University of West London

Further education and skills inspection report

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University of West London Higher Education

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes Good

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Apprenticeships Good 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 Outstanding

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Summary of key findings

 Leaders and managers, at all levels of the organisation, are committed to providing apprenticeships and adult learning courses that align well with the organisation’s vision and mission.  Leaders and managers have created a culture in which they, and their staff, have high aspirations for their apprentices and learners.  Leaders and managers have established very effective partnerships with employers, including National Health Service (NHS) trusts and high- profile restaurants. These support apprentices and learners to develop the appropriate high- level skills they need for their jobs.  Apprentices and learners study subjects such as nursing, professional cookery and data analysis, for which there is a strong local demand. As a result, most secure jobs in related areas of work.  Apprentices receive very effective support in their jobs to develop good skills that they apply confidently in their workplace.

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Summary of key findings

 Experienced and well-qualified teachers make effective use of the high-quality training workshops, such as simulation hospital wards and a food science laboratory, so that learners have the skills and knowledge they need for employment.  Tutors support apprentices and learners well to develop their career goals and encourage them to meet their aspirations.  Apprentices in healthcare and hospitality and catering have a good understanding of fundamental British values and their impact in the workplace.  Senior leaders do not have a sufficiently comprehensive overview of the quality of teaching and learning in different departments and, therefore, are not clear enough about areas for improvement.  In healthcare and data analysis apprenticeships, staff do not identify well enough apprentices’ skills and knowledge at the start of the course. They do not then use this information when they plan lessons.

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Information about the provider

 The University of West London is a higher education provider. It is based on two sites, one in west London and the other in Berkshire. The university offers courses to approximately 60 adult learners and a small number of learners aged 16 to 18 in professional cookery at levels 2 and 3. It also delivers level 4 and 5 apprenticeship frameworks and standards to approximately 400 apprentices in healthcare, hospitality and catering and data analysis. In addition, the university also teaches degree-level apprenticeships, which are not in scope for this inspection.  The University of West London recruits the majority of its apprentices from London and the south-east of England. All of its apprentices have employment in either the NHS or restaurants. Learners on hospitality and catering courses attend either full-time or part- time. They undertake courses in order to gain the qualifications and skills necessary to

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Information about the provider

secure long-term employment in the local area.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that senior leaders have a more comprehensive overview of the quality of the provision across all programmes by: – using their recently introduced quality assurance process, including observations of teaching and learning, consistently across all programmes to identify strengths and areas for improvement and to provide teachers with effective support to help improve teaching practice – ensuring that their evaluation of the quality of provision covers all programmes, including those recently introduced, so that they identify where further improvement is required and take action to bring this about.  Ensure that staff assess what healthcare and data analysis apprentices can and cannot do at the start of their courses and use this information to plan lessons to meet the needs of individual apprentices and learners. 

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and managers have a clear and ambitious vision to provide high-quality courses that directly align with the needs of employers in London. They have integrated apprenticeships and further education courses successfully into their vision for the university. Leaders set high standards and have high aspirations for the organisation. They have established a professional and respectful working environment. They have a well-considered strategic plan, which explains their ambitions to their staff and strategic partners and informs the development and growth of apprenticeships.  Leaders work very effectively with strategic partners to ensure that they have a sound understanding of the vocational areas from which the university recruits apprentices and learners. This includes collaboration with Health Education England and prestigious restaurants in and around London. Leaders match their curriculum well to the needs of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

employers and regional priorities. Leaders provide courses that support learners from the local community to progress into sustainable employment in nursing and hospitality and catering.  Senior leaders and managers ensure that all apprentices and learners have access to good impartial careers advice and guidance from the central careers team. In addition, specialist careers consultants, within subject areas, provide good advice to apprentices and learners. Personal tutors enable learners to explore a wide range of career options within and outside the usual career pathways. As a result, most learners and apprentices move on to a wide range of positive destinations, such as employment or further study.  Leaders and managers support staff well to increase the quality of their teaching. They have established a comprehensive training plan which enables tutors to gain relevant teaching qualifications to improve their teaching skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and managers use a range of suitable strategies to evaluate the quality of provision but these are not applied consistently enough across different departments or for different subjects. For example, managers use different approaches to the observation of teaching and learning in each school or college and the overarching university-wide policies and procedures have only recently been introduced. In addition, leaders’ and managers’ self-assessment of the provision predominantly covers the hospitality and catering courses and omits more recently introduced programmes. As a result, managers and leaders are not fully aware of the quality of all provision in order to make continual improvements.

