Showcase Training Ltd

Showcase Training Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Carolyn Brownsea/, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Unit 25 Basepoint Gosport Hampshire PO13 0FQ Monitoring visit: Showcase Training Ltd, 21–22 May 2019

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. 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 ‘Providers newly directly funded to deliver apprenticeship training 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

Showcase Training was formed in 2015 and is based in Gosport. The company supplied education and training as a subcontractor before receiving a contract to deliver apprenticeships in 2017. Through levy funding, the provider has enrolled 11 apprentices as a prime contractor. It continues to deliver apprenticeships as a subcontractor. At the time of the monitoring visit, seven levy-funded apprentices followed a framework programme in childcare at levels 2 or 3.

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Significant progress

Senior managers, led by the managing director, have carefully planned the pace of business growth. Leaders have prioritised the quality of training and maintaining the confidence of employers. Leaders and managers have a clear strategy and vision for the organisation in the childcare sector.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have established strong and effective relationships with local employers to design programmes that meet their needs. They equip apprentices with skills that support their employers’ businesses. Provider staff are highly responsive and provide good levels of assistance to employers. The employers value such service. Managers are clear about their expectations of employers and apprentices, at the point of recruitment. When employers’ or apprentices’ expectations do not align with these, managers do not pursue the relationship.

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Significant progress

Managers ensure that apprentices receive appropriate initial advice and guidance that help to place them on programmes that meet their needs and aspirations. Leaders require all staff to achieve relevant qualifications in information advice and guidance. This enables staff to provide applicants with informed and impartial guidance when they choose an apprenticeship. Tutors encourage apprentices to research wider career options in the childcare sector. For example, an apprentice now aspires to gain a job on Disney cruise ships on completion of her apprenticeship. Monitoring visit: Showcase Training Ltd, 21–22 May 2019 Tutors carefully assess apprentices’ job roles and existing skills to make sure that they are likely to benefit from the training planned. They use this information well to match apprenticeship opportunities to applicants’ interests and abilities. They also use the information to design tailored learning programmes. As a result, most

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Significant progress

apprentices remain on programme and make good progress, often exceeding expectations.

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Significant progress

Managers communicate effectively with employers, providing clarity about the purpose of the apprenticeships and the employers’ responsibilities to apprentices. As a result, apprentices receive their full entitlement to training, so they can develop their knowledge and skills rapidly. Tutors and employers monitor accurately the progress that apprentices make in developing their knowledge, skills and behaviours during the programme.

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Significant progress

Senior managers demonstrate an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement of provision and record these accurately in their self-assessment report. Managers work collaboratively to deal with areas for improvement for the benefit of apprentices and employers.

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Significant progress

Senior managers have developed rigorous internal quality assurance systems that help apprentices to produce consistently high standards of work across all apprenticeships. Senior managers monitor achievement, retention, attendance and progress frequently and diligently. Apprentices all make at least good progress; many make very rapid progress. They produce work of a very high standard, particularly at level 3. Managers intervene quickly and effectively when they identify apprentices who are making slow progress.

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Significant progress

All training staff are highly qualified and have considerable sector-specific experience. All members of the training team hold teaching qualifications or are working towards them. Tutors ensure that they keep their knowledge and practice in childcare up to date. This helps them to develop apprentices’ skills, knowledge and behaviours relevant to the specific settings and ages of the children in their care.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers accurately assess the quality of teaching and learning. They plan a good programme of activities that provide leaders with an informed oversight of the quality and standards of the apprenticeship programme. Leaders use the findings to inform staff training and development programmes, reinforcing continual quality improvement.

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Significant progress

Staff select apprentices carefully to ensure that they have the capacity, enthusiasm and desire to develop the new skills and knowledge to complete an apprenticeship in childcare. The majority of apprentices move directly from school or college or from level 2 to level 3 childcare. Monitoring visit: Showcase Training Ltd, 21–22 May 2019 Tutors make good use of information about the starting points of their apprentices to plan customised programmes. These focus on each apprentice’s development and support needs. Tutors use the results of vocational skills scans and baseline assessments to make sure that apprentices start the programme at the most appropriate point. They ensure that apprentices complete learning and work that promotes the development of new and relevant skills, and which prepare them well for their next steps and careers.

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Significant progress

Tutors guide, assess and monitor apprentices’ progress thoroughly. Apprentices are right to value the support and guidance they receive from their tutors. Tutors meet with apprentices and employers frequently to review progress. They monitor closely the completion and setting of assignments and the development of behaviours and skills.

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Significant progress

Apprentices describe confidently how they apply their off-the-job learning at work. Such learning improves their effectiveness in completing tasks. For example, an apprentice shadowed a colleague delivering an activity on healthy eating to children and used this experience to successfully deliver a similar activity with the children.

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Significant progress

Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge and skills. These include theories of childhood development, behaviour management strategies, promoting healthy eating, and understanding how to keep children safe from harm.

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Significant progress

Apprentices have a strong understanding of safeguarding. They know how to correctly apply policies and procedures in the workplace. For example, an apprentice identified concerns about the behaviour of a child in the nursery in which she worked. The apprentice reported her concerns appropriately following the nursery safeguarding procedure. The designated safeguarding lead then made a referral to children’s social care.

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Significant progress

The small number of apprentices who have now completed their apprenticeship did so in the expected time. Most apprentices remain with their employers when they have completed their qualification, or they move on to further education courses.

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Significant progress

Managers evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment frequently and accurately. They use their findings to plan focused professional development activities for tutors. For example, tutors develop their knowledge and skills to teach topics such as equality and diversity and British values. However, managers do not set development targets for staff that are sufficiently specific. Consequently, a small minority of the actions do not result in improvements in trainers’ teaching.

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Significant progress

Senior leaders and managers ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective. Staff understand how to identify and report any concerns they have. Staff report Monitoring visit: Showcase Training Ltd, 21–22 May 2019 general welfare concerns about apprentices, in addition to any serious safeguarding issues. This reinforces the high standards required of staff working in childcare.

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Significant progress

Senior leaders and managers carry out safe recruitment and selection procedures. Leaders confirm apprentices’ right to work and assure their suitability to work with children. All staff receive appropriate training in safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and British values. Managers make sure all staff update their training annually.

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Significant progress

The designated safeguarding officer (DSO) is suitably trained and qualified for the role. She has taken additional training to enhance her knowledge about matters such as female genital mutilation (FGM), online safety and child sexual exploitation. The DSO maintains a good range of links with specialist bodies and external agencies.

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Significant progress

Managers and tutors use good resources to develop apprentices’ knowledge and understanding of the ‘Prevent’ duty, British values and safeguarding. They provide apprentices with details of current relevant news topics. For example, articles on child poverty and trafficking raise apprentices’ awareness of using safeguarding procedures to report any concerns.

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Significant progress

Tutors discuss British values and the threats presented by radicalisation and extremism with apprentices during progress reviews. Apprentices are aware of the key risks of extremism as they relate to their own communities. Tutors use local current affairs, such as a recent case involving county lines dealers in modern-day slavery, to increase apprentices’ awareness. However, not all apprentices have sufficient understanding of ‘Prevent’ duties. Monitoring visit: Showcase Training Ltd, 21–22 May 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

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Significant progress

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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Significant 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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Significant 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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the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Significant progress

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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