improve their life chances through participating in further study and training.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors are well qualified and experienced in teaching adults. They use their sector knowledge in care, security work and in retail and customer care to help learners understand the types of jobs and careers available in these fields.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors track carefully learners’ progress and achievement. They swiftly identify learners struggling to complete their work and help them to catch up with their peers. Monitoring visit: Aim Skills Development, 17-18 April 2019 Tutors assess and set challenging targets for the improvement of learners’ English and mathematical skills. However, they do not always fully exploit opportunities to develop learners’ limited digital skills to enhance further their employment prospects.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not monitor and review the achievement of learners’ short-term targets frequently enough. Consequently, a few learners become disengaged from learning for a significant time before tutors implement actions to help them back on track.

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Reasonable progress

ASD’s two designated safeguarding leads have received suitable training to help them discharge their responsibilities effectively to ensure that learners are kept safe. They implement the company’s policies and procedures effectively and ensure that these are regularly updated to reflect changes in safeguarding practices.

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Reasonable progress

Managers ensure that new staff and volunteers are safe to work with their learners. They provide mandatory safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training and as a result, staff know how to make a referral to the designated safeguarding leads if they have any concerns about learners.

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Reasonable progress

Learners know how and to whom they should report any safeguarding concerns. Those working in adult social care have a good grasp of safeguarding and know how to keep themselves and their vulnerable elderly clients safe. Learners on the door supervisors course learn how to ensure their own safety when on duty and how to ensure that visitors attending public events and social functions stay safe.

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Reasonable progress

Most learners have a reasonably secure understanding of British values and of the risks posed by extremist ideologies to these values. This is because tutors promote sensitively discussions about these topics during lessons. They also encourage learners to participate in lively debates about topical subjects such as Brexit, to illustrate the values of democracy, tolerance and free speech. Monitoring visit: Aim Skills Development, 17-18 April 2019 the 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 . 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

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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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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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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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