FLM Training Ltd

FLM Training Limited Progress monitoring report

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Name of lead inspector: Kim Bleasdale, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Atlas House Caxton Close Wigan WN3 6XU Monitoring visit: FLM Training Limited, 17–18 February 2021

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Context and focus of visit

FLM Training Limited received a new provider monitoring visit in October 2018. At that time, inspectors made progress judgements under three themes.

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on the extent to which leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education and training in the current circumstances. It was undertaken as outlined in the operational note on visits carried out from January 2021 and with reference to the further education and skills handbook.

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Context and focus of visit

These visits are to help learners, parents, employers and government understand how providers are meeting the needs of learners in this period, including those with high needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Context and focus of visit

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, inspectors carried out this monitoring activity remotely. As a result, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would be the case during an on-site inspection. Therefore, this report provides a more limited level of assurance.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgement below. Inspectors did not evaluate leaders’ response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer of 2020, when the provider was not open to all learners and there were no national expectations regarding remote education.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have taken appropriate steps to improve most of the weaknesses identified at the previous monitoring visit. However, the pace of improvements has been hindered by COVID-19 restrictions.

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Reasonable progress

Before the pandemic, learners and apprentices attended face-to-face teaching and collated their work in paper portfolios. Once COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, leaders and managers immediately switched to online teaching. They received funding that enabled them to swiftly put in place a new online learning and electronic portfolio platform. Leaders provided assessors with intensive training. This helped them to develop the skills they needed to be able to plan, teach and assess Monitoring visit: FLM Training Limited, 17–18 February 2021 learning remotely. Assessors confidently use a variety of online tools such as break- out rooms and sharing documents on screen to support apprentices’ learning. In line with government restrictions, there is currently no face-to-face teaching taking place.

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Reasonable progress

Governors and senior leaders have an accurate understanding of the provision. They rightly recognise the need to continue to strengthen the setting of clear and measurable targets for senior leaders to improve the quality of education further.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous monitoring visit, leaders and managers offer adult learning programmes in personal training, and gym and fitness instructing. Adult learners have clear career goals and are motivated to achieve their qualifications. They plan to gain employment in a gym or to become self-employed when they have achieved their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders worked closely with awarding organisations to adapt practical assessments during the COVID-19 restrictions. Learners studying personal training completed videos at home using people in their social ‘bubbles’ as clients. This means that most learners and apprentices, including those who were furloughed, continue to make progress towards developing knowledge, skills and behaviours and achieve their qualifications. A few learners and apprentices have fallen behind in their learning. Leaders have appropriate plans in place to help them catch up.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have made improvements to how they coordinate on- and off-the-job training for apprentices. They have introduced and trained workplace mentors. Mentors work closely with assessors to help apprentices improve their practical work skills. For example, apprentices who study fitness instructing confidently and safely use pool hoists following training from their mentors.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders have improved how they use apprentices’ assessments at the start of the programme to plan the curriculum. Assessors set appropriate targets that help apprentices improve the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful at work. In a few instances, assessors do not use apprentices’ assessments to plan an individualised curriculum. As a result, apprentices do not make the progress they should.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that the curriculum is taught in a logical order. This supports learners and apprentices to understand the theory before they have the opportunity to practise in the workplace. For example, learners and apprentices learn the importance of health and safety. They build on this by developing their understanding of cleaning routines and using the appropriate cleaning chemicals. This helps learners and apprentices to develop their skills to ensure that gym equipment is clean and safe for clients to use.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors give helpful feedback to learners and apprentices. As a result, they know what to do to improve their work. Apprentices and learners enjoy their learning. They access online learning platforms flexibly to suit their home and work Monitoring visit: FLM Training Limited, 17–18 February 2021 commitments. In a few instances, apprentices do not know what to do to improve their work to achieve a higher grade.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors provide a range of helpful resources to learners and apprentices. They set work that contains website links to leadership models for apprentices studying team- leading and management. Assessors provide webinars demonstrating exercises for apprentices and adult learners on gym instructor and personal trainer programmes. Learners and apprentices studying anatomy and physiology can access resources on how the heart works. As a result, the large majority of learners and apprentices make at least their expected levels of progress.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors provide a range of appropriate support to help learners and apprentices who are at risk of leaving their programmes. They lend laptops to learners and apprentices who have difficulty accessing their online learning remotely. Assessors offer additional coaching workshops. Learners and apprentices can contact each other through a secure online support group, where they can talk about the work they are doing or discuss any anxieties or concerns they have. Leaders and managers send mailshots out to learners and employers with useful videos and links to resources on mental health awareness.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a detailed understanding of the risks to learners’ and apprentices’ health and safety. This includes online risks when learning remotely. In practical sessions, assessors ensure that learners studying sports massage work back to back or side to side, rather than face to face.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Reasonable progress

 strengthen the setting of clear and measurable targets for senior leaders to continue to monitor and improve the quality of education  ensure that all apprentices and learners who have fallen behind make rapid progress towards achieving the required knowledge, skills and behaviours  ensure that staff use the results of assessments completed at the start of the programme to ensure that apprentices receive an individualised curriculum. Monitoring visit: FLM Training Limited, 17–18 February 2021 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

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Reasonable progress

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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