FE Business Limited

FE Business Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Penelope Horner, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

3rd Floor The News Building London Bridge Street London SE1 9SG Monitoring visit: FE Business Limited, 21–22 August 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 three themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

In July 2017, FE Business contracted to provide levy-funded apprenticeships, enrolling its first apprentices in October 2017. At the time of this visit, 123 apprentices were on standards-based apprenticeships in business administration, team leading, human resource support, improvement techniques or unified communications at level 3, customer service at level 2, or management at level 5. Seven apprentices were on a framework-based apprenticeship in business improvement techniques.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear business strategy aimed at meeting employers’ needs for training and development. They make suitable use of apprenticeships to develop existing or newly recruited staff so that they contribute more effectively to their employers’ businesses. Leaders have been careful to recruit small numbers of apprentices to test arrangements for delivery. As the number of apprentices has increased, leaders are taking appropriate steps to recruit staff to support this growth.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have suitable arrangements for recruiting with integrity so that almost all apprentices benefit from their training. Managers match employers’ needs for skills against apprenticeship standards to ensure that apprentices are on appropriate programmes. Apprentices in team leading and management benefit from the knowledge and skills they gain and the difference these make to their effectiveness at work. Employers cite significant improvements in productivity, communication and teamworking as a result of their apprentices’ training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders prepare employers well so that they contribute effectively to apprentices’ training. They review employers’ involvement in the apprenticeship regularly and take action if apprentices do not receive their entitlement to study time for their apprenticeships. Apprentices’ line managers take a keen interest in the training that apprentices are given. They help apprentices to apply their newly learned knowledge, skills and behaviours at work. Monitoring visit: FE Business Limited, 21–22 August 2019 Leaders monitor apprentices’ progress systematically and arrange suitable help or support if apprentices are struggling or falling behind. They ensure that trainers help to prepare apprentices for their assessments, including the end-point assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Although leaders have quality assurance arrangements in place, these are not yet sufficiently well established. Leaders have not yet made full use of the tools and systems at their disposal to ensure consistently high quality across their provision. Leaders correctly identify the improvements needed in their self-assessment report and improvement plans.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices make suitable progress in gaining substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Almost all enjoy their training, which is relevant to their job roles and helps improve their performance at work. As a result, team leading apprentices now use management techniques skilfully to solve problems, manage conflict or improve their teams’ productivity. Apprentices make beneficial use of their apprenticeship projects and assignments to investigate relevant aspects of the work they do and to improve them.

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Reasonable progress

Managers carry out suitable assessments to identify apprenticeship candidates’ existing skills and where there are gaps. They use this information to work with employers to plan suitable training programmes that meet apprentices’ and employers’ skills needs. The process helps apprentices reflect on their development needs and enables trainers to provide company-specific training for employers.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices keep suitable records of the work they do towards their apprenticeship. Managers use these records to monitor apprentices’ progress in learning and check that they are given the required time off for their apprenticeship. However, in a minority of cases, trainers do not give employers sufficient information on the progress that their apprentices are making.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers do not give apprentices sufficiently useful feedback on their assignments. Their feedback does not explain clearly what apprentices have done well or what they need to do to improve. It does not explain how apprentices could achieve merit and distinction grades in their apprenticeships, if these are available.

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Reasonable progress

Managers’ arrangements for supporting apprentices who require English and mathematics qualifications require improvement. Trainers do not make sufficient use of the outcomes of initial and diagnostic assessment to plan learning in these subjects. Trainers do not give apprentices sufficient feedback on their use of English in assignments and projects. Monitoring visit: FE Business Limited, 21–22 August 2019

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have suitable processes in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with young people and vulnerable adults. A senior manager is trained as the designated safeguarding lead and carries out appropriate criminal records checks on staff. Leaders ensure that they fulfil the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty and liaise with local safeguarding boards to keep up to date.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices complete suitable online training in safeguarding and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism during their first few weeks on the apprenticeship programme. They feel safe and know what to do if they have any concerns about themselves or others. However, in their reviews and training sessions, trainers pay insufficient attention to developing apprentices’ understanding further.

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Reasonable progress

Team meetings of trainers refer to safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty but do not do enough to improve trainers’ understanding or use of strategies for developing apprentices’ knowledge of these topics. Monitoring visit: FE Business Limited, 21–22 August 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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