The Finance And Management Business School Limited

The Finance and Management Business School Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Bev Ramsell, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Head office address: 11 th Floor, Mclaren Building 46 Priory Queensway Birmingham B4 7LR Monitoring visit: Finance Management and Business School, 5–6 June 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 (ESFA). 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

The Finance and Management Business School Limited (FMBS) was established in 2009 and has been directly funded since November 2017. FMBS offers programmes in business administration, accountancy and bookkeeping, security and warehousing to both employed and unemployed adult learners at levels 1 to 2. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 219 students in learning.

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Themes

Leaders have a clear strategic vision to provide learners with the skills required for sustainable employment. Leaders work effectively with local employers to ensure that learners develop skills that employers value.

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Themes

Leaders have developed strong links with Jobcentre Plus (JCP). They work effectively with JCP to plan courses and to identify learners suited to employers’ needs. For example, when JCP staff identified a skills gap in business administration, FMBS responded swiftly by introducing relevant training. This increased learners’ opportunities for employment.

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Themes

Leaders ensure that learners are recruited onto suitable courses. For example, learners who do not have appropriate skills to begin training receive support to study at the local college.

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Themes

Leaders and managers have developed an effective curriculum, based on qualifications at or below level 2, which is appropriate for the targeted group of learners and employers. Learners develop the skills to move into specific jobs. Managers purchase licences to enable learners to work in jobs such as forklift-truck driving and security.

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Reasonable progress

Monitoring visit: Finance Management and Business School, 5–6 June 2019 Leaders and managers know well learners progress towards achieving their qualifications. They use information gained from monthly meetings effectively to identify those learners who are disadvantaged and to improve achievement rates on most courses.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not assess effectively how well learners make progress from their starting points. Learners have recently started to self-assess their soft skills in areas such as their confidence, time-keeping and problem-solving. However, tutors do not use this information routinely to ensure that activities help all learners to develop these skills consistently.

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Reasonable progress

Most learners move into employment or further education. Leaders and managers capture learners’ destinations effectively; however, leaders do not use the information sufficiently to improve the provision.

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Reasonable progress

Careers information, advice and guidance are effective in helping learners to enrol on the right courses, to fulfil their career goals and to move into employment or further learning.

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Reasonable progress

All tutors are occupationally qualified. They are very adept at using industry-specific scenarios to support learners to acquire new knowledge and skills.

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Reasonable progress

Most tutors organise learning activities into small tasks. This encourages learners to participate and develops their confidence. Learners have opportunities to reflect on, consolidate, and reinforce their learning. For example, a topic on union representation was used to discuss ‘employee rights’ in the workplace. Learners actively participated and developed a deeper understanding of their rights.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors’ questioning is effective in deepening learners’ understanding of how to put theoretical concepts into practice. For example, in accounting tutors used industry- specific scenarios to develop and extend learners’ technical skills in constructing a ‘trial balance’ and in spotting and correcting bookkeeping errors.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide effective individual support to learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who make assured progress. For example, they coach learners with dyslexia, who significantly increase their confidence to participate fully in learning.

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Reasonable progress

All learners have an appropriate understanding of equality and diversity and British values. Tutors use learners’ circumstances well to consolidate and extend their

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Reasonable progress

Monitoring visit: Finance Management and Business School, 5–6 June 2019 understanding of their rights and responsibilities. For example, in a business administration lesson the tutor used learners’ varied employment experiences to develop their understanding of equality and inclusion and their right to join a trade union.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not routinely use learners’ starting points to inform the planning of learning. Most learners undertake the same activities in lessons regardless of their starting points. Consequently, they do not progress as quickly as they could. Tutors do not provide sufficiently frequent and insightful feedback to ensure that learners clearly understand their strengths and what they need to do to improve.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that staff are recruited through safe recruitment practices. Leaders and managers employ appropriate risk assessment where necessary.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have recently appointed a new designated safeguarding lead (DSL), who holds a senior position within the company. The DSL and deputy are appropriately trained. Both understand their roles and responsibilities relating to safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put in place a clear policy for safeguarding, British values and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders and managers monitor closely any incidents that arise.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have developed appropriate links with external agencies, such as the multi-agency support hub (MASH).

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Reasonable progress

Staff receive appropriate training on safeguarding, the ‘Prevent’ duty and British values at induction, followed by regular updates. Teachers ensure that learners have an appropriate understanding of potential risks and, as a consequence, understand how keep themselves safe. Monitoring visit: Finance Management and Business School, 5–6 June 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 www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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Reasonable 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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Reasonable progress

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

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Reasonable progress

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