Decidebloom Limited

Decidebloom Limited Progress monitoring report

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Name of lead inspector: Jonny Wright, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

Omega Boulevard Capitol Park Thorne Doncaster DN8 5TX Monitoring visit: Decidebloom Limited, 4–5 March 2021

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Context and focus of visit

Decidebloom Limited received a new provider monitoring visit in December 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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Significant progress

Since the previous monitoring visit, leaders and managers have worked well to rectify the areas for improvement identified by inspectors. They now accurately track the development of apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours and have successfully changed the provision from apprenticeship frameworks to standards- based apprenticeships.

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Significant progress

Leaders have a clear oversight of the quality of apprenticeships and challenge managers robustly to make improvements where they are required. They work closely and effectively with managers to ensure that apprentices develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for their job roles and career plans. Monitoring visit: Decidebloom Limited, 4–5 March 2021 Leaders and managers have a clear and ambitious strategy for their curriculum to create highly skilled and industry-leading technicians and administrative staff for the automotive sector. They have worked closely with staff within the business to create a curriculum that meets the needs of the employer.

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Significant progress

Managers and tutors have developed a high-quality apprenticeship curriculum. Apprentices develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours quickly and apply them in their job roles. On level 3 vehicle maintenance technician programmes, apprentices build on their knowledge and skills by starting with basic automotive tasks and then moving on to more complex activities. In the first stage of the programme, apprentices gain the fundamental skills required to work in an automotive workshop, such as the safe use of tools and equipment.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have established an effective approach to teaching online since the start of the national COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic, tutors have provided video demonstrations of technical jobs for vehicle maintenance apprentices to view and replicate at work. Administration tutors use a wide range of activities to engage apprentices in learning, including live discussion, use of break- out rooms for peer-to-peer discussion, and specific tasks for apprentices to complete. However, when delivering online learning sessions with apprentices, a small minority of tutors do not routinely ensure that apprentices have fully understood the complex topics being taught.

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Significant progress

Tutors accurately assess apprentices’ existing knowledge and skills when apprentices start their programme. Prospective vehicle maintenance technician apprentices complete a simple trade test to identify a given set of faults on a vehicle. This helps tutors to start apprentices on the appropriate programme of learning and to plan learning to focus on each apprentice’s areas for development.

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Significant progress

Tutors provide helpful feedback on apprentices’ work that often directs apprentices to further learning. Through posing appropriate questions, tutors support apprentices to deepen their understanding of the subject.

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Significant progress

Tutors support apprentices well to catch up following periods of furlough and monitor their progress closely. They take swift action to ensure that apprentices are able to quickly rejoin their apprenticeships from the point that they were furloughed.

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Significant progress

Tutors provide good support for apprentices to improve their English and mathematics skills and use these skills effectively in the workplace. For example, level 3 administration apprentices communicate professionally in writing to customers when confirming financial and business arrangements.

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Significant progress

Managers ensure that tutors benefit from high-quality professional development. Since the previous monitoring visit, all tutors have achieved teaching qualifications and are currently waiting to progress onto a higher-level teaching qualification once restrictions allow. Tutors keep their technical knowledge up to date. For example, they recently completed training on electric vehicles and in the handling of refrigerants to enable them to deliver air conditioning training to their apprentices. Monitoring visit: Decidebloom Limited, 4–5 March 2021 Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices receive effective careers information, advice and guidance at the beginning of their apprenticeship and ongoing careers guidance to prepare them for their next steps. Tutors support apprentices to develop a career plan during their induction. This allows apprentices to understand the job roles that they can progress to with their employer and in other occupations and

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have taken effective action to improve the arrangements to safeguard apprentices. They now receive helpful information from external sources about national and local risks and share this with staff and apprentices. Managers have changed apprentices’ progress reviews to incorporate safeguarding in more depth so that apprentices have a better understanding of the risks that they face, including online radicalisation.

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Significant progress

Staff identified the apprentices who they thought would struggle with isolation and anxiety due to the pandemic and provided them with extra contact and support. Apprentices have been provided with well-being packs and support information to keep well during the pandemic.

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Significant progress

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

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Significant progress

 ensure that, in online lessons, tutors check effectively that all apprentices have fully understood the complex topics that they teach. Monitoring visit: Decidebloom Limited, 4–5 March 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 children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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