Muath Trust

Name of lead inspector: Martin Ward Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Not for profit organisation

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Address:

Bordesley Centre Stratford Road Sparkhill Birmingham B11 1AR Monitoring visit: Muath Trust, 24–25 July 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

The Muath Trust (the trust) was established in 1990. It is based in the Bordesley Centre, which is in an economically deprived part of Birmingham. The trust offers education and training as part of a range of services for the local community. A high proportion of the community are from Arabic, Asian and Black ethnic groups. The trust delivers qualifications in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) from entry level to level 2, and vocational qualifications in healthcare and childcare at level 2. Currently, there are 35 learners on courses. During the contract year, the provider has enrolled 130 learners.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and trustees have a clear commitment to a curriculum which enables unemployed adults to develop personal confidence and the skills they need to gain employment. The curriculum closely meets the needs of a particular group of learners. The learners are mainly female, with caring responsibilities and low levels of English language. Learners often lack the confidence and the opportunities to access education and find it difficult to gain employment or roles in the community.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have set up the courses in a familiar, welcoming and supportive environment in the Bordesley Centre. Managers have ensured that classes and courses fit in with the family commitments of learners. The timing of classes ensures that learners can take their children to school at the beginning of the day and pick them up at the end of the school day.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have effective links with local partners. Through working closely with the local mosque, Jobcentre Plus and the Small Heath community forum, managers reach out effectively to learners who most need access to education. Monitoring visit: Muath Trust, 24–25 July 2019 Leaders and managers responded promptly and effectively to poor results for the first group of ESOL learners. The most recent results for ESOL learners are much improved. Most learners have stayed on the courses and nearly all have passed. Leaders and managers have ensured that tutors have suitable teaching qualifications and relevant vocational experience.

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Reasonable progress

Trustees understand the provision well. They are part of the management committee structure. They receive regular and frequent reports of enrolments and achievements. They do not yet receive information on the quality of the learners’ experience.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers use their own knowledge of the learners, and informal communication between themselves, to ensure that learners make good progress. Leaders and managers are not yet able to evaluate the effectiveness of the courses they run. They do not track effectively the destinations of their learners on completion of their courses.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors assess and record learners’ starting points in English well. They use this information to plan appropriate learning activities. Learners develop their spoken and written English skills, which builds their confidence and independence. They can participate more fully in their community. For example, they make appointments at their local health centre and help their children more effectively with their homework.

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Reasonable progress

Knowledgeable and supportive tutors deliver well-planned and engaging learning activities so that learners develop new knowledge and skills securely and systematically. For example, tutors consider the composition of small groups before asking learners to participate in discussion. Tutors use card activities skilfully to develop learners’ understanding of technical vocabulary. Tutors then present learners with a more extended task which requires the use of this knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers set work for learners to complete in their own time. They support them in identifying the skills they will need to work independently. Most learners become more independent learners and extend their learning into their own lives.

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Reasonable progress

Care learners participate in work placements with a range of local care homes and nurseries. Tutors work closely with the employers to ensure that learners can put their learning into practice. Learners develop their practical skills and confidence swiftly. Monitoring visit: Muath Trust, 24–25 July 2019 Employment support advisers help learners to develop an appropriate curriculum vitae. This is a new experience for many learners. Advisers prepare learners well for interviews. Tutors promote career opportunities to learners. For example, learners attended a careers conference in childcare.

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Reasonable progress

Managers direct learners appropriately to a wide range of professional advice services. These include financial and careers advice and support for mental health. As a result, most learners stay on the courses.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not record the learners’ wider career, skill or personal aspirations. They do not set targets for these areas of development, nor do they monitor the progress towards these aims. As a result, learners are less clear of the progress they are making in these areas and what they need to improve further.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding is a key organisational priority, with high-level support from the trustees and the senior managers. Learners feel safe in the centre.

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Reasonable progress

The designated safeguarding lead has completed the appropriate training and updates.

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Reasonable progress

Managers ensure that all new staff are appointed through safe recruitment procedures. All staff complete safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty training regularly. Managers have close links with the local adult safeguarding board and the east Birmingham police advisory group. They are aware of the key priorities for the local area.

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Reasonable progress

Learners know how and to whom they should report any safeguarding concerns. Learners are aware of the risks of radicalisation and extremism and how these are relevant to them.

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Reasonable progress

Staff are supportive to learners who demonstrate signs of stress or anxiety. Staff monitor learners’ attendance closely and will telephone learners to check on their welfare.

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Reasonable progress

In a very small number of cases, managers have been slow to ensure compliance with the trust’s own safeguarding policies. Monitoring visit: Muath Trust, 24–25 July 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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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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