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The governance of the provider

 Governors have a firm commitment to the adult learning and apprenticeship programmes and are fully aware of the importance of further education courses and how they fit into the vision and mission of the university.  Governors have high aspirations for apprenticeship provision and for attracting local learners to the university. Many of these apprentices and learners would not have previously considered studying at a higher education provider.  Senior leaders provide governors with a good range of detailed reports on the performance of the provision. As a result, the governing body is aware of the progress and achievement of learners. Governors challenge leaders and managers effectively on the performance of apprentices and learners.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and managers make the safety and welfare of apprentices and learners a high priority. Apprentices and learners feel safe and feel confident about how to report incidents if necessary.  Staff receive frequent training on safeguarding and have a good understanding of issues affecting apprentices and learners. Managers provide relevant and personalised support to meet individual apprentices’ and learners’ needs, such as through referrals to internal services and external agencies.  Leaders and managers have put detailed policies and procedures in place for safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty, including a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment. Staff and apprentices in nursing understand the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism and how to report any concerns that they might have. Data analyst apprentices understand these matters less well.

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Safeguarding

 Managers carry out appropriate pre-employment checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with apprentices and learners. They keep accurate records of safeguarding training and suitability checks.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Tutors are well qualified and have relevant experience. In healthcare, tutors maintain their professional registration. Hospitality and catering tutors work in partnership with guest chefs who focus on developing high industry standards and promoting current trends, which motivates and enthuses apprentices. Tutors use their extensive knowledge and expertise to plan well-structured learning activities that inspire apprentices and learners to apply their learning in their workplaces.  Apprentices and learners benefit from the high-quality specialist accommodation that enables them to develop their vocational and academic skills. Healthcare apprentices develop their clinical skills in well-resourced simulation hospital wards. Apprentices use age simulation suits to experience the impairments of age and illness. This increases their understanding of their patients’ needs. The recent provision of the food science laboratory

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

enables hospitality and catering apprentices and learners to develop an awareness and understanding of food chemistry, nutrition and product development.  Tutors give good support to apprentices and learners so that they develop new skills and knowledge and become more confident in their abilities. Apprentices in healthcare question hospital practices effectively to improve allocation and utilisation of resources. Apprentices’ learning has identified a process for improving the practice of cannulation. Level 4 data analyst apprentices use their skills to produce professional reports using Structured Query Language.  Tutors support apprentices well to develop their written English and mathematical skills in lessons and through their written work. Learners and apprentices use technical terminology and abbreviations accurately. For example, apprentices on the commis chef apprenticeship have a good understanding of culinary terminology such as ‘gelatinous’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and ‘velouté’. Healthcare apprentices learn the Latin origins for the acronyms used in prescriptions, enabling them to review patients’ prescribed medication accurately.  Staff do not consistently assess what apprentices and learners can and cannot do at the start of their programme. They do not take sufficient account of apprentices’ or learners’ existing skills and their job roles. When staff complete assessments, they do not always use the results to identify gaps in learning. Consequently, they do not set targets that reinforce the development of significant new knowledge and skills. As a result, apprentices and learners follow the same programme of learning regardless of what they already know.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Apprentices and learners enjoy their courses and develop new skills and knowledge. They talk confidently about what they learn and the progress they are making towards their qualifications. This includes how they improve the communication and research skills which support them in their courses.  Apprentices and learners have a good attitude towards learning and work. They are punctual and ready to learn. Apprentices’ and learners’ behaviour is exemplary in and around the university. However, apprentices’ and learners’ attendance is not high enough. They have a good understanding of the expectations that staff set for them, in particular how to work safely both at the university and in the workplace.  Apprentices and learners have a good understanding of British values and equality and diversity. Apprentices and learners in hospitality and catering gain valuable insight into the history of international foods within Britain. For example, in a pasta-making practical

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

session, the tutor demonstrated well the use of pasta machines while providing information about the influences of Italian immigrants on the British food industry. Tutors also provide helpful information about allergies and people’s choice of lifestyle and foods. In addition, apprentices and learners gain a good understanding of the influence of different faiths and beliefs on people’s selection of foods.  Apprentices and learners benefit from additional activities and courses which support their development. Apprentices and learners participate in events such as the Royal Culinary Arts awards and the Amazon Cloud summer school. They also undertake additional qualifications in food safety, while data analyst apprentices gain vendor-based qualifications. As a result, apprentices and learners gain additional skills and qualifications that support them in the workplace.  The very few learners aged 16 to 18 benefit from well-planned work experience. Learners

