The Recalvi Enterprise Ltd

The Recalvi Enterprise Limited Progress monitoring report

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Name of lead inspector: Saher Nijabat, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Wework 8 Devonshire Square London EC2M 4PL Monitoring visit: The Recalvi Enterprise Limited, 18–19 February 2021

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Context and focus of visit

The Recalvi Enterprise Limited, operating as Apprenticeship Connect, received a new provider monitoring visit in September 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

At Recalvi Enterprise Limited, trading as Apprenticeship Connect, leaders responded competently to the challenges resulting from the pandemic. They successfully moved all teaching and training activities online to ensure apprentices continue to make good progress. Leaders and managers provided appropriate information and training to staff, employers and apprentices about how to use online systems effectively. Employers receive thorough training on how to complete expert witness testimonies for workplace observations. Consequently, apprentices have been able to complete their apprenticeship despite the COVID-19 related restrictions. Monitoring visit: The Recalvi Enterprise Limited, 18–19 February 2021 Since the previous monitoring visit, leaders and managers have successfully implemented more apprenticeship standards in subjects such as early years educator and digital marketer. Managers have robust recruitment practices to ensure the

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Significant progress

tutors have the right skills and qualifications needed to support apprentices in specific subjects. Tutors are highly knowledgeable about their subject and use their expertise to link theory with work-based examples in their lessons.

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Significant progress

Through the staff training academy, tutors benefit considerably from a wide range of training programmes. They have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the importance of accurately identifying their learners’ starting points for effective teaching. Tutors skilfully use online tools for sharing comments and ideas during class discussions. They are adept at using breakout rooms and chat features to engage learners in online learning activities.

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Significant progress

Staff have built strong partnerships with a range of employers in the business services, recruitment, teaching and early years sectors. They use these relationships extremely well to identify suitable jobs with good career opportunities for apprentices. Staff support apprentices well through the application and interview process. For example, learners applying for childcare jobs go through the early years’ foundation stage framework before the interview. Staff provide detailed information about all components of apprenticeships. Apprentices are clear about final assessment grades and know exactly what they need to do to achieve a distinction. The proportion of apprentices who achieve a distinction in their final assessments is high.

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Significant progress

Managers expertly sequence the curriculum to enable apprentices to develop knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. Tutors competently use the most appropriate activities to teach new knowledge and build a deeper understanding of their apprentices. In early years courses, tutors expertly use demonstration and case studies to build apprentices’ knowledge of how reasoning and investigation skills in children develop at different ages. Apprentices on business administrator programmes learn about the fundamentals of running a business and the importance of team meetings.

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Significant progress

Tutors are adept at using various assessment methods, such as tests, recap, recall, and questioning, to check apprentices’ knowledge and understanding. For example, tutors on level 2 recruitment resourcer programmes skilfully use questions to establish apprentices’ understanding of what a recruitment resource plan is. Tutors carry out mock interviews to appropriately prepare apprentices for final assessments. They provide highly constructive feedback, which helps learners produce high-quality work. Tutors pick up on spelling, punctuation and grammar errors consistently.

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Significant progress

Apprentices feel very well supported by staff, both in their training and in helping with any work-related issues should they arise. They feel suitably informed about matters related to their safety and well-being. Tutors provide good support for apprentices who need extra help. For example, they provide additional one-to-one Monitoring visit: The Recalvi Enterprise Limited, 18–19 February 2021 sessions and use strategies such as allowing the use of professional discussion instead of written tasks for learners with additional learning needs.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers frequently monitor the quality of teaching and provide clear feedback to the tutors to improve. They have reviewed and revised their processes to track and monitor apprentices’ progress. However, tutors struggle to use these systems consistently and effectively, and thus, on a few occasions, miss the opportunity to provide timely support to apprentices. A small minority of apprentices in subjects such as the level 3 teaching assistant programme have fallen behind due to the pandemic’s effects on their employment sector.

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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 staff competently use the systems for tracking learners’ progress so that they can provide appropriate and timely support to any learners who fall behind with their work. Monitoring visit: The Recalvi Enterprise Limited, 18–19 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 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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