Forestry Commission

The Forestry Commission Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Stuart Collett, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

Technical Training Centre Birches Valley Rugeley Staffordshire WS15 2UQ Monitoring visit: The Forestry Commission, 30–31 March 2021

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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 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

The Forestry Commission is a national employer provider, with a technical training centre in Birches Valley, Staffordshire. The provider has held a contract to deliver apprenticeships since 2019. At the time of the visit, there were 13 apprentices, all following the level 2 forestry operative apprenticeship standard. Following a brief period of closure at the beginning of the first period of national restrictions in March 2020, the provider has continued to teach its apprentices both face to face and remotely, in line with national restrictions.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Significant progress

Leaders have developed a curriculum which closely reflects the skills shortages found within the forestry sector. As part of the trailblazer group, they used their extensive experience to help develop the occupational standard for the forestry operative apprenticeship at level 2. They actively encourage managers to extend apprentices’ skills beyond the curriculum by undertaking additional training in areas where they demonstrate a particular skill or interest, for example in the use of chainsaws, chippers, or plant health.

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Significant progress

Leaders worked closely with stakeholders to develop a strategy to recruit apprentices into forestry-related job roles, which helps to address the future skills needs of both the employer and the wider sector. As a result, the identification of apprenticeship opportunities and subsequent recruitment of apprentices across the organisation are steadily increasing. Monitoring visit: The Forestry Commission, 30–31 March 2021 Leaders have ensured that there are suitably qualified and experienced staff in place to provide the components of an effective apprenticeship. Additionally, they have identified experts within the wider workforce who, with the support of trainers, teach masterclasses in their specialist subject areas. As a result, apprentices have the opportunity to learn from both their experienced trainers and industry-recognised specialists.

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Significant progress

Managers work closely with district leaders to ensure that apprentices develop the skills they need in the workplace rapidly, and to enable them to practise these skills in their daily role. They plan the order of teaching to meet the requirements of the different district areas in which the apprentices work to ensure that they have sufficient opportunities to develop their skills.

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Significant progress

Managers have access to a suitably experienced independent governor who has an established background in education. However, the current arrangements for governance are informal and do not yet routinely review the quality of education that apprentices receive.

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Significant progress

Senior leaders do not routinely review apprentices’ progress. The small number of apprentices that the provider currently teaches has resulted in training managers possessing a detailed awareness of the progress of individual apprentices. However, there is not yet a formal process for reporting this to senior leaders.

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Significant progress

Trainers plan the order of training well to ensure that apprentices gain the skills and knowledge they need to work safely from the start of their programme. Apprentices’ induction includes subjects such as risk management, manual handling, pollution, health and safety, and first aid. This training is then consolidated in the workplace with line managers and forestry staff. As a result, apprentices demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, and how the tools and equipment they use have an impact on the environment. For example, they know how fuel leakages from machinery can damage the environment and how to deal with this effectively.

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Significant progress

Apprentices work alongside highly skilled staff in their on-the-job training within their districts. Line managers have a detailed understanding of the training needs of apprentices, and schedule work with staff with significant forestry experience. As a result, apprentices become highly skilled.

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Significant progress

Trainers and line managers work together effectively to plan training relevant to the current season, and the business needs of each district. For example, in response to Monitoring visit: The Forestry Commission, 30–31 March 2021 the tree-planting initiative, trainers arranged tree-planting training early in the apprentices’ programme. Planning reflects seasonal demands, for example starting in the winter with tree planting, then moving on to clearance training, fencing, silviculture, tariffing, use of chainsaws, then back to tree planting in the following year.

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Significant progress

Apprentices benefit from highly effective and well-planned on- and off-the-job training. Line managers work closely with the training team to plan training to ensure that skills and knowledge learned off the job can be consolidated in the workplace. For example, apprentices who have completed their chainsaw block training and qualification are working with their line manager and supervisor to manage a ‘coup’, where apprentices measure and mark trees for felling and demonstrate the different approaches that they can use to fell them.

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Significant progress

Apprentices understand the different qualifications and topics they need to complete to be successful in their apprenticeship. However, they do not yet have a good enough understanding of end-point assessment, the grades they can work towards, or what they need to do to achieve the highest grade.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have embedded a culture of safeguarding across the organisation, which extends well to the teaching of apprenticeships. They have appointed a suitably qualified designated safeguarding lead, who manages assistant safeguarding officers in each district, and works closely with the training team to ensure that apprentices receive relevant information they need to help keep themselves safe.

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Reasonable progress

When working in in the forest, apprentices are required to use maps and risk assessments to record their movements. They use a digital application to identify and record their exact location for others to know where they are. As a result, apprentices understand the importance of recording this information when working in remote locations.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices have undertaken training on the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism during their induction. They found the information useful and understand how this would apply if they were working with the public. However, despite leaders and trainers having a detailed understanding of the local risks apprentices may encounter within the districts in which they work, they have not communicated this to apprentices well enough. As a result, apprentices are unable to link this knowledge with their work. Monitoring visit: The Forestry Commission, 30–31 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

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Reasonable progress

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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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

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