Merseyside Accredited Community Training and Assessment Centre (MACTAC)

Merseyside Accredited Community Training and Assessment Centre Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Ken Fisher, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Millennium Resource Centre Blenheim Street Liverpool Merseyside L5 8UX Monitoring visit: Merseyside Accredited Community Training and Assessment Centre, 18–19 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. 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

Merseyside Accredited Community Training and Assessment Centre (MACTAC) received its first publicly funded contract for adult education in October 2017. Currently, 70 adult learners are on courses. Courses run for between two weeks and nine months and range from introductory courses to courses at level 3. These include pre-employment courses, and courses for functional skills English and mathematics, children and young people’s workforce, and supporting teaching and learning in schools.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not have a coherent curriculum plan. They do not have a clear rationale for the courses they offer that is based, for example, on the training priorities of the local enterprise partnership or the Liverpool City Region.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers do not have effective processes in place that enable them to monitor learners’ progress. They do not intervene quickly enough to prevent learners falling behind with their work. The majority of current learners are making very slow progress. In 2017/18, too few learners completed their qualification within the planned timescale.

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Insufficient progress

Governors do not have sufficient oversight of adult education. They do not support and challenge leaders and managers effectively. For example, they do not hold senior leaders and managers to account for their use of resources, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and learners’ achievements.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders’ and managers’ quality assurance arrangements lack rigour. These do not lead to high-quality provision. For example, the self-assessment report does not evaluate incisively and accurately the quality of the adult learning courses. Although Monitoring visit: Merseyside Accredited Community Training and Assessment Centre, 18–19 June 2019 managers observe teaching, learning and assessment, they do not give sufficient attention to what learners learn and to the progress they make.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers develop good partnerships with a range of external organisations. These include day nurseries, community-based neighbourhood councils, and organisations dealing with people who have personal, social and economic difficulties. Staff in these organisations refer learners to MACTAC appropriately.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers monitor learners’ destinations closely. Learners’ progressions are good, with almost half of them going into employment and a very small number into further learning. However, leaders and managers do not have enough information about the length of time learners remain in their jobs.

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Insufficient progress

Learners do not receive sufficient information, advice and guidance before they enrol on a course. Managers and tutors do not consider sufficiently learners’ prior knowledge, skills and experience to ensure that the course is suitable for them.

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Insufficient progress

Managers and tutors do not assess learners’ starting points accurately when they join a course. Tutors do not set individual training and development targets to ensure that all learners acquire new knowledge, skills and understanding. They do not provide activities that challenge sufficiently the most able learners.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors’ expectations about what learners can and do achieve are too low. Learners do not make the progress of which they are capable. Most current learners make slow progress. In 2017/18, the achievement rate for accredited qualifications was too low.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors do not develop learners’ oral and written English skills sufficiently. In lessons, tutors do not ensure that learners are able to spell words or use grammar correctly. They do not help learners to identify their English errors in the work they submit. Consequently, learners repeat the same mistakes.

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Insufficient progress

Learners do not receive useful feedback from tutors to help them to improve their understanding of subjects or topics they study. Tutors accept written work of a poor standard. For example, work submitted for a qualification in employability studies at level 2 is below the required standard. Monitoring visit: Merseyside Accredited Community Training and Assessment Centre, 18–19 June 2019 On employability courses, learners enjoy the training they receive. Tutors are supportive. Consequently, the vast majority of learners on employability courses increase their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Insufficient progress

The small numbers of learners on courses in supporting teaching and learning in schools enjoy their learning. They talk confidently about the importance of safeguarding children and how to keep children safe in school environments.

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Insufficient progress

Tutors raise learners’ awareness of health and safety, the ‘Prevent’ duty and British values early in their training. Consequently, most learners have a basic understanding of these topics.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers place a high priority on safeguarding learners and staff. They have comprehensive safeguarding and safeguarding-related policies and procedures, which they implement effectively.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding officer (DSO) and the deputy DSO are appropriately trained and experienced. Tutors have a good understanding of safeguarding and receive update training annually.

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Reasonable progress

The DSO and deputy DSO take safeguarding and safeguarding-related incidents seriously. They follow them up efficiently and record them appropriately.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders follow safe recruitment procedures when appointing new staff. They check all members of staff appropriately for their suitability to work in an education and training environment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that the training accommodation is suitably protected to prevent unauthorised entry. Learners know how to keep themselves safe. Monitoring visit: Merseyside Accredited Community Training and Assessment Centre, 18–19 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

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 the Information Policy Team,

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Reasonable progress

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

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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