Pentland Assessment Centres Ltd

Pentland Assessment Centres Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Steve Lambert, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Lothian House, 33–41 Kelvin Avenue, Hillington, Glasgow G52 4LT Monitoring visit: Pentland Assessment Centres Limited, 8–9 January 2020

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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

Pentland Assessment Centres Limited is a training provider based in Glasgow, Scotland. It has received funding directly from the Education and Skills Funding Agency through the apprenticeship budget since 2018, and it is this provision that is in scope for the monitoring visit. In 2018/19, the provider had 14 apprentices funded through this route. At the time of the inspection, 32 apprentices in England were on level 3 information technology and telecoms framework apprenticeships and level 4 project management, team leading and business administration apprenticeship standards.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear vision and ambition for their curriculum. They aim to improve the knowledge and skills of workers in telecommunications and project management. They achieve this through high-quality apprenticeship training and are prudent with their plans to grow the provision. Leaders and managers work closely with employers to put in place apprenticeship programmes that support individuals to gain the knowledge they need to work in this sector.

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Reasonable progress

Staff work with employers to recruit apprentices who will benefit from learning new knowledge and skills. Most apprentices stay to the end of their course. A high proportion of apprentices achieve qualifications in English and mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have secured a high level of commitment from employers to the apprenticeship programme. The employers’ own staff help to teach apprentices the technical skills they need for the apprenticeship and their job role.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a realistic picture of the overall strengths of the apprenticeship programme and the areas for improvement. They are aware of what areas need to be improved and take action to rectify these. For example, following their reviews of assessors’ performance, they do not provide enough feedback to Monitoring visit: Pentland Assessment Centres Limited, 8–9 January 2020 assessors to help them improve. Leaders have recently implemented a process to gain independent scrutiny of the provision. This is still in its infancy, and the impact cannot yet be measured.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have recruited staff with the appropriate experience and qualifications in the subject areas being offered. Apprentices receive good support from assessors to develop new knowledge and skills. Staff identify accurately what their apprentices know and can do at the start of their apprenticeship. They then place apprentices on the correct programme.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are taught new knowledge that benefits their employers. For example, project management apprentices know how to manage large and complex projects, and telecoms apprentices learn how to diagnose faults on telephone lines. As a result, apprentices develop competencies that make them more productive in their jobs.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors keep a close eye on how well apprentices are doing through frequent reviews. Apprentices find their studies challenging and they know how this will help them in their jobs. As a result, they are motivated to learn and plan to seek further study and development opportunities when they complete their apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

For telecoms employees who are new to the job, staff structure the training logically. Apprentices first learn workplace behaviours and the basics they need to work as a telecoms engineer, before learning more complex disciplines such as working with fibre-optic cables.

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Reasonable progress

A very small number of telecoms apprentices do not routinely receive their entitlement to off-the-job training. As a result, they are not having the time given to them to complete their apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and staff have created an environment where apprentices feel supported. They have appropriate policies and procedures in place which outline in detail the risks apprentices may face and the actions staff should take. Staff are trained in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty and know what to do should a concern be raised. The designated safeguarding lead has not completed the necessary training to the appropriate level. However, at the time of inspection, this was imminent. Monitoring visit: Pentland Assessment Centres Limited, 8–9 January 2020 Apprentices feel safe and know to whom they should report any concerns. Apprentices have a good understanding of topics such as victimisation and harassment. They understand the importance of respecting people’s differences and treating people fairly, especially when working in other people’s homes. Apprentices are suitably informed about how to keep themselves safe from the risks posed by

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Reasonable progress

extremism and radicalisation. Monitoring visit: Pentland Assessment Centres Limited, 8–9 January 2020 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 looked after children, 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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Reasonable progress

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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