Cambridge Marketing College Limited

Cambridge Marketing College Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Chris Bealey, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: 1 Cygnus Business Park Middle Watch Swavesey Cambridge CB24 4AA Monitoring visit: Cambridge Marketing College Ltd, 5-6 February 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 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

Cambridge Marketing College (CMC) received a direct contract to provide levy-based apprenticeships in January 2018 and enrolled their first apprentices in September that year. CMC specialises in providing training to marketing and public relations professionals and has 72 apprentices on levels 3 and 4 apprenticeship standards. They have an additional 26 apprentices in marketing management at level 6.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff make good use of their experience and knowledge to deliver high- quality apprenticeships in marketing and public relations. Leaders and staff meet the needs of employers and apprentices in line with the requirements of an apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices improve their planning skills and their efficiency at work. They identify key project milestones, plot these and provide clear costings and outcomes. Employers value these skills.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors are highly qualified and experienced marketing and public relations professionals. They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to their teaching practice. Tutors keep their knowledge current by using the research and development materials produced by their professional bodies. They use this research to produce high-quality learning materials. These provide apprentices with an interactive and stimulating learning programme.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers continually improve the quality of provision. Their self- evaluation is mostly accurate and identifies the key areas for improvement. They respond quickly to identified weaknesses. Monitoring visit: Cambridge Marketing College Ltd, 5-6 February 2020 Leaders and managers have adequate oversight of apprentices’ progress. They review each apprentice’s progress monthly and provide appropriate help.

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Reasonable progress

Governance arrangements are effective. The current governor has a good understanding of the quality of training and provides an appropriate level of challenge to leaders.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices gain new, occupationally relevant skills and knowledge. As a result, apprentices progress well in their job roles, benefiting their employers. For example, public relations apprentices manage controversial signage campaigns that require clear branding and enhanced negotiation skills. They understand the dynamics of maintaining corporate social responsibility.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from high-quality training in the workplace. They shadow and work with design and product teams, gaining valuable practical experience. Consequently, apprentices apply, extend and reinforce good theoretical training in their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors monitor and review apprentices’ progress effectively. Tutors meet frequently with apprentices and their managers. They provide useful feedback that informs apprentices’ next steps. Most apprentices use this feedback well to improve the standard of their work.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices develop sector-specific English skills. For example, apprentices develop social media posts that are relevant and accessible to readers across a range of age groups. Apprentices also improve their understanding of technical language over time. Marketing apprentices use plain English and clear images in materials for communities for whom English is not their first language.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors do not establish apprentices’ starting points at the start of their programme. They do not identify effectively the full range of apprentices’ skills, including mathematics. Leaders have acted to remedy this. For example, they have recruited a mathematics specialist. However, it is too early to judge the impact of these measures. Monitoring visit: Cambridge Marketing College Ltd, 5-6 February 2020

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe. Leaders and managers have developed a culture of safeguarding apprentices. They understand their duties well. Leaders have appointed a designated safeguarding officer who is suitably trained. They have appropriate procedures for reporting and dealing with safeguarding incidents and act upon these in a timely manner. A few apprentices are insufficiently clear about how to refer safeguarding issues to staff at the start of their programmes. Monitoring visit: Cambridge Marketing College Ltd, 5-6 February 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

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Reasonable progress

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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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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