Benson-Smith Limited

Benson-Smith Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jacquie Brown, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Victoria Works Calder Street Brighouse West Yorkshire HD6 1LZ Monitoring visit: Benson-Smith Limited, 22–23 January 2020

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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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency (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 ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Benson-Smith Limited is an independent learning provider which has its head office in Brighouse. It provides training to apprentices in Harrogate, Manchester and Salford. The provider first received funding to deliver apprenticeships in July 2018. Currently, nine apprentices are on standards-based programmes in hospitality and catering. Apprentices follow programmes in commis chef at level 2, chef de partie at level 3, hospitality supervisor at level 3, and hospitality manager at level 4. Most apprentices are over 19 years of age.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear rationale for delivering training in catering and hospitality. They have successfully implemented apprenticeships that are responsive to the regional and national staff shortages in the industry. Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that enables apprentices to progress in the industry. For example, apprentices progress from commis chef at level 2 to chef de partie at level 3 and gain promotion at work.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a good understanding of the needs of employers and provide a flexible curriculum to meet their business needs. For example, trainers teach apprentices important knowledge, skills and cooking techniques that go beyond the requirements of the apprenticeship qualification, such as how to create low-fat and low- carbohydrate recipes.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders employ appropriately qualified tutors with significant vocational experience and knowledge of up-to-date techniques. Tutors have experience of working in Michelin-starred restaurants and working as personal chefs for very high-profile clients. Tutors regularly receive training in modern cooking techniques such as how Monitoring visit: Benson-Smith Limited, 22–23 January 2020 to make instant ice cream with liquid nitrogen. They use this expertise effectively to develop apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders implement an effective recruitment process to make sure that they enrol apprentices onto appropriate courses. Staff at the provider and the employer discuss with potential apprentices the demands of the hospitality industry. They also test the knowledge and skills of apprentices through a trial in a busy working environment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices benefit from high-quality resources in their off-the- job training. Apprentices work in state-of-the-art kitchens with up-to-date technology. For example, apprentices use a thermo mixer to produce restaurant- standard hollandaise sauce.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have suitable arrangements in place to provide support and challenge to senior leaders. They use the expertise of an external company to review their provision and to identify areas for improvement.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers identify apprentices’ starting points accurately. They use this information effectively to plan training so that apprentices make good progress in developing new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Trainers encourage apprentices to move to different kitchens to experience more-challenging tasks, including fine dining.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers provide apprentices with their entitlement to high-quality off-the-job training which supports apprentices’ learning. For example, they make good use of peer observations to encourage apprentices to develop their understanding of how to make sourdough bread.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers build effectively on apprentices’ prior knowledge and skills to enable them to apply their previous learning when completing unfamiliar recipes. For example, chef de partie apprentices create classical French desserts which require the use of multiple pastries, accurate use of timing and the ability to create complementary flavours.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers know their apprentices well and monitor their progress effectively. They provide additional support to apprentices when they fall behind. They encourage apprentices to take appropriate responsibility for their own development. Trainers support apprentices to approach the head chef to request additional practice on key techniques or to request additional responsibilities to develop their knowledge and skills further. Monitoring visit: Benson-Smith Limited, 22–23 January 2020 Trainers implement an effective end-point-assessment process and make sure that apprentices and employers have a good understanding of the requirements. For example, chef de partie apprentices carry out mock professional discussions and trial culinary challenges. They receive helpful feedback from their tutors to improve their work further.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive good support from their employers to develop their knowledge and skills in English and mathematics. Consequently, they use technical terms accurately and use mental arithmetic to scale recipes successfully. However, during review meetings, trainers do not develop apprentices’ English and mathematics sufficiently. They do not identify systematically errors in English in apprentices’ workbooks to enable them to improve their use of written English.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that the designated safeguarding lead has appropriate training and knowledge to be effective. They make sure that staff and apprentices complete suitable safeguarding training. As a result, apprentices know how to keep themselves safe and know to whom they should report concerns. Apprentices feel safe. Leaders have an effective process in place to deal with safeguarding concerns, including referring to external agencies where appropriate.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders implement suitable safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty procedures to keep apprentices safe. They take effective action to ensure that staff are safe to work with apprentices. Leaders have implemented a ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan which identifies the risks that apprentices face. Leaders do not ensure that apprentices develop fully their knowledge and understanding of radicalisation and extremism. They do not inform apprentices fully about the dangers of radicalisation and extremism in Harrogate, Manchester and Salford. Monitoring visit: Benson-Smith Limited, 22–23 January 2020 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for apprentices 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

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Reasonable progress

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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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