Bock Consultancy & Personnel Development

Bock Consultancy and Personnel Development Limited Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Lynda Brown, HMI

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Unit 42 Eurolink Business Centre 49 Effra Road Brixton London SW2 1BZ Monitoring visit: Bock Consultancy and Personnel Development Limited, 12 September 2019

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Context and focus of visit

Bock Consultancy and Personnel Development (Bock) was inspected in December 2018. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in addressing the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Bock provides learning programmes at sites across London. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 37 adult learners studying level 3 courses in business management, health and social care, art and design, and child development and well-being.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have taken appropriate actions to rectify the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection report. They have established relevant meetings to review the quality of provision at middle manager and board level. Leaders have appointed an external member to the board of directors to provide additional challenge and expertise. Managers use these meetings to communicate effectively and focus on their main priorities. Managers now have a good understanding of the quality of the provision.

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Reasonable progress

Managers plan the curriculum successfully to meet local skills gaps. They ensure that learners develop relevant skills and knowledge over time. Managers have put effective quality assurance processes in place to standardise learners’ work, review the curriculum structure and quality assure learners’ assignments.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved how they gather and collate data. They have introduced new systems so that they can record the data that they gather effectively. However, managers and tutors do not take a sufficiently systematic approach to recording or reporting data. Information sharing between staff and managers is frequently informal. As a result, leaders are not able to check systems to confirm their understanding of the quality of provision. For example, tutors do not keep tracking documents up to date so that these reflect accurately the progress that learners make. Monitoring visit: Bock Consultancy and Personnel Development Limited, 12 September 2019 Leaders do not use all the data available to them to report on the improvements that they are making. For example, although they gather data on learners’ destinations, they do not evaluate this in their overall assessment of the quality of provision.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and staff assess learners’ skills in English and mathematics accurately at the start of their courses. As a result, tutors understand the support that learners need to further improve their skills.

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Reasonable progress

Staff provide good support to learners who require functional skills qualifications or a course in English for speakers of other languages. For example, tutors support learners who require level 2 English functional skills to progress into higher education, or to gain places at local colleges. Staff provide additional work to support learners to develop their English skills so that they are well prepared to progress to higher education.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, managers have allocated specific time for all learners to develop their English skills within taught lessons. Staff provide learners with suitable worksheets and activities to help them to improve their English written skills. For example, learners on a business course know how to use the correct homophone in different written contexts. Tutors provide helpful feedback on learners’ English work so that learners know how to improve. As a result, learners develop good English skills.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors mark learners’ assignment work carefully during their course. They correct spelling errors and provide learners with guidance on how to improve their grammar. They support learners effectively to develop higher level skills, such as being able to evaluate information, which prepares them well for higher education. Tutors encourage learners to develop their speaking skills by developing tasks that require learners to read aloud or to discuss ideas.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors do not use the information they gather on learners’ English skills at the beginning of their course to set appropriate tasks and improve weaknesses in learners’ English skills. Tutors do not track how well learners for whom English is an additional language improve their written and spoken English. As a result, they do not know the progress that learners make. Monitoring visit: Bock Consultancy and Personnel Development Limited, 12 September 2019

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Reasonable progress

Tutors support learners effectively to develop appropriate knowledge and skills in health and social care, childcare and art and design. For example, art and design learners develop their knowledge of using the right textiles for specific tasks, and health and social care learners understand early in their course the importance of safeguarding.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have good knowledge of the vocational areas in which they work. They use their knowledge to plan and sequence learning well. Tutors build on learners’ basic knowledge effectively through taught sessions. As a result, learners deepen their understanding of topics. For example, in early years, tutors teach sessions on the theory of child development before learners move on to other, more complex topics.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have developed the curriculum so that it supports learners to progress into further learning or employment. Learners have a sound understanding of what they need to do to achieve their career aims. Those learners wanting to progress to higher education complete relevant courses that enable them to achieve their goals. Consequentially, a high proportion of learners go into higher education or employment. Staff give good support to unemployed learners so that they develop skills that help them to apply for suitable employment.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide constructive and helpful feedback on learners’ assignments. As a result, learners produce work of a good standard and understand what they need to do to improve their work. In a minority of instances, learners do not receive timely feedback on assignments that have been internally quality assured.

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Reasonable progress

Too few learners achieved their qualifications in 2017/18. The proportion of learners who stayed to the end of the programme in 2018/19 was too low. Monitoring visit: Bock Consultancy and Personnel Development Limited, 12 September 2019 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.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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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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