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

participate in work placements linked to their career aspirations and receive good support throughout their placement. As a result, they develop the skills needed to gain employment in their chosen areas.  Staff refer apprentices and learners to an appropriate range of support for any additional needs. For example, they have access to support on mental health, disabilities or financial assistance. As a result, apprentices and learners receive good support while studying for their qualification.  For apprentices and learners who need extra support to achieve, staff have effective processes to assess their learning needs. When necessary, tutors make appropriate adaptations to their lessons to meet apprentices’ and learners’ needs. For example, they provide additional time to complete examinations and give support to apprentices and learners to develop their skills. This assistance contributes to apprentices and learners

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

making the progress of which they are capable.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 The proportion of apprentices on framework qualifications and the proportion of adult learners who achieve their qualification are high and have increased from the previous year. At the time of inspection, only a very small number of apprentices on standards- based qualifications had yet to achieve their apprenticeship.  The proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications in English is high. However, the proportion who achieve qualifications in mathematics is too low.  The majority of apprentices and learners make expected progress towards completing their apprenticeship. They quickly develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be competent in their job roles. Apprentices and learners are aware of the progress they are making towards achieving their qualifications.  Apprentices’ work is of a good standard. Their written work is well organised and neat, and appropriate for the level of the course that they are studying. Their practical work in

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Outcomes for learners Good

hospitality and catering is of a high standard.  The vast majority of learners and apprentices move on to further or higher education, apprenticeships or employment. Most of them are in secure employment in areas related to their programme of study. A minority of learners move on to higher-level courses within the university.  Leaders and managers have put in place strategies to improve the proportion of apprentices and learners who stay to the end of their courses. This is starting to have a positive impact and, in the current year, a higher proportion of learners and apprentices have remained on their programmes.  Too many apprentices make slow progress, in particular on level 5 assistant practitioner and level 4 data analysis programmes.

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Adult learning programmes Good

 There are approximately 60 learners on adult learning programmes. All learners are studying for qualifications in professional cookery. In addition, there are a very small number of learners aged 16 to 18 who infill on the same courses.  Staff design adult learning courses well to meet learners’ needs, as well as to address local skills shortages in the hospitality and catering sector. The university enrols learners who have different experiences and backgrounds, a small minority of whom have no prior qualifications.  Adult learners develop good skills and demonstrate high levels of professional behaviour in the kitchens. Learners describe the cooking skills they have developed since starting their courses and how they use them at home or at work.  Staff have developed good links with employers. The London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism benefits from collaboration with many high-class local and nationally

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Adult learning programmes Good

recognised food and drink organisations. Staff from these organisations provide good support to the university, for example in helping design the programmes with its teachers. This ensures that university staff maintain commercial standards and course content is up to date.  Learners benefit from good support and guidance from experienced and qualified tutors. These help the vast majority to make good progress and achieve. Learners produce dishes to restaurant standards, using the correct dressings and garnishes.  The small number of learners needing to improve their English and mathematics skills receive good support and also benefit from good preparation for their assessments.  Learners’ recruitment and selection are thorough and ensure that learners enrol on the right level of course. However, tutors do not always assess what learners can or cannot do at the start of their courses. As a result, all learners complete the whole course at the

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Adult learning programmes Good

same pace, and the more able learners do not make the rapid progress of which they are capable.  Tutors keep an accurate record of learners’ progress and achievement. Learners who do not make their expected progress receive support to catch up but this is often not provided in a timely way, in particular on hospitality and catering courses.  Tutors provide good feedback to learners on their practical work. However, the majority of feedback to hospitality and catering learners on their theory does not provide them with sufficient information or strategies on how to improve.

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Apprenticeships Good

 There are approximately 450 apprentices on hospitality and catering, healthcare and data analyst apprenticeships. Around 100 of these apprentices are on framework qualifications, with the rest on standards-based apprenticeships.  Leaders and managers plan apprenticeships well to comply with the principles of apprenticeships.  Leaders and managers collaborate effectively with employers to design apprenticeship programmes. This ensures that apprenticeships meet the current and future needs in hospitality and catering, data analysis and healthcare.  Apprentices have a good attitude towards learning and work. They have a good understanding of the expectations that staff set them, in particular how to work safely. As a result, employers value the contribution apprentices make to their businesses.  Apprentices benefit from off-the-job training which helps them to learn the theory which improves their practical work. For example, healthcare apprentices work effectively with

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Apprenticeships Good

senior clinicians to support the introduction of a pre-prepared saline wash. As a result of their apprenticeships, apprentices become more confident in their abilities.  Apprentices in hospitality and catering benefit from additional support, such as in how to set up their own businesses. As a result, apprentices gain supplementary skills in order to support their move into employment.

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Principal/CEO Peter John

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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

9 - 1 13 12 48 - - 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+ 49 74 14 26 7 269 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 head of quality, 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 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

Steve Lambert, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Saskia Niderost 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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