Anglia Professional Training Limited

Monitoring visit: Anglia Professional Training Limited, 9–10 July 2019 Anglia Professional Training Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Sambit Sen, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Endeavour House Saville Road Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE3 7PS Monitoring visit: Anglia Professional Training Limited, 9–10 July 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

Anglia Professional Training Limited (APT) started to provide directly funded apprenticeships in May 2017. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Peterborough Regional College (PRC). Currently, there are 102 apprentices. All the apprentices are on standards-based apprenticeships. These include assistant accountant level 3, professional accounting technician level 4, team leader/supervisor level 3, operations/departmental manager level 5 and chartered legal executive level 6. APT works with one subcontractor Turning Factor Limited to deliver team leader/supervisor level 3 advanced apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that learning programmes cover the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by the financial sector. However, the curriculum is too rigid in assistant accountant level 3. It does not meet the individual needs of learners. Leaders manage one subcontractor effectively to deliver team leader/supervisor apprenticeships at level 3.

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Reasonable progress

Directors and governors provide good support and challenge to leaders and managers. For example, the finance department of PRC fully supports financial operations. When APT produced unreliable information about financial growth forecasts, governors challenged it robustly.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work effectively with employers. There is good employer engagement in designing the training programmes. Employers have good knowledge about end-point assessments. For example, leaders and managers have termly meetings with the employers to update them and to understand further their training needs. Despite this, a minority of apprentices find it difficult to relate their knowledge to the jobs that they do. Monitoring visit: Anglia Professional Training Limited, 9–10 July 2019 Leaders and managers have accurately identified aspects of teaching, learning and assessment that need to improve. Leaders have put in place staff performance and staff development plans. However, these are not developed sufficiently to have sufficient impact on teaching, learning and assessment practices.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers recruit highly qualified staff with good industrial experience to deliver training. For example, some of the accountancy tutors still practise within the financial sector.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that all apprentices receive their full entitlement to off- the-job training. They receive high-quality off-the-job training from their employer.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers recruit apprentices with integrity. Most apprentices are new to the sector when they start their programme. As a result, they develop significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their apprenticeship programme.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices on apprenticeships at levels 4 and 5 develop good knowledge, skills and behaviours that they use effectively in the workplace. For example, accountancy apprentices at level 4 apply their knowledge of management accounts in the workplace very well to manage their client portfolios. However, tutors who teach accountancy at level 3 do not link effectively apprentices’ development of theoretical concepts to practical applications at work.

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Reasonable progress

Employers recognise the knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices develop and the value they bring to their businesses. For example, some accountancy apprentices take on additional responsibilities, including training junior colleagues.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices produce good standards of work that meet the requirements of their apprenticeships. Tutors provide good developmental feedback to their apprentices. It encourages apprentices to understand better the impact of their actions at work.

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Reasonable progress

In a minority of cases, tutors do not collect information on apprentices’ previous knowledge and skills. As a result, the training programmes do not consistently meet the individual needs of the apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices improve their English and mathematical knowledge and skills. Most apprentices have good knowledge and skills in English and mathematics when they start their apprenticeships. They develop higher levels of English skills during their apprenticeships. For example, they develop skills to write complex and good-quality financial reports as part of their roles. Accountancy apprentices use high-level mathematical knowledge and skills to produce accurate accounts and related calculations as part of their job roles. Monitoring visit: Anglia Professional Training Limited, 9–10 July 2019 Apprentices are fully aware of the requirements of end-point assessments and feel fully prepared for them. They can identify the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to improve to complete their assessments.

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Reasonable progress

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. There is a designated safeguarding officer in place who is appropriately qualified. Leaders and managers implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively. Staff receive relevant training and know what constitutes a safeguarding issue and the process to follow if one arises.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers implement safer recruitment practices when appointing new staff. These include reference checks, the right to work in the UK, and Disclosure and Barring Service checks before new staff start their employment.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive useful information at induction and throughout their apprenticeship programme regarding how and to whom they should report safeguarding concerns. For example, they know to whom they should report issues relating to their workplace, such as bullying and harassment, and personal well-being concerns.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not check and record effectively apprentices’ understanding of well-being and health and safety. More needs to be done to ensure that apprentices have a sound understanding of the dangers associated with radicalisation and extremism. Monitoring visit: Anglia Professional Training Limited, 9–10 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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the